Toyota is preparing to jump head-first into the
ever-competitive hot hatch market with a juiced-up variant of the Corolla
hatchback. Australia’s Car Sales reports that Tetsuya Tada, the man behind the
Toyota 86 and new Supra, is leading the push within the automaker’s Gazoo
Racing performance sub-brand to launch a fleet of vehicles.
Executives from Australia are pushing for a Corolla
GR to be launched as soon as possible but according to Tada, there’s no
guarantee the car will be Gazoo’s next production model. No matter when the vehicle
arrives, Toyota knows that it will have to deliver a product capable of
rivalling the market’s best, including the Hyundai i30 N and the Volkswagen
Golf GTI.
Currently in its twelfth generation, the Toyota
Corolla looks more aggressive and sporty than ever before. A Gazoo-tuned model
would inevitably be even more eye-catching with bold new bumpers and wings.
It’s difficult to know what engine Toyota would opt
for considering how many powertrains it has at its disposal. With that being
said, a turbocharged four-cylinder would be the most likely candidate, tuned to
produce between 250 hp and 300 hp. No launch date has been announced
but a debut early next decade is probable.
