Cheaper but fewer than expected! Secret pricing for 2022 Toyota GR Corolla shows it could undercut rival VW Golf R but the number coming to Australia may be far lower than anticipated

Is the Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) Corolla going to be cheaper than a Volkswagen Golf R when it goes on sale in the final quarter of this year?

This is a very tantalising prospect, after one Toyota dealer in Australia revealed to a CarsGuide reader the likely pricing of the company’s new all-wheel-drive turbo superhatch. CarsGuide has since corroborated this information with various dealer sources.

Expected to follow the US market with two grades, the base GR Corolla ‘Core’ may kick off from as low as $69,990 driveaway, rising to $79,990 driveaway for the track-focused ‘Circuit’ edition.

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Whether Toyota Motor Company Australia retains the American nomenclature or simply mirrors the smaller GR Yaris’ ‘GR’ and ‘GR Rallye’ badging is unknown at this stage.

Furthermore, just 500 examples are said to be headed to Australia initially, and that number is considerably under our prediction of at least 1000 units, so prospective GR Corolla buyers and investors had better act fast if they’re going to secure one.

A Toyota spokesperson declined to comment on the dealer indicative pricing or supply situation, stating instead that “…at this early stage we have no information on pricing for GR Corolla in Australia”.

With reports out of America earlier this month revealing that Toyota will only make 8600 GR Corollas for worldwide consumption in its first year on sale, and no fewer than 6600 are said to be heading to the USA – 5100 Cores and 1500 Circuits – for the MY23 model year.

Australia, therefore, should account for 25 per cent of the remaining 2000 cars globally.

So, if that indicative dealer pricing turns out to be correct, just how cheap or expensive will the GR Corolla be compared to its immediate rivals.

Beginning with the most obvious one, the 235kW/400Nm VW Golf R hatchback commences from $65,900 before on-road costs, or $68,990 for the 235kW/420Nm R wagon alternative; factor in ORC, and that might put the two competitors almost lineball.

Then there’s the Renault Megane RS Trophy, which is only slightly cheaper from $60,090 for the manual version or $3000 more for the auto, but that’s front-wheel drive, not all-wheel drive like the others.

Only the 202kW/350Nm Subaru WRX seriously undercuts its rivals in the AWD superhatch stakes, with the sedan starting from just $44,990 to $56,990, while the new Levorg-by-another-name and auto-only WRX Sportwagon ranges from $49,990 to $57,990.

Finally, looking through history, even the cheapest GR version will most likely be the most expensive production Corolla ever sold in Australia, but not by that much, and that’s the real surprise.

In the mid 1990s, the Japanese Yen was hyper inflated against most other currencies, pushing prices way up to create the Endaka effect; as a result, the imported E100 series Corolla Sprinter (liftback) auto started from $34,620, or just under $65,000 adjusted for inflation in today’s money – and that was before on-road costs.

Given that the 2023 GR Corolla powers all four wheels via a 220kW/370Nm 1.6-litre three-pot turbo against the 1995 Corolla Sprinter’s 85kW/155Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated engine, the extra few thousand-dollar difference probably works in the modern Toyota’s favour.

Whichever way you look at it, the GR Corolla’s indicative pricing may not be as bad as we had feared.

Stay tuned for the official pricing details as soon as Toyota drops them.