The hot hatch market will soon receive more heat when Toyota introduces its GR Corolla to the local market.
The GR Corolla will be the fourth Gazoo Racing (GR) model in South Africa, joining the GR Supra, GR Yaris and GR86.
"We can safely say Toyota’s philosophy of building fun-to-drive cars is clear to see. With the GR brand’s motorsport DNA, the new GR Corolla promises to deliver on just what driving enthusiasts really want – high performance turbocharged power, agile and dynamic handling and, of course, the looks to match,” says Glenn Crompton, Vice President of Marketing at TSAM.
What is different?
For starters the secret is under the bonnet where a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-charged engine with a whopping 221 kW nests. Mated exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission, the GR Corolla employs the GR-Four all-wheel-drive system developed through Toyota’s involvement in the World Rally Championship.
This engine is also the one found in the smaller GR Yaris, but with a tweak it delivers 221 kW against the 198 kW of the Yaris.
The GR Corolla is built on Toyota’s GA-C platform with enhanced frame reinforcements developed specifically for the GR Corolla at the Motomachi plant in Japan. The Motomachi facility is the birthplace of legends such as the Lexus LFA and Supra A80 and is now home to the first GR production line, where the GR Corolla and GR Yaris are assembled.
Pricing, specs and launch:
Pricing, detailed specification and model line-up for the GR Corolla will be confirmed closer to the launch date in the second quarter of this year.
TSAM also confirms that this model will be offered in limited quantities and that distribution will only be via GR-focused dealerships.
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Range anxiety remains one of the main concerns for motorists considering a switch to electrified vehicles, particularly in markets where charging infrastructure is still developing. iCAUR believes its new V27 SUV offers an alternative by combining electric driving capability with extended driving range through a range-extender powertrain.
GWM has expanded its P300 line-up with the introduction of the P300 2.0T Pioneer Hi4-T PHEV, marking the arrival of the first electrified version of the bakkie range.
As a relatively new player in South Africa's motoring industry, LDV is often assumed to stand for "Light Delivery Vehicles". The acronym actually originates from Leyland DAF Vans, a heritage that dates to the founding of Leyland Motors in the UK in 1896. The brand is now part of the SAIC Motor Group, one of the world's largest automotive manufacturers.
