2023 Toyota GR Corolla Rivals (Old and New) Have a Few Reasons to Tremble

The legendary yet still humble Corolla can be acquired right now from U.S. dealerships as a traditional sedan or hatchback and as the more sustainable/pricier Corolla Hybrid. Still, none will break the bank as the trio of versions’ MSRPs range between $20,175 and $23,750. Quite sensible, right?

Well, Toyota enthusiasts had better start saving because later this year they will need to shell out (well) over $30k if they want the latest and greatest release, a 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Core grade. The one-year-exclusive Circuit Edition will probably hover around the $40k mark afterward, according to our estimates and rumor mill talk.

That way, it will neatly inhabit with its wider five-door Hot Hatch body the space between a $27,700 GR86 and the flagship $43,290 GR Supra offerings from Gazoo Racing. Sure, there is still a bit of waiting before the all-new, first-ever GR Corolla starts to threaten the established sporty order across the North American market later this year – but one can always reason if there’s cause to get hyped or not.

Just by looking at it, yes and no. The positive aspects rely on the aggressive rally-style design atmosphere, purist’ six-speed stick shift ethos, and the practicality of a five-door hatchback body style. Besides, this is the first sporty Corolla in years, so Toyota fans have reasons to be stoked just from that POV. However, certain enthusiasts appreciate that it is neither as pure as a three-door GR Yaris nor as stylishly balanced as a GR86 or the GR Supra – mainly due to the asymmetrical design for the three-tipped exhaust setup.

Alas, those are mere details for the folks that will actually shell out the cash needed to secure one in the driveway or the garage. More importantly, for them, would be to understand where the GR Corolla stands across the North American markets (allegedly, the only ones that might receive it) concerning potential and direct competitors.

Although passenger cars are slowly fading out of favor in the face of such great crossover, SUV, and truck adversity, that does not mean the 2023 GR Corolla will inhabit a barren market space. Among the potential rivals, we should note fellow JDM heroes like the 2022 Subaru WRX and upcoming Honda Civic Type R, the KDM Hyundai Elantra N new kid on the block, as well as Euro legends such as the VW Golf GTI (if a Jetta GLI is not your cup of tea).

All of them might be easily dismissed based on hp ratings, the upcoming pricing information, or the fact that they have different body styles. Alas, there is one big question along with a huge exclamation mark: what will Honda do with the Civic Type R to alleviate concerns, and how does the GR Corolla fare against the compact German flagship, the mighty Golf R?!

Well, this is going to be an enticing three-way fight, especially considering the track record (sometimes, quite literally) of the current-generation Honda Civic Type R and the fact that Volkswagen has more time to prove the Golf R’s worth. However, there is one place where the latter cannot compete with either across the North American market – the propensity for aftermarket builds.

And we can all bet that some of them will easily go way beyond what Toyota Racing and Formula D have already shown during the first leg of the championship in Long Beach, California, with their wider-body GR Corolla build and Ryan Tuerck’s inaugural win...

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