Toyota GR Corolla Reportedly Coming To The UK And Europe

Since launching in 2022, the Toyota GR Corolla – big sibling to our 2024 Car of the Year, the GR Yaris – has been sweet forbidden fruit to those of us in Europe. There have long been hints that that could change, though.

Last year, GR Corolla prototypes were spotted running around the Nürburgring, which was promising if not overwhelmingly so – after all, lots of cars undergo development work at the German circuit, regardless of where they’re going to be sold.

But much more fuel was added to the fire earlier this year when Toyota confirmed that, to meet strong demand for the rally-bred hot hatch, it was going to start building it alongside the more pedestrian Corolla at its plant in Derbyshire, UK. Surely, it would make sense to sell a European-built car in Europe?

Looks like Toyota agrees, according to its European chief corporate officer, Matt Harrison, in an interview with Auto Express: “We have a philosophy that you build where you sell, so to build in Europe and not sell in Europe would be counter to that. The gap between supply and demand is now, so it’s about how quickly we can get it. We need to act fast.”

That all sounds rather promising – not only is it seemingly tacit confirmation that the GR Corolla has been greenlit for European sales, but it sounds like it could be happening sooner rather than later. Presumably, it’ll coincide roughly with the start of UK production at some point next year.

We expect a European-market GR Corolla to pretty much match the version sold elsewhere, using the same 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder and adjustable all-wheel drive system as the GR Yaris, as well as the same choice of six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearboxes.

However, to meet European emissions regulations, the GR Yaris’ engine is detuned to 276bhp here, from the 296bhp it makes in other markets. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the European-market Corolla get the same treatment.

Either way, pretty much every review we’ve read of the GR Corolla says it’s just as sensational as its little sibling, and its seemingly confirmed European arrival will be some much-needed good news for the hot hatch market, following confirmation that both the Ford Focus ST and Honda Civic Type R are on their last legs. Watch this space.