Does Toyota GR Corolla end Golf R’s hot hatch dominance?

It is hard to believe the company which brought us one of the more mundane cars on the planet in the Toyota Corolla is now offering one of the most exciting.

The transformation happened courtesy of the addition of two very important letters, GR, to the brand.

GR is Toyota’s sub brand, Gazoo Racing. It continues to evolve under master driver Akio Toyoda, chair of Toyota Motor Corporation, and embodies the concept of “roads build people and cars”.

GR Corolla joins the performance family

Joining the GR Supra, GR Yaris and GR86 is the new Toyota GR Corolla. This is no ordinary Corolla hatch. And most important to the man in the street would be the styling and the performance.

ALSO READ: GR badge transforms Toyota Corolla from Dr Jekyll to Mr Hyde

The front and rear wheel arches are flared by 20 mm and 30 mm with the track being increased by 60mm at the front and 90 mm at the rear for optimal grip and roadholding.

The GR Corolla’s functional Matrix grille up front features a square design, offering performance-purposed cooling, with airflow to the radiator, turbocharger and brakes assisted by an air guide below the grille.

The mess-patterned grille is blacked out and flanked by a pair of side air curtains. These channel air into the wheel arches and out via ducts behind the fenders.

Mean looks

A large front under spoiler with a raised central and horizontal section, as well as aero spats placed under the lower bumper, and a large gapless underfloor cover all help in directing air away from the tyres, while reducing drag.

ALSO READ: GR Yaris will forever change the way you look at Toyota

The bonnet has also been raised 25 mm, with functional air vents reserved for the Circuit model The Citizen Motoring had on test. They are there to get that hot turbo-induced air out from the engine bay.

At the rear of the GR Corolla there are more air ducts and a diffuser, along with a triple-exit exhaust system which is not just there for its unique look. It also helps reduce exhaust back pressure and improve engine performance under extreme load.

A 10 mm lower sports suspension rides on 18-inch Enkei cast aluminium wheels, covered with high-performance 235/40R18 Yokohama Advan rubber.

Packed with power

The GR Corolla’s 1.6-litre three-pot powerplant produces 221 kW of power and 360 Nm of torque that runs down through a six-speed manual transmission to all four wheels.

This heady concoction is controlled by three drive modes, Eco, Normal and Sport. Plus a VSC off switch which allows you to set a range of vehicle stability and traction control parameters.

ALSO READ: VW Golf R and Toyota GR Corolla geared for hot hatch battle

The short-ratio box and snappy gear changes made for a hot hatch that feels alive, but in the back of your head, there is a nagging feeling the GR Corolla is huffing to deliver the performance expected from 221 kW.

Thankfully this feeling was almost completely unfounded. I was deceived by the triple pipe exhaust that did not deliver enough bark or snap, crackle and pop.

Golf 8 R is still the king

What would this Toyota all-wheel-drive (AWD) hot hatch do against VW’s AWD Golf 8 R? The lighter, more powerful (235 kW/400 Nm), millisecond faster self-shifting offering from Wolfsburg, Germany is noticeably quicker.

The Golf 8 R launched from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 4.81 seconds. And to 200km/h in 17.49 seconds, while crossing the 800 m mark at a pacy 212 km/h. The best I could get with the GR Corolla was 5.59 seconds to 100 km/h and 22.03 to 200 km/h. It hit 800 m at just under 200 km/h.

Hot hatch comparison

Vehicle Name	kW	Nm	0-100 km/h	0-200 km/h	1/4 Mile	1/2 Speed	100-200 3rd
VW Golf 8 R DSG	235	400	4,81	17,49	13,07	212,81	12,90
Hyundai i30 N DCT	206	392	5,51	22,03	13,84	199,08	17,19
Toyota GR Corolla Circuit MT	221	370	5,59	21,20	13,75	201,85	15,29
VW Golf 8 GTI DSG	180	370	5,88	21,35	14,06	201,95	15,88

I know I am comparing apples with oranges, but the GR Corolla is better going up against the front-wheel-driven, double-clutch VW Golf 8 GTI and the Hyundai i30N.

If you look at the comparative statistics above, these three find themselves locked in an almost identical performance battle.

VW’s Golf’s 8 GTI remains too sterile for me. While I loved the nimble nature and rally-inspired styling of the GR Corolla, I would opt for the left-field i30N. It has a Jekyll and Hyde nature which transforms the Korean hot hatch from docile and polite to a properly raucous and wild machine at the push of a button.

GR Corolla test results

Model	Toyota GR Corolla Circuit
Gearbox	Six-speed Manual Transmission
Engine	1.6-litre Three-cylinder Turbocharged
Power	221kW @ 6 500rpm
Torque	370Nm @ 3 000 – 5 550rpm
Licensing Mass	1 475kg
Power to Weight	134kW / Tonne
Power to Capacity	122kW / Litre
0-100km/h	5.59 Seconds
1/4 Mile (402.34m)	13.75 Seconds @ 165.94km/h
1/2 Mile (804.68m)	21.59 Seconds @ 201.85km/h
60-100km/h	3.41 Seconds (in 3rd gear) / 4.70 Seconds (in 4th gear)
80-120km/h	4.51 Seconds (in 4th Gear) / 6.01 Seconds (in 5th gear)
100-200km/h	15.29 Seconds (from 3rd gear)
Claimed Top Speed	230km/h
Fuel Consumption	8.4 litres / 100km Claimed (10.7 litres / 100km Tested)
Fuel Tank Size	50 litres
Fuel Range	595km Claimed (467km Tested)
CO2 Emissions	191g/km
Vehicle Odometer	1 716km
Test Temperature	10 Degrees
Tyres Size	235/40 R18
Tyres Make	Yokohama Advan Apex V601
Warranty	Three-year/100 000km
Service Plan	Six-year/90 000km
Priced from	R902 400
Test Date	16 August 2023