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Having worked in the automotive industry in many roles for over 15 years and currently the Content Strategist for Wheels.ca - Kunal's obsession with cars goes back to his early childhood. Even now his insatiable thirst to be in the know of anything with wheels and a motor continues, and will likely never fade. His idea of bliss is the open road,  good tunes and a manual gearbox. Kunal is a member of AJAC (Automobile Journalists Association of Canada)

The Toyota GR Corolla has been making headlines since its introduction last year. Markets in Europe and Asia get the rally-bred GR Yaris, a true homologation special. The real deal. Unfortunately, we don’t, and that’s simply because the Yaris on which the GR version is based, is no longer sold here.

If the GR Yaris did come here, it would have sold out instantly and probably for an insane markup. But bringing it here would have been prohibitively expensive. Car makers don’t like losing large sums of money, so instead we get the GR Corolla. It’s slightly bigger and heavier but it makes more power to offset the extra pounds. Is the GR Corolla just a consolation prize for North Americans or does it have the same magic that made its smaller sibling an instant hit?

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176921" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DSC04601.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla Core" width="2048" height="1365" />

It has all the stuff driving enthusiasts want: a heavily boosted and fizzy three-cylinder with 300 hp, and 273 lb-ft of torque, a rally-bred all-wheel drive system, front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials, big brakes, and a mandatory 6-speed manual transmission. And Toyota now has a legitimate competitor to the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2023-honda-civic-type-r-first-drive-review">Honda Civic Type R</a>, which is great news for us because this is the type of thing that gets us up in the morning.

But there are more differences between them than similarities. The Type R feels like a mid-size sedan, the GR Corolla is at least a full-size smaller. The Civic Type R only drives the front wheels and the GR Corolla drives all four. One is rally-focused, tested on dirt and snow as well as racetracks, the other is a street/track tool of the highest caliber. In the real world, though, these are going to be cross-shopped.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176914" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DSC04610.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla Core" width="2048" height="1365" />

Inside the GR Corolla looks like, well, any other Corolla. With the exception of the digital gauge cluster, and a few GR logos, there’s nothing that implies you’re in something different, something special. It also doesn’t feel like the interior of a $50,000 car. Sure the controls feel good and are easy to use and ergonomically positioned, but the Type R with its honeycomb vents, jewel-like knobs, and bright red racing-inspired seats feels vastly superior.

It’s a different story when it comes to the exterior. The wide body kit, aggressive bumpers, hood scoops, and triple stainless mufflers are the opposite of covert. It’s compact and muscular, like a bulldog. Not really pretty, but still endearing. This truly isn’t your uncle’s Corolla.

In Canada we get three trims starting with the Core model ($48,604) you see here, the Circuit ($57,104), which adds a carbon-fibre roof, nicer interior trim, rear spoiler, and a more aggressive hood. Then there’s the hardcore and very limited Morizo edition that bins the rear seats for additional structural bracing and gets more torque, wider tires, shorter gearing, and special monotube shocks.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176920" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DSC04602.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla Core" width="2048" height="1365" />

Firing up the feisty three-cylinder brings a throaty growl that reverberates into the cabin. The GR Corolla sounds like it looks. The 6-speed manual feels great to row, slotting into gears with a healthy shove with a pleasingly firm and easy-to-modulate clutch pedal.

Infusing 300hp into a car with the footprint of a Corolla hatchback is already going to be a good time but it would be wasted if the chassis wasn’t capable of managing the extra power. With stiffer springs and shocks, a double wishbone multi-link rear suspension, significantly more welds, and structural adhesives, the GR is a much, much stiffer car

With its trick all-wheel drive system, you get the confidence to mash the throttle pedal at will, provided you have enough space in front. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, or if you’re on a dirt road. It’s not a scary amount of power so you can push it harder than something like a Supra, but it will still rocket out of a corner in a way no Corolla ever has.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176918" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DSC04605.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla Core" width="2048" height="1365" />

The default torque split for the GR Four all-wheel drive system is 60:40 front to rear but with a twist of a small dial on the centre console, you can send up to 70 per cent of the engine torque to the rear wheels, or have it split 50:50 for max grip. Think of it as a way to instantly change the character of the car but you need to be driving quickly or on a loose surface to really feel it.

To truly enjoy the GR, point it towards the nearest winding road and let loose. The gearing is short and rowing the 6-speed is a lot of fun. There’s little in the way of body roll but it comes at the expense of a jarringly stiff ride that can’t be softened.

The handling character does tend to lean towards understeer and that feeling doesn’t really go away even when in rear-biased 30:70 mode. It can easily be tamed, however, with a dab of the brakes or lifting off the throttle.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176927" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DSC04593.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla Core" width="2048" height="1365" />

As different as they are, you have to compare the GR Corolla to the Civic Type R. The Corolla feels like a reincarnation of the discontinued Impreza WRX STi. It’s a gritty all-weather smile machine that you can confidently wring out every opportunity you get. The Type R is a precision tool that you drive with your fingertips. It comes down to a matter of preference.

