Johannesburg - With its rally-derived technology, the Toyota GR Yaris is very much in a class of its own, but we have it on good authority that this is likely just the beginning of Toyota’s modern hot hatch story.
According to CarsGuide, the latest rumours are pointing towards a Toyota GR Corolla making an entrance at some point, with a Rally edition that pushes out around 224kW.
The Toyota GR Corolla is set to be powered by an uprated version of the Yaris’s 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol engine, the Australian publication reported, and it is also set to receive its smaller sibling’s GR-Four all-wheel drive system.
Although it will be slightly less powerful than the 235kW Volkswagen Golf R, the Toyota GR Corolla is likely to make up for that to some degree with lightweight body panels, and buyers will reportedly have the option of deleting the rear seat bench to save even more weight.
According to Wheels, the GR Corolla will come with a six-speed manual gearbox, which could be the only option available, although some websites have speculated that an optional automatic transmission could be offered too.
Its exterior design won’t be as radically different from the regular Corolla hatch as its smaller sibling is to the normal Yaris, but you can expect bolder front and rear fascia treatments and possibly flared wheel fenders too, as per the GR Yaris.
A variant of the latter’s double wishbone rear suspension system is also likely to find its way into the GR Corolla, along with its two limited-slip differentials.
But when will it become a reality? Wheels reports that Toyota is aiming to launch the GR Corolla in late 2022 or early 2023, and we certainly do hope that it will be on the radar for South Africa at some point.