2026 Toyota GR Corolla review

Toyota’s flagship hot hatch is unashamedly a middle finger to electrification.

The Toyota GR Corolla has been facelifted with an updated exterior, reworked mechanics, and the introduction of an eight-speed automatic transmission for the first time.

It’s still one of three mainstream all-wheel drive hot hatchbacks in Australia other than the German Volkswagen Golf R and Chinese MG 4 X-Power, providing a unique Japanese alternative for enthusiasts.

With a price tag north of $70K, it’s certainly not cheap. Is it worth it? Ahead of a small update this year, I tested the GR Corolla GTS with the new auto transmission for a week to find out.

NOTE: The press vehicle was provided by Toyota Australia for a seven-day independent evaluation. Toll and fuel costs were covered, but we have no commercial arrangements with the company and it had no editorial control.

Vehicle tested:

Model	2026 Toyota GR Corolla
Variant	GTS (auto)
Starting price	$70,490 before on-road costs
Exterior colour	Glacier White (standard)
Interior colour	Black Brin Naub suede withsilver trim accents
Country made	Japan

Design and quality.

The Toyota GR Corolla offers a real sleeper design; however, the interior looks and feels basic for the price.

Keen eyes will spot the wider front and rear bumpers, an extended rear, flared wheel haunches, a forged carbon fibre roof skin, genuine bonnet and wheel vents, and gloss black wheels that differentiate the GR Corolla from conventional hybrid models.

There’s a low and wide stance, the front LED daytime running lights are distinctive and double as turn indicators, and the triple rear exhausts (with a bigger one in the centre) hint that this is no ordinary Corolla.

Unfortunately, the interior isn’t as unique with basic materials that feel cheap compared to the similarly-priced Volkswagen Golf R.

It’s a gloomy and monotonous cabin with a dark headliner, dashboard that protrudes out into the front row rather prominently, and GR sports bucket seats with a unique steering wheel and GR badging.

Material quality is a mixed bag with soft-touch vinyl on the dash and upper door cards – albeit with a grain that looks low-rent – while gloss black is prominent across the centre console, on the doors and interior door handles (a high touch point), and scratchier plastics are found lower down.

A plush interior certainly shouldn’t be a priority if you’re looking at the GR Corolla.

Practicality.

2026 Toyota GR Corolla GTS dimensions:

Length x width x height	4408 x 1851 x 1479mm
Wheelbase	2640mm
Ground clearance	121mm
Boot space (min)	213L
Rear seat split fold	60:40
Child seat anchors	2x ISOFIX and 3x top tethers
Air-conditioning system	Two-zone climate control

The Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch is practical enough for passengers and cargo – a key advantage over the GR Yaris.

The 213-litre boot may seem small on paper, but it’s pretty spacious in reality with two proper bag hooks, wells on each side, some underfloor storage with a styrofoam partition, and a halogen light.

Be cautious when lifting heavier items over the GR Corolla’s extended plastic rear bumper, which doesn’t have anything protecting the paint.

The manual tailgate on our tester had enough heft to require closing with two hands, though Toyota uniquely offers a button next to the boot release button to lock all doors from the rear as long as the proximity key is nearby.

Inside, the GR Corolla hot hatch provides tight legroom, headroom and footroom for a small car. Taller passengers will struggle fitting comfortably.

The rear doors have a narrow opening, too.

There aren’t any rear air vents, the headliner is dark and the centre floor transmission hump is prominent.

However, it’s offset by cup holders beside each door, a fold-down armrest with another two cup holders, one USB-C charging port under a flap, seatback pockets (despite being sporty bucket seats unlike the i30 N), all-auto up/down windows, and LED lighting for both rows.

Disappointingly, the Toyota GR Corolla has removed the front centre armrest – even though it’s a driver’s car – leaving a blank rubberised storage space which is too shallow to hold anything reliably while driving.

I naturally used the protruding seat bolster as an armrest substitute instead.

The door pockets are narrow, but there’s a well-sized glovebox (which isn’t illuminated), a recessed Qi wireless charging tray that’s almost hidden underneath the dashboard, and an awkwardly positioned USB-C port on the front passenger side.

Just like the regular Corolla, the dash prominently protrudes out into the front occupants, limiting the feeling of space.

The GR’s sports bucket seats are firm, manually adjustable, don’t offer lumbar support and the suede centre absorbs heat, but are quite supportive.

Two levels of heating are available for the front seats via old-school switches – low or high.

Technology.

2026 Toyota GR Corolla GTS tech features:

8.0-inch touchscreen running Toyota software	12.3-inch driver instrument display
Wireless/wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto	Head-up display
Built-in maps	Qi wireless charging pad
Toyota Connected Services with mobile app (one-year Connected Multimedia subscription included)	2x USB-C and 1x 12-volt charging ports
OTA software update capability	Proximity key with auto-folding mirrors
Eight speaker JBL

The updated GR Corolla provides a basic but functional technology setup.

The unchanged 8.0-inch touchscreen with Toyota’s own software is simple with a modern interface, quick access to functions thanks to a shortcut bar on the driver’s side, and automatic light/dark mode switching.