So is the GR Corolla, Toyota’s way of appeasing us because they couldn’t give us the GR Yaris we all wanted? Nope. It’s a really, really good hot hatch. It’s got a lot of character and its all-wheel drive system gives it a competitive edge over the Civic Type R. Where you should spend your money is up to you but either choice will land you with one of the best hot hatches you can buy today.
<h3>2023 Toyota GR Corolla Core</h3>
BODY STYLE:- 5 passenger, 5 door compact hatchback

CONFIGURATION: Front-engine, all-wheel drive

ENGINE: 1.6-L turbocharged inline-3; Power: 300 hp @6500 rpm; 273 lb-ft @3000-5500 rpm

TRANSMISSION : 6-speed manual

FUEL ECONOMY: (Premium Gasoline in L/100 km):11.1 city; 8.3 highway; 9.8 combined

CARGO CAPACITY: 504 litres

PRICE: $ 45,490 (base); $47,378 as-tested including freight and PDI

WEBSITE: <a href="https://www.toyota.ca/toyota/en/">Toyota Canada</a>

2023 Toyota GR Corolla Core Review

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Chris D’Alessandro is a writer living in downtown Toronto. Growing up in a family of used car dealers and mechanics, he’s been immersed in car culture his entire life. A frequent contributor to VICE Canada, Chris’ screenwriting work has also won a Canadian Comedy Award. So, “hipster, wise-ass, gearhead” pretty much covers it. Follow Chris on Twitter @chrisdaless and Instagram @chrdalessandro

Everything you’ve read or heard about the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is true.

Which is weird. Because in today’s digital world of extreme hyperbole, tribalism and prioritization of personal preference over objective truth — the instances in which anything is ever everything everyone is saying it is are seldom.

“The best ever” and “the worst ever” are terms thrown around with such reckless abandon in an effort to generate clicks, views, and fleeting dopamine that we’ve killed the very concept of nuance. It’s been replaced with willful bias.

This lack of nuance and objective analysis is all over the car world. Enthusiasts so often boil things down to a simple good or bad paradigm that we often miss out on truly good products.

For example, I was so thoroughly <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/review-the-new-nissan-z-doesnt-live-up-to-the-hype">underwhelmed by the new Nissan Z</a> that I actually forgot I drove it. It wasn’t the experience I wanted from the Z, but it's the one I got. And now I simply can’t imagine why any person would buy one over a <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2022-chevrolet-camaro-ss-1le-review">Camaro SS</a> or <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/track-test-review-2023-toyota-gr-supra-mt">GR Supra</a>. But because the GR Supra commits the superficially unforgivable sin of being born of a partnership with BMW, there are still those who claim to adore the Nissan Z — despite it losing every comparison test.

The Internet decided the Z was a winner and the GR Supra was a loser before they had even hit the market — before anybody had driven either of them. For certain parts of the community, that’s their reality. Ours be damned.

The GR Corolla’s narrative was also written almost immediately following its announcement, albeit in a much more favorable light. Minds were made up before anyone had even turned the ignition over — this was going to be a great car.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174290" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Corolla20-scaled.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla" width="2560" height="1920" />

You know the specs by now. 300 horsepower produced by an incredibly compact 1.6-litre, turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. Outside of Toyota developing the car all on their own, this unique power plant really was the source of the initial hype. The engine is the same racing-inspired G16E-GTS unit present in the GR Yaris — which was notably never available in North America.

There are of course more important performance improvements than just the power. The chassis tuning, sticky Michelin Pilot Sport tires, sport brakes, steering tuned to perfection, all-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual transmission.

Outside, the GR Corolla differentiates itself with widened fender flares, signature GR rims, hood vents, a gaping front facia channeling air to the intercooler, and three separate exhaust exits (one for each engine cylinder).

Inside are a variety of GR badges, including on the steering wheel. Also present are race-inspired seats — which are incidentally very well bolstered while maintaining a reasonable level of comfort — and a leather-wrapped shift knob.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174287" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Corolla21-scaled.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla" width="2560" height="1920" />

The rest of the interior is very much “just a Corolla” — like any rental car or cab you’ve ever been in. However, the GR Corolla is not assembled alongside its standard counterpart and is instead produced alongside the GR Yaris at the "GR Factory" inside Toyota's Motomachi plant, where the assembly process is more of a hands-on affair.

So the hype in this case was totally understandable. It’s difficult to not read the above and start licking your chops with dreams of corner-carving hot hatch glory for a price you could actually afford.

Not to mention the previously forbidden fruit element adding fuel to the hype fire. For a generation raised on limited-quantity sneaker and hoodie drops, this couldn't have been a more perfect storm.

Happily, in this case, the hype is justified. Because the GR Corolla is truly a great car to drive fast. And by “great” I mean, “one of the all-time greats”.

Carving up a back road in the GR Corolla is pure, unadulterated driving bliss. The car rotates like magic. There’s no nose dive. No tricky back end. It’s just point and shoot, “take the corner as fast as you can” goodness. All thrills. No chills. And lots of turbo noises.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174291" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023_GR_Corolla_Circuit_HeavyMetal_028-1500x1000-1.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla" width="1500" height="1000" />

The car makes you feel like an absolute hero. And that’s where the GR Corolla edges out competitors like the Honda Civic Type R.

