2023 Toyota GR Corolla starts around $37,000

2023 Toyota GR Corolla starts around $37,000

The high-performance 2023 Toyota GR Corolla will start at $36,996 (including $1,095 for destination), Toyota announced Tuesday morning. Pricing for the big sibling to the (not-for-America) GR Yaris will ramp north of $50,000 for the limited-edition Morizo Edition designed for those who want the absolute baddest of the bad Toyota compacts.  

For a hair under $37,000, the Core model comes with sport seats, black and gray interior accents, aluminum pedals, a 12.3-inch instrument display, an 8-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a six-speaker sound system. Optional upgrades on Core include the Performance package (which adds limited-slip differentials); a Technology package with navigation, wireless phone charging and JBL eight-speaker sound system; and a Cold Weather package with heated seats and steering wheel.

The next step up is the Circuit Edition at $43,995. Only available for the 2023 model year, it bundles in the Core model’s option extras, interior and exterior visual upgrades, automatic climate control and a shift knob with the signature of “Morizo,” (a.k.a Akio Toyoda). To improve its center of gravity, it also comes with a carbon fiber roof. But for those who really want to flaunt their Toyota fanaticism, there’s the ultra-exclusive Morizo Edition. 

Checking in at $50,995, the top rung of the GR Corolla ladder incorporates a gruntier version of the 1.6-liter, three-cylinder turbo that powers the Core and Circuit Edition. Horsepower remains the same (300 ponies) but you get an additional 22 pound-feet of torque to go with it care of a factory software upgrade. There’s not only more torque overall, but the engine’s torque curve was shifted lower in the RPM range to improve low-end and midrange performance. It also benefits from an upgraded close-ratio manual transmission and differentials with shorter gearing to improve acceleration. 

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Like any good performance car, the Morizo’s selling point is that you get less car for more money. Its curb weight is just 3,186 pounds — 106 pounds less than the Circuit Edition — and that comes at the cost of utility. Toyota removed the rear seat from the car, and along with it, the rear door speakers, rear window regulators, rear wiper blade and accompanying wiper motor. It also features lighter-weight, model-exclusive forged 18-inch wheels.

Standard safety features across all models include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-centering, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high-beam headlights. On top of that the car comes with a one-year membership to National Auto Sport Association (the other NASA) plus a High-Performance Driving Event with instruction. Look for our first-hand review of the new GR Corolla on Sept. 14, ahead of its showroom launch this fall. 

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