2022 Toyota GR Corolla to be more powerful than expected! New Hyundai i30 N and Honda Civic Type R rival to pack a big punch: report

Toyota is reportedly working on a couple of big surprises for the upcoming GR Corolla hot hatch, one of which is even more power.

Yep, according to CarSensor, the GR Corolla will be more powerful than first thought, with Toyota aiming to take its application of the GR Yaris hot hatch’s 1.6-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder engine to the next level.

While there’s seemingly little room to move, Toyota will allegedly raise the unit’s peak power from 200kW to 221kW. There’s no word yet on the GR Corolla’s maximum torque, but we do know the pioneering GR Yaris has 370Nm on tap.

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Either way, such outputs would not only clearly position the GR Corolla above the GR Yaris, but also put it around the same level as its direct rivals, the 206kW/392Nm Hyundai i30 N and 228kW/400Nm Honda Civic Type R.

And just like the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla is all but confirmed to be mated to a six-speed manual transmission, with a variable all-wheel-drive system in tow, both of which aren’t surprising.

What is, though, is the GR Corolla’s pricing, with CarSensor claiming it will be cheaper than the GR Yaris in native Japan, at 3.50 to 4.00 million yen ($A41,798-47,769) versus 3.96 to 4.56 million yen ($A47,291-54,457).

Whether a similar pricing structure eventuates in Australia remains to be seen. But for reference, the GR Yaris range stretches from $49,500 to $54,500 plus on-road costs locally.

Interestingly, CarSensor also reports the GR Corolla hot hatch’s eventual wagon sibling could instead be motivated by a ‘self-charging’ hybrid powertrain with a 2.0-litre engine, but time will tell, so stay tuned.