• Toyota will increase production of its GR Corolla and offer the Circuit version in 2024.
• Originally, the Circuit model was meant to be offered only in 2023.
• The demand for the GR Corolla far exceeds the company's current supply.
The GR version of the Toyota Corolla was presented for the first time in the fall of 2022. Three versions were introduced at the time: the regular (Core), the Circuit variant, destined to be offered only for 2023, and the very limited Morizo edition.
In the case of the Morizo, because of its mechanical differences, we suspect that after 2023, that will be end of things. Only 10 units of that edition were offered in Canada.
However, for the Circuit variant, we learned this week that Toyota will extend its offer beyond 2023. Demand for the GR Corolla Circuit is far exceeding production capacity, so the company has decided not to look that gift horse in the mouth and extend production.
Don't look for Circuit versions on the road just yet. The first GR Corollas to arrive are the Core variants. The Circuit model is due to debut this spring of this year, with those 10 Morizo variants coming later.
The Circuit version is based on the Core variant and of course offers a bit more. While the base model ($45,490) comes with heated front seats, 12.3-inch multifunction driver data display, 8.0-inch multimedia screen and the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 safety suite, the Circuit ($53,990) adds a carbon-fibre roof, vented hood, rear spoiler, sport seats with suede accents and a premium JBL audio system.
Mostly, though, the appeal of this model lies under the hood. The GR Corolla is powered by a 1.6-liter 3-cylinder engine with 300 h and 273 lb-ft of torque. Its chassis is also tuned for an inspiring drive.
What isn’t known is how many additional units will be offered with the announced production increase. Originally, 1,500 Circuit editions were planned for 2023. We will eventually have more information to share on this.
We contacted Toyota Canada to find out if more Circuit versions will be offered here and Romaric Lartilleux, the director of public relations for Canada, told us that “normally, this version will also be offered in Canada in 2024”.
