For some time now, Toyota and Subaru agree on quite a few things. Just look at the GT/GR86 and the BRZ sportscars, as well the bZ4X and the Solterra electric crossovers, which share their mechanical side. However, when it comes to rally-bred performance sedans, we hope things are different. So, while Subaru has axed the STI for the current generation, leaving the WRX to satisfy enthusiasts, Toyota is rumored to complement the brilliant 2022 GR Corolla hatchback with a sedan version for 2023.
Toyota has yet to comment on the unofficial talk regarding the birth of a GR Corolla Sedan. However, as this rendering demonstrates, the sedan body style is just as suitable for the Gazoo Racing treatment (this is how the badge reached its current top-tier status) as the hatch.
The three-box version of the Corolla is the most popular, but Toyota offers two versions of the sedan. Given Japan’s tight roads, the JDM Corolla sedan is shorter and narrower. However, for this 2D work, the digital artist known as Theottle used the global model, here in U.S. spec. And while this packs wider tracks, a GR version would dial that up to eleven.
After all, the handling of the AWD machine has to be on par with the punch delivered by its 1.6-liter turbo-four. Mated to a six-speed manual (yay!), the motor offers 300 hp in the GR Corolla compact and the GR Yaris subcompact, whose World Rally Championship racing version made all this possible.
Toyota is still gauging interest for compact go-fast models
Now, the unofficial talk about a GR Corolla Sedan dates back to May 2022, coming from Japanese website Goo-Net. And since, as stated, Toyota hasn’t mentioned anything on the matter, what can we expect?
The Japanese automaker is most likely testing the waters at the moment. The company has already stated that it only plans to build 6,500 units of the GR Corolla hatch for the first year. So we’re assuming that the future of the series depends on how global sales go.
Of course, expanding the GR range via a sedan would be a serious commitment. However, this would allow Toyota and Subaru to cater to the same audience with limited cannibalization fears.
You see, the 2022 WRX is more of an all-rounder than the uber-focused performance sedan that was the STI (this determined a WRX owner to brew his own STI). And the hypothetical 2023 GR Corolla Sedan would fill in for the latter, even if these machines don’t share platforms and engines like the collab models mentioned in the intro.
