Toyota’s GR Corolla has been around for a little while, and despite some initial hiccups with production, the model is in full swing a few years into its production cycle. Toyota recently updated the GR Corolla, too, and the hot hatch is doing rather well for itself. The little Corolla sells pretty well for a sports car, and that’s been especially true during the second quarter of this year. Sales for the new GR Corolla are up, and by a pretty substantial margin, thanks in no small part to some new changes and, likely, a few more orders following the car’s refresh.
GR Corolla Sales On The Rise
In the second quarter of this year, sales rose by a solid 17.4 percent. The hatch’s strong sales are almost certainly bolstered by a refresh. This saw some new styling for the Corolla, for one, with an updated front grille and some cool hood vents. More importantly (at least insofar as sales), the Corolla received a new “Direct Automatic Transmission,” which is a new eight-speed automatic unit developed for the Corolla. Specifically, the GR Corolla was offered only with a manual transmission up until this point. Toyota likely realized it was leaving money on the table without catering to those who wanted an automatic, and the new unit is helping to bring a new range of buyers into the fold, even though we prefer the six-speed.
However, it is the only manual all-wheel drive hot hatch on the market right now, something that’ll no doubt help the GR keep its market appeal, especially in four-season markets.
Other changes to the Corolla are more subtle, but nonetheless make this model year particularly appealing. The GR Corolla has new rear suspension components and setup, which Toyota says help reduce squat under hard acceleration and keep the car stable, as if the AWD hot hatch wasn’t already. That former point will be particularly useful when using the launch control function found in the new automatic transmission. The car also receives a new sub-radiator to help with cooling, an issue owners encountered when tracking their cars.
Can Toyota Keep The Ball Rolling?
Toyota’s sales on the whole are up in the second quarter by 7.1 percent, no doubt bolstered by the GR Corolla’s sales. The question now is whether Toyota can keep it up. The GR Corolla may have seen a bump in sales thanks to a new refresh, but that won’t last forever, and the Corolla has some stiff competition from the Honda Civic Type R and the Volkswagen Golf R. However, it is the only manual all-wheel drive hot hatch on the market right now, something that’ll no doubt help the GR keep its market appeal, especially in four-season markets.
TopSpeed’s Take
While the Corolla is a fantastic hatch to drive, it’s vastly outclassed by , which requires nowhere near the compromises in cargo space that the smaller hatch does. Moreover, despite two fewer driven wheels, the Type R manages to be both more fun and more engaging to drive quickly. The Corolla is due for a new generation soon, and we imagine Toyota will once again be moving the goalposts for the next GR Corolla to keep up with Honda’s Type R.
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