Toyota trademarks GR Corolla name, production all but confirmed

Here is the biggest proof yet that Toyota is cooking up a hot Corolla. The company was found to have filed a trademark registration application for the GR Corolla name in Australia on March 17.

The GR name is given to Toyota’s performance line-up and is the acronym for Gazoo Racing, the company’s in-house tuning and racing outfit. The three available GR model types are GR Sport which is used for sport bodykitted models, GR used for performance tuned models, and GRMN (Gazoo Racing tuned by “Meister of Nürburgring) used for limited edition performance models.

With the GR name trademarked for the Corolla, Toyota is expected to produce a full-fat high performance version of the Corolla for the first time. This means the GR Corolla will go head to head with the likes of Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford Focus ST and Subaru WRX.

The news echos what Toshio Kanai, chief designer of Toyota, hinted in 2019 about the company’s plans to take the popular Corolla into the realm of hot hatches.

While details remain under wrap, we can expect the GR Corolla to share the drivetrain of the recently unveiled GR Yaris production model, adopting its 1.6-litre in-line three-cylinder turbocharged engine that pumps out 192kW of power. It will likely also to feature the GR Yaris’ all-wheel drive system which is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission and Torsen Limited Slip Differential at the front axle. The sprint from 0 to 100km/h is expected to be around the 5.5-second mark.

The Toyota GR Corolla is expected to arrive in 2021.

Note: Toyota Corolla GR Sport and GR Yaris drivetrain shown