Both cars are very fun and rewarding. Both imbue you with underserved levels of confidence. But the Type R feels sort of like a performance-enhancing drug to drive fast. It always feels like it’s making you a better driver than you are. And you’re always vaguely aware of that. The GR Corolla feels more one-to-one — like you’re bringing the car to its limits, not the other way around.

300 horsepower feels like a magic number for the little Corolla. With 0 - 100km/h times in the mid 5-second range, it certainly won’t make your life flash before your eyes. But it’s more than quick enough in the real world, and best of all, you can floor it everywhere.

Toyota’s big win with the GR Corolla is successfully capturing what’s so special about the 86 — the opportunity and ability to actually explore the upper limits of a sports car — and bringing that to the Corolla platform.

Hand on my heart, I had more fun in a 300-horsepower Corolla hatchback than I did in an <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/everything-you-want-to-know-about-the-dodge-challenger-hellcat-jailbreak">800-horsepower Dodge Challenger</a>. Sure, the Corolla didn’t make me feel like I was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3edi2Wkr5YI">Major Kong riding the atom bomb at the end of </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3edi2Wkr5YI">Dr. Strangelove</a>. But it also didn’t tire me out. I didn’t have to worry about accidentally waking the grizzly bear and being mauled to death. I also didn’t have to look for places and opportunities to let the beast loose. You don’t have to plan anything in the GR Corolla — you can just go have fun anywhere.

Are these two cars comparable products in any way? No. But “fun” is a universal measurement when it comes to customer satisfaction.

And while all the talk is about the quirky 3-cylinder powerplant, it pales in comparison to just how damn good the transmission is. The clutch is feather-light. Butter wishes it was as smooth as the action on the gear selector. Nailing crisp, clean shifts is as easy and satisfying as sipping a fine scotch or laying in a hot bath. The GR Corolla needs to be in the manual transmission hall of fame. The GR Corolla feels so good to shift, you’d swear the transmission was less engineered and more manifested as a result of someone selling their soul.

But perhaps best of all — and a clear advantage <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2022-toyota-gr86-review">over the GR 86</a> — is that because it's a Corolla, it's easy to live with. My tester sliced through Toronto rush hour traffic, was a breeze in parking garages, did grocery runs no problem. Hell, it was even fuel efficient. Even after extreme misbehaving in the car, I averaged under 10L/100km.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174286" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Corolla24-scaled.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla" width="2560" height="1920" />

This was another one of those cars that made me think, “Wait. Why do I own a Mustang, again?”

Because the truth is the GR Corolla is more fun, more dynamic and more rewarding than my V8 Mustang, despite having five fewer cylinders and 120 less horsepower — in addition to being more convenient, more practical, and more economical.

So, based on my experience with the car, I think the hype around the GR Corolla is justified and journalists really are not exaggerating when they go on about how damn good this thing is to drive. I mean, I am one and I just did.

However, there is a problem. Because part of the hype was born from the point that the GR Corolla was supposed to be a car you could actually afford.

The base “Core” model starts at almost $49,000 and while yes, everything is expensive nowadays, that price really is pushing it. Because other than the way it drives, nothing in the GR Corolla feels like a $50,000 car.

90 per cent of the interior, for example, looks and feels like any old rental Corolla. And it all has that nasty, cheap Toyota plastic-y smell — sort of like a fresh garbage bag. I know you know what I mean.

Then there’s the lack of sound deadening in the car. Noise, vibration and harshness are prevalent. To say the least. Driving the car on the highway is like being under an artillery barrage.

Yes, some of the charm of the car is that it feels like you’re driving somebody’s tuner project — like somebody just took a regular Corolla and added a turbo and racing seats. But asking $50,000 to start just feels like a really steep ask.

Especially when the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2023-honda-civic-type-r-first-drive-review">Honda Civic Type R</a> exists.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172999" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSC03988.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Civic Type R" width="2048" height="1365" />

While the latest Type R might lose a drag race to the GR Corolla, if I was going to shell out this kind of money for a fresh hot hatch, I’d still have the Type R hands down. It offers almost all of the same driving bliss and reward as the GR Corolla, while having an interior and driver comforts you can at least trick yourself into believing might be worth $60,000 out the door.

Then there’s the elephant in the room. The real cost of hype. Dealer markup.

There are already horror stories of the GR Corolla being marked up <a href="https://www.theautopian.com/this-dealers-20000-markup-on-a-2023-toyota-gr-corolla-equals-an-entire-base-corolla/">$20,000 over sticker</a>. And it should go without saying that paying $70,000 or more for any Toyota Corolla on the planet should require you to take a test for actual donkey brains.

So, yes, the GR Corolla really is one of the all-time great hot-hatches and sincerely one of the most fun and rewarding cars I’ve ever driven. But you’d be an absolute fool to pay a penny over sticker for it.

And dollar for dollar, the Type R is still the better buy.

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2023 Toyota GR Corolla Core Review

Does The GR Corolla Live Up To The Hype?