Iconic hot hatchback with four-wheel drive FINALLY coming to UK after being sold for years outside of Europe
The long anticipated Toyota GR Corolla is expected to join the much loved GR Yaris on UK roads in the next 18-months.
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With an impressive 296bhp the Corolla will enter production at Toyota's UK plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire.
The motor is expected to go into production next year in a bid to satisfy lengthy waiting lists.
However at present the nippy hot hatch is only built at one site in Japan with it yet to be confirmed for the European market.
Toyota's European COO Matt Harrison has hinted that British fans won't be disappointed though.
He spoke to Auto Express to say: 'We have a philosophy that you build where you sell, so to build in Europe and not sell in Europe would be counter to that.
'The gap between supply and demand is now, so it's about how quickly we can get it. We need to act fast.'
Originally launched in 2022 the GR Corolla was only sold in selected markets outside of Europe.
It boasts a minimal 1.6 litre engine but a turbo charger offers the car a healthy boost in power.
With its impressive 296bhp Toyota's answer to the Golf R comes close to matching the massive 315bhp offered by the 2 litre German model.
And the Toyota uses its power well, a four-wheel drive system ensures the motor uses the most of the horsepower available to it.
The souped-up Toyota Corolla GR
Full specs and pricing for the new Corolla are expected to be released some time next year.
Until then experts are estimating the motor will be priced around the £40,000 mark.
The Burnaston site was chosen as a site for manufacturing the GR Corolla because of its factory capacity.
Initial demand for the motor is expected to be relatively high and the UK site can offer the capacity to meet the demand.
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Not only this but the UK motorsport pedigree aligns well with the specialist nature of the hot hatch.
The rally bred motor offers a specific package of specifications to motorists.
It was reported earlier this year that the Japanese firm planned to invest £41 million into the Burnaston production site.
The investment could see production rates at the site significantly boosted to meet the expected demand for the new GR Corolla.
World's largest car maker hatching plans to invest £40million in a new assembly line in UK
The world's largest car maker is planning to invest a whopping £40million for a new assembly line in the UK.
The Toyota plant at Burnaston could be in line for a major investment, as the company weighs moving production for the US market from Japan to Derbyshire.
The car maker plans to invest around £41million to set up a new production line dedicated to making GR Corollas, according to Reuters.
Toyota has denied that Trump tariffs are behind the potential shift, despite taxes on Britain being 10 per cent compared to Japan's 25 per cent.
In light of the potential move, Japanese automaker Toyota revealed that new cars could be added to the European market.
Currently, the GR Corolla is only available in Japan and is exported to North America and select other markets.
Burnaston plant currently produces the Corolla hatchback and estate for the UK and European markets, but production rates could significantly improve with the proposed investment.
A new production line could be operational within 12 months, with reports suggesting that Japanese engineers may temporarily relocate to Derbyshire to assist with the transition.
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