Toyota to Ramp Up GR Corolla Production for North America
Good news for performance enthusiasts who prefer compact sports cars and hot hatches in particular: Toyota will start producing more GR Corollas from 2026.
The Burnaston plant in the U.K. will become the first Toyota facility outside Japan to build cars from the Gazoo Racing division, supporting the one in Motomachi, Japan. Preparation work actually began late last year, according to a Reuters article this week.
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The automaker has not yet said whether it intends to sell the GR Corolla on the European market. Further details will be provided at a later date. But understand this: the change in production for the 300-horsepower hatchback is intended to meet growing demand specifically in North America.
For customers in Canada and the U.S., that means better availability and shorter delivery times. Again according to Reuters, up to 10,000 units could be shipped from the U.K. to our shores when the assembly line is operating at full capacity.
The move was reportedly not in reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on auto imports, Reuters’ sources said. That’s a bit hard to believe. Remember, Japanese-built vehicles imported to the U.S. now face a 25% tariff versus only 10% for UK-made cars (up to 100,000 vehicles per year) following a deal between Washington and London.
For 2025, Toyota has added the option of an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters on the Premium model replacing the Circuit Edition above the base GR Corolla. The turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine’s peak torque is increased from 273 lb-ft to 295 lb-ft. Engineers have also made enhancements to suspension components and tuning, while designers have revised the front bumper to achieve a better balance between cooling and aerodynamic needs.
Watch out: Toyota has teased an even more explosive GR Corolla, which could arrive by next year as a successor to the discontinued Morizo Edition. We’ll keep you posted.