The Toyota GR Yaris is one of the hottest hatches in Europe and Japan, but folks looking for a larger alternative might have an option, too. Auto Express reports that a GR Corolla would arrive in the United Kingdom in 2023, and the model would use the same engine as the mean Yaris. It would compete in Europe against the likes of the Ford Focus ST and Hyundai i30 N.
Rumors have been circulating about a warmer version of the Corolla for a while. Toshio Kanei, Deputy Chief Designer at Toyota, said in early 2019 that the hot hatch was under development but still in the planning stages. He said that the company wasn't developing it with a hybrid powertrain in mind.
If these claims are true, then American hot hatch fans should perk up their ears. While the Yaris variants on each side of the Atlantic are completely different vehicles, the Corolla Hatchback rides on the TGNA platform in both regions. This at least opens up the possibility of Toyota selling the speedy model in both regions.
The GR Yaris packs a 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder that produces 257 horsepower (192 kilowatts) and 266 pound-feet (360 Newton-meters) of torque in Europe. The Japanese model makes 268 hp (200 kW). It has a six-speed manual and a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system with Torsen limited-slip differentials at both ends. The hot hatch gets to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 5.5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 143 mph (230 kph). The little machine weighs just 2,822 pounds (1,280 kilograms), too. Customers get ahold of them in Europe in the second half of 2020.
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