It might come as a surprise to some, but worldwide the Toyota Corolla is the top selling car of all time. And the runner-up (Ford F-Series truck) is not even close.
To date, Corolla sales is roughly 54 million since its 1966 introduction in Japan. Two years later, the then two-door coupe hit the U.S. market and could be driven home for a mere $1,7000. Despite its debut 18 years earlier in 1946, F-Series sales reside at 43 million, a milestone the Corolla reached a decade ago.
The Corolla numbers are staggering. In 11 of the past 21 years, U.S. sales have exceeded 300,000 or more, including a high of 387,388 in 2006. Last year the total was 248,088, a mediocre year for the Corolla that would leave other manufacturers exuberant.
Now in its 60th year, the Corolla is hardly resting on its considerable laurels. There are six versions of the Corolla, starting with the standard Corolla sedan. There’s also a hatchback, hybrid, Cross (subcompact SUV), Cross hybrid, and the GR Corolla, a performance-laden hatchback introduced in 2023. This review will focus on the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla.
So, what’s the GR designation? It stands for Gazoo Racing, the motorsport and performance division of Toyota. The GR Corolla is categorized as a hot hatch or sport compact by the company and rests between the GR Supra and the GR86 sports car.
Admittedly, even though it possesses some serious get up and go, we don’t feel like the GR Corolla has the look or gives us the sense of being behind the wheel of a sports car. And we feel the same way regarding two of its primary competitors – Honda Civic Type R and Volkswagen Golf R.
With that said, performance remains the primary calling card for the GR Corolla, which has standard all-wheel drive and a sport-tuned suspension. The engine is a turbocharged 1.6-liter, inline-3 that produces 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.
The GR’s six-speed manual transmission goes 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and the automatic version travels the same distance in roughly 5.1 seconds. Both get approximately 21-28 mpg. Note the standard Corolla sedan is a four-cylinder engine with 169 horsepower. There’s also a major difference in price. The sedan starts at around $23,300 and the GR begins at roughly $40,100.
AT A GLANCE – 2026 TOYOTA GR COROLLA
Performance: turbocharged 1.6-liter, inline-3, 300 horsepower
Mileage estimate: 21-28 mpg
Price estimate: $40,100 to $48,900
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles; Drivetrain: 5 years/60,000 miles; Roadside Assistance: 2 years/25,000; Corrosion: 5 years/unlimited
There is a measure of fun driving the GR Corolla. It delivers good handling and one can take corners at a fast rate due to its firm grip. It’s very safe as well. Standard driver safety features include pedestrian detection; forward collision warning; forward automatic emergency braking; lane departure warning; lane keep assist; blind spot monitoring; rear cross traffic alert; traffic sign recognition; and adaptive cruise control.
Like many sports cars, the downside to the GR Corolla is the interior. For a $40,000 vehicle, there’s a major lack of sophistication: hard plastic is prevalent, there’s a mechanical emergency handbrake, and it has an old-school makeup that’s far from tech savvy. It comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
The GR is an extremely tight squeeze if one draws the short straw and has to sit in the cramped back seat where leg room is nonexistent. Even the front seat is lacking refinement, requiring manual levers and bars to slide the seat forward or back. The cargo area is minimal at 17.8 cubic feet behind the second row and expands to 35 cubes with the rear seats folded down.
The 2026 Toyota GR Corolla provides another option for this venerable vehicle and is appealing due to its performance capabilities. While not a full-blown sports car, it has strong enough qualities that many Corolla admirers will likely enjoy.
Jeffrey Weidel is an award-winning journalist from the Sacramento region who has written automotive reviews for nearly three decades and now appears in Folsom Times. He can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com
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