While the screen is clear, it protrudes prominently and is surrounded by thick bezels with room for the bigger 9.0-inch unit found on the Corolla Cross small SUV.

It’s also slightly laggy at times, with a faster processor noticeable on the updated GR Yaris.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard and connect quickly, but I did experience audio stuttering issues at times with the latter – a typical Toyota system issue.

Apple users also have the advantage of being able to show Toyota’s shortcut bar on the side or go full-screen, plus navigation instruction directions on the instrument cluster.

The Qi wireless charging pad is unfortunately slow with no active cooling, but I like the fact that there’s a physical button in front to quickly flick it on and off.

Underneath the touchscreen is a row of physical controls for the dual-zone climate control with a LED display. While the buttons and dials are on the smaller side, it’s easy to operate while driving.

Meanwhile, the 12.3-inch driver instrument cluster is far more impressive with two unique GR themes, three customisable panels, and good resolution. Just like the central screen, there is some noticeable lag when switching between menus.

The standard head-up display clearly projects onto the windscreen with the speed readout, detected speed sign, selected gear, and adaptive cruise icons, even though it doesn’t offer height adjustment and there isn’t a unique GR theme to differentiate itself from other Toyotas.

Toyota Connected Services is standard, with a subscription to the highest-tier Connected Multimedia (usually $12.50 per month) included for only one year from the date of activation, which is quite short.

When activated, owners can pre-start the engine and climate control when equipped with the automatic transmission via the Toyota Connect mobile app. It’s a fairly well-designed app and reasonably quick to send commands, with a Driver Pulse feature that even scores how good (or bad) your driving habits are.

The eight speaker JBL-branded system is only decent and helps offset the road noise from the outside.

Safety.

2026 Toyota GR Corolla GTS (auto) safety features:

Front AEB with vehicle/pedestrian/cyclist/junction turning detection	Reversing camera
Rear AEB	Speed sign detection
Blind-spot assist	Front and rear parking sensors
Rear cross-traffic assist	Toyota Connected Services with emergency services calling (subscription required for stolen vehicle tracking)
Lane-keep assist	Full LED headlights
Adaptive cruise control with lane-centring assist	Full LED tail-lights with rear fog light

The Toyota GR Corolla brings a full range of non-driving invasive active safety assistance systems, but there are two key areas for improvement.

All systems are subtle and calibrated well with a non-intrusive lane-keep assist, generally accurate speed sign detection which understands school zone times, and the adaptive cruise control and lane-centring are dependable and smooth.

However, despite Toyota claiming adaptive cruise is “all speed” with the auto transmission, it doesn’t stay on when the vehicle is stopped. After coming to a stop for a few seconds, it sounds a too-quiet beep and releases the brake, letting the GR Corolla coast forward.

It’s rather disconcerting if you’re not aware that the system is actually full-time, despite Toyota’s marketing suggesting otherwise.

The steering wheel buttons to activate and adjust adaptive cruise are on the smaller side, too.

Another area that still needs work is the reversing camera quality, which looks grainy and the guidelines don’t move unlike other Toyota models such as the Camry.

Bright full LED headlights are standard with a prominent daytime running light doubling as the turn indicator, though there’s only a single reversing light bulb at the rear.

Unfortunately, while emergency services calling is included with Toyota Connected Services, owners need to pay the subscription in order to retain stolen vehicle tracking when it should be standard.

The new GR Corolla remains unrated by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

Range and fuel consumption.

2026 Toyota GR Corolla GTS fuel and efficiency specs:

Claimed driving range (combined cycle)	526km
Claimed fuel efficiency (combined cycle)	9.5L/100km
Fuel tank size	50L
Minimum fuel quality requirement	98 RON premium unleaded
Claimed CO2 exhaust emissions (combined)	215g/km
European emissions compliance	Euro 6

The 2026 Toyota GR Corolla GTS automatic returned an average fuel consumption of 12.2L/100km after a week of mixed driving conditions.

Therefore, expect a real-world driving range of around 409km from its 50-litre fuel tank.

Pricey 98 RON premium unleaded petrol is required at a minimum.

The fuel cap is accessible at the rear-right quarter side of the vehicle and is popped open via pulling a lever at the driver’s side floor.

Driving.

2026 Toyota GR Corolla GTS powertrain specs:

Engine	1.6-litre inline turbocharged three-cylinder petrol
Power	221kW @6500rpm
Torque	400Nm @3250-4600rpm
Transmission	Eight-speed auto
Drive type	AWD
Turning circle	11.56m
Kerb weight	1510kg
Payload	405kg
Towing (unbraked / braked)	N/A

The GR Corolla is a fun all-wheel-drive hot hatch, but it is too uncomfortable as a daily driver.

Powered by a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, it makes up to 221kW of power and 400Nm of torque to all four wheels.

There’s plenty of power on tap and grip from the Yokohama Advan Apex V601 tyres, all-wheel drive (AWD) system, and Torsen limited slip differential.

