Toyota GR Corolla sedan: Subaru WRX rival imagined

A four-door sedan version of the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla could arrive in mid-2023, according to an overseas report.

The as yet unsubstantiated report from Japanese publication Goo-Net claims a go-fast GR Corolla sedan will be revealed next year, featuring the same 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine as the hatch, producing 224kW with all-wheel drive.

With the GR Corolla being unveiled in recent months, there is a possibility the hot hatch could morph into a performance sedan to compete against the Hyundai i30 Sedan N (or Elantra N) and Subaru WRX, amongst others.

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It would also revive the role of the now-discontinued Subaru WRX STI, offering a powerful circa-220kW turbocharged engine, all-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual gearbox.

With this in mind, rendering artist Theottle has imagined the potential design of the GR Corolla sedan, should it reach production.

Drawing strong inspiration from the GR Corolla hatch, the sedan features identical design elements, including; the sportier front and rear bumpers, 18-inch black alloy wheels, air ducts, bulkier rear arches, a three-pipe exhaust system, and a large boot-mounted spoiler.

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It is believed Toyota would tailor the GR Corolla sedan for the North American market, where the four-door body remains the top-selling Corolla variant.

However, Toyota has yet to officially confirm the sedan model for production – with differences between the hatch and sedan, despite both featuring the same GA-C platform and key components.

Three versions of the Corolla sedan are available globally: a smaller version for Japan, a larger model sold in Australia, the United States and other markets, and a prestige version for Europe and China.

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The two latter models have an identical 2700 millimetre wheelbase, while the Japanese version shares its 2640mm wheelbase with the Corolla hatch – and is 45mm narrower than the Corolla hatch and 10mm slimmer than the global sedan.

Given that it would be costly for Toyota to homologate the shorter body style in the United States, Goo-Net states a “high possibility” the rumoured sedan would be based on the wider North American model.

This would enable key components – such as suspension and front-end parts – from the GR Corolla hatch to be carried across to the possible GR Corolla sedan; however, further development work would still be necessary.

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While the GR Corolla sedan remains speculation, the outgoing executive vice president of sales at Toyota Motor North America, Bob Carter, recently hinted at a performance GR sedan.

The official claimed customers would need to “stay tuned” concerning a performance sedan, while indicating an electrified GR car could “quite possibly” arrive within the next five years.

“When would we see the first electrified GR model, you may ask? "In five months? No. In five years? Quite possibly," he said.