Ever since the GR Yaris debuted back in 2020, Americans have wanted their own Toyota hot hatch in the States. Now, after years of rumors and teasers, some even coming from Toyota themself, a report claims the fabled GR Corolla could arrive this October.
The information comes from a video showing dealer documents that provide what appears to be a roadmap for Toyota’s American operations for the 2022 calendar year, more specifically in the “New York Region”. The video is now private, but The Drive was able to grab a few still shots of the documents in it before it disappeared.
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The video, uploaded by Driven District, showed the docs at around the 1 minute 20 second mark, where it has “Corolla GR On Sale” listed under the month of October. The other side of the document shows the sales targets for 2022, which for the GR Corolla is set at 90 units, though it’s important to consider that it’s a low-volume vehicle launching 2 months before the year’s end.
Driven District allegedly got access to this information by way of “someone close” to him that works at the Toyota dealership. “I’m not gonna say that’s where I got this from, let’s just say I walked into a dealership and saw it and took it, I dunno, who knows?” he said according to the transcript from the video obtained by TheDrive. The man also noted that “My girlfriend does work at Toyota,” adding “if you’re in the tri-state area, you wanna get a Toyota, be sure to reach out to me. She’ll get the best deal she can for you and everything.”
What do we know about the GR Corolla?
The latest speculations suggest that the GR Corolla will get a version of the GR Yaris’s 1.6-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that’s uprated to handle the compact hatchback’s extra weight. It’s expected to make as much as 296 hp (300 PS / 221 kW), though it’s safe to expect the at least the 268 hp (272 PS / 200 kW) made by the higher-output version of the GR Yaris.
Read More: Sneaky Teaser Of Toyota GR Corolla Essentially Confirms The USA-Bound Hot Hatch
The Corolla is also believed to get a version of the Yaris’s special all-wheel drive system, which will have a center differential with varying torque split and potentially locking front and rear differentials as well. Other traits borrowed from the GR Yaris include a wider body and a manual transmission.
It’s been rumored that pricing for the GR Corolla could start as low as $30,000, but that sounds a bit ambitious to say the least, given its competitors’ pricing and the overall state of the market.