There’s a GR-Four dial at the centre console to switch between Normal (60:40 front vs rear torque split), Gravel (30:70), and Track (50:50) all-wheel drive distribution modes, although it doesn’t notably change the driving feel.

Meanwhile, ahead of the shifter is a small switch to change the drive modes – which I wish was more accessible at the steering wheel like the Hyundai i30 N.

The Toyota hot hatch’s steering is sharp and responsive, and fun to throw around corners without being too firm for everyday driving.

While the new eight-speed automatic is a torque converter, it feels like a dual-clutch thanks to quick response and shifting.

Unfortunately, the software overrides the manual shifting mode when the engine is revved out, so the incorporation of paddle shifters is half-baked, which feel small and plasticky regardless.

The GR Corolla’s stock exhaust is a satisfying low raspy rumbling sound out of the trio of pipes at the back with turbo whistling sounds when bouncing off the rev limiter – though it’s very hard to trigger noticeable crackles and pops unless from 7000 to 8000rpm, unlike the Hyundai i30 N.

It’s worth noting that the 18-inch gloss black alloys stick out from the wheel and are susceptible to curb rash, unlike the smaller Toyota GR Yaris which is tucked in the rubber.

Disappointingly, the ride is overly firm and stiff to use as a daily driver. The hot hatch easily gets unsettled by even small bumps and bounces the cabin uncomfortably, especially at the rear axle.

Other hot hatches, including the GR Yaris and i30 N, are simply more comfortable daily sports cars.

The facelift has introduced an active noise cancellation feature, but it’s hard to notice through the rumbling of the exhaust and some tyre noise.

All-round visibility is good, but it’s unfortunate that it still doesn’t have an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and automatic wipers at this price point – basic features which are found on the GR Yaris.

Warranty and servicing.

2026 Toyota GR Corolla GTS capped-price servicing costs:

Six months/10,000km	1 year/20,000km	1.5 years/30,000km	2 years/40,000km	2.5 years/50,000km
$335	$335	$335	$335	$335

The 2026 Toyota GR Corolla is backed by a five-year, unlimited kilometre vehicle warranty.

The Japanese brand is needy with servicing required every six months/10,000km (whichever occurs first) with prices capped for the first eight visits.

After the first two and a half years/50,000km, it’ll cost owners $1675 to maintain the GR Corolla when serviced with a Toyota dealer.

Roadside assistance is not included, but Toyota Australia is willing to cover towing and loan vehicle expenses (if eligible) for seven years, unlimited kilometres on the condition it’s serviced with a Toyota dealer (otherwise it’s five years, unlimited kilometres).

Only one year of Toyota Connected Multimedia services are included, with it costing $12.50 per month afterwards to retain full functionality. A lesser-featured Connect+ subscription is also available for $9.95 per month.

Toyota Essentials, which has basic connected services features, is standard for the lifetime of the car.

The GR Corolla does not include a spare tyre with a tyre patch-up goo kit provided under the boot floor.

Price and rivals.

2026 Toyota GR Corolla model range pricing (accurate as at the time of publication):

GTS (manual)	GTS (auto)
From $67,990 before on-road costs	From $70,490 before on-road costs

The 2026 Toyota GR Corolla is priced from $67,990 before on-road costs in Australia.

Only one halo GTS model is offered in Australia with the choice of a six-speed manual transmission as standard or new eight-speed automatic option for $2500 extra.

Four exterior colours are available with every option except Glacier White costing $575 more.

The Toyota GR Corolla directly rivals the following all-wheel drive sports cars:

• Volkswagen Golf R
• Subaru WRX
• MG 4 X-Power

Other alternatives to the GR Corolla include:

• Honda Civic Type-R
• Hyundai i30 N (full review)
• Hyundai i30 Sedan N (full review)
• Toyota GR Yaris
• Ford Mustang
• Mazda MX-5 (full review)

Would I pick the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla GTS?

The Toyota GR Corolla is a cool and unique all-wheel drive hot hatch let down by an overly stiff and uncomfortable ride.

It’s an awesome fun-to-drive Japanese hot hatch with a responsive auto transmission, growling stock exhaust, and a sleeper sporty take on one of the world’s most iconic passenger cars.

But it has an uncomfortably firm and unsettled ride for daily driving – which is notably worse than the GR Yaris – there’s no central armrest that’s odd for a driver’s car, and Toyota recommends frequent servicing intervals that’s far more stricter than rival brands.

I’d pick the GR Corolla GTS in manual transmission form, which provides better engagement as long as you’re not stuck in traffic everyday.

At north of $70K drive-away, the Volkswagen Golf R would likely be a better all-rounder package – but if driving a unique Japanese hot hatch is a priority, it’s worth considering the rare-breed GR Corolla.

Photographs by Henry Man

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Pros:

• Fun to drive
• Responsive auto transmission
• Low growling exhaust
• Well-calibrated safety assists
• Sharp sleeper design

Cons:

• Overly stiff daily ride
• Missing a central armrest
• Basic interior
• No full-time adaptive cruise, auto wipers, auto-dimming mirror
• Frequent servicing requirements