The Toyota Corolla GR-Sport, the spiciest version of the Japanese compact, is now priced in Spain

Toyota surprised the world with the arrival of the GR Yaris, a version that has quickly won over thousands of fans thanks to that old-school sporty city car DNA. After its launch, there were plenty of rumours suggesting the Japanese brand was ready to apply that same formula to its compact flagship, the Corolla. Without a doubt, it would be a wonderful way to pay tribute to the Corollas that once competed in rallies, but for now Toyota has limited itself to launching the Corolla GR-Sport, a variant already available in Spain.

And the thing is, Toyota may have wanted to give us a preview of that possible sportier Corolla but, be that as it may, for now we have this spicier version of the Japanese compact. At first glance, we find a series of changes that, while they do not affect the mechanical side, do affect the styling.

The first thing that will catch our attention is the front end, an area governed by a more aggressive, specific grille. To continue with the new character the GR-Sport badge brings, the designers at Toyota have opted for side skirts on the lower bodywork, a rear diffuser and black-finished badges, details that combine perfectly with the new 18-inch alloy wheels with red-lined rims.

To complete the styling, Toyota offers three exclusive paint options unique to the Corolla GR-Sport with this version. Bi-tone Ascari Grey, Bi-tone Pearl White and Bi-tone Emotion Red are the shades that expand the colour palette of the Japanese compact, and that is not all. To avoid any mismatch between exterior and interior, the designers have included sport-style seats upholstered in a mix of fabric and Alcantara.

Although the mechanical side undergoes no changes -as a hypothetical GR variant would-, Toyota will only allow customers to pair the GR-Sport trim with the top-of-the-range powertrain. In other words, we will have to opt, no matter what, for the 2.0-litre hybrid engine capable of producing 184 CV of power, a figure managed through a CVT automatic gearbox.

In this way, the Japanese brand gives us a glimpse of what could be its new sporty compact with this Corolla GR-Sport, a very appealing variant. If we want to buy it in Spain, it will be necessary to pay 26,750 euros, although Toyota also offers a financing option at 245 euros per month.

Technical specifications of this car

SedanToyota Corolla12 versions · from 31,400 €