The sporty compact war is set to welcome a new contender: the 2021 Toyota Corolla Sport GRMN

Following the impact of the preview of an enhanced, hardcore Toyota Yaris inspired by the World Rally Championship (WRC)-winning car, the official unveiling of the Toyota GR Yaris brought a breath of fresh air to enthusiasts who had watched the options for owning and enjoying small, powerful and exciting cars dwindle to little more than a handful. Something similar could happen in the compact segment with the upcoming Toyota Corolla Sport GRMN in the segment popularly known as the ‘hot hatchback’.

The rumour mill suggests that, following the reception of the little Japanese bullet, the big brother will keep its 5-door body and that, at last, a Toyota Corolla sport model will be offered in every sense of the word, as many of us have hoped: a rival to the Hyundai i30 that can outshine the new Volkswagen Golf GTI or make people forget the sensational Renault Mégane RS.

What do we expect from the Toyota Corolla Sport GRMN?

Unlike these three, the whispers coming from the Japanese firm’s home country say that the Toyota Corolla Sport GRMN will be an all-wheel-drive car, with the rear axle controlled by the intelligent ‘GR-Four’ 4WD system of Toyota, replicating the drivetrain layout of the most hardcore Yaris.

Furthermore, our trusted source, Best Car Magazine, states that Gazoo Racing Masters of the Nürburgring, that is, the motorsport department headed by one of the greatest rally drivers in history, Tommi Mäkinen, and responsible for developing Toyota’s production sports cars, better known by its acronym GRMN, has reportedly determined that the engine of the Toyota Corolla Sport GRMN will be the same as that of the Toyota GR Yaris.

Thus, the turbocharged 1.6-litre inline three-cylinder block producing 272 CV that will be replicated in just 500 units, which, according to the local outlet, Toyota will be willing to build.

The car should be unveiled at the end of this year, 2020, according to initial forecasts, in autumn, although, with the international context conditioned by the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, it could be delayed until as late as the second quarter of 2021.

As for the price of the Toyota Corolla Sport GRMN, it is still early, but given the exclusivity of this product, it will surely be well above the 180 CV Toyota Corolla GR-SPORT hybrid illustrated in this article, which is currently available at dealerships from 25,090 euros.

Technical specifications of this car

SedanToyota Corolla12 versions · from 31,400 €