2026 Toyota GR Corolla Premium Plus Test: The Fix Is In

A seemingly never-ending series of small updates keeps this hot hatch fresh. View exterior photosMichael Simari|Car and DriverFrom the July/August 2026 issue of Car and Driver. Fixing something means recognizing a fault. From our vantage, there wasn't much wrong with the GR Corolla, but that hasn't stopped Toyota. When Toyota's GR shop first worked over the Corolla hatchback for 2023, the result was easy to love. A 300-hp turbocharged 1.6- liter inline-three huffed, whooped, and whooshed a brassy soundtrack. All-wheel drive came standard, and the mandatory six-speed manual was aimed straight at the lunatic fringe willing to spend nearly $40,000 for a Corolla. Last year brought more boost, raising torque to 295 pound-feet, and an optional automatic transmission. Toyota also worked on the rough edges. The high-boost triple has the propensity to run warm, so the GR has ditched fog lamps for air inlets to feed an auxiliary radiator exclusive to the Premium Plus trim and a cooler for the automatic. This year's tweaks make the clutch pedal feel as if it's sewn to your foot. Its engagement is spot-on, and it's better suited to handle abuse. To launch the GR, pin the accelerator and carefully release the clutch when the tachometer reaches 4500 rpm. Nail that sequence and the two ensuing shifts, and 60 mph appears in 4.2 seconds. The quarter-mile arrives in 12.8 seconds at 108 mph, making this the quickest GR Corolla we've tested. See all results for new 2026 Toyota GR Corolla for sale near 2016 To make more consistent power under stress, a new secondary air intake reduces inlet temperatures by an average of 85 degrees, per Toyota. We believe it, as 140 mph arrived 2.5 seconds quicker than before. But the driveline cooling could've used a little love too; after six acceleration runs, an overheat warning appeared in the cluster. To tighten up the structure further, Toyota added nearly 46 feet of structural adhesive to stiffen up the unibody. Rebound springs have been added to improve stability under hard braking and keep the tires pinned to the ground in tight corners. Twenty percent firmer rear springs pair with an anti-roll bar that's some 16 percent softer, improving the ride. The steering and brakes didn't need any work. The steering effort and feedback are exemplary, and the brake-pedal feel is firm and linear. Bite down on them, and the GR Corolla stops from 70 in 154 feet—in six back-to-back stops, only two feet separated the shortest from the longest stop. The changes to the GR Corolla fix its refinement and reliability faults without altering the joy and spirit of this special hot hatch. 2026 Toyota GR Corolla Premium Plus 6MTVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback PRICE Base/As Tested: $47,460/$49,618Options: rear window spoiler, $855; premium paint, $475; Styling package (Core Grades shift knob, door-sill protectors), $319; carpeted floor and cargo mats, $309; black lug nuts and wheel locks, $200 ENGINEturbocharged and intercooled DOHC 12-valve inline-3, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injection Displacement: 99 in3, 1618 cm3 Power: 300 hp @ 6500 rpm Torque: 295 lb-ft @ 3250 rpm CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink Brakes, F/R: 14.0-in vented disc/11.7-in vented disc Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 5235/40ZR-18 (95Y) DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 103.9 in Length: 173.6 in Width: 72.8 inHeight: 57.2 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 50/35 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 35/18 ft3Curb Weight: 3314 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 4.2 sec 100 mph: 10.7 sec 1/4-Mile: 12.8 sec @ 108 mph130 mph: 20.5 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.1 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 9.7 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.8 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 142 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 154 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 307 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.97 g Interior SoundIdle: 51 dBA/7 sone Full Throttle: 81 dBA 70-mph Cruising: 72 dBA/28 sone C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 21 mpg 75-mph Highway Driving: 28 mpg75-mph Highway Range: 360 mi EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 24/21/28 mpg Test: 2026 Porsche Macan GTS EV Piles On the Sugar 2026 Ram 2500 Tradesman Test: Power to the People Tested: 2026 Lexus ES Goes EV and Has a New Role 2026 Toyota C-HR Test: Potent but Lacking Dynamically Tested: 2026 Polestar 4 Long Range and Performance Dual Motor 2026 Toyota bZ Tested: A Quicker and Better EV 2026 Lexus IS350 Tested: Once More, with Feeling Tested: Ford Mustang Mach-E Select Is a Workhorse Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet Tested Tested: Entry-Level 2026 Tesla Model 3 RWD Porsche Taycan 4 Test: No Active Ride? No Problem

2026 Toyota GR Corolla Premium Plus Test: The Fix Is In

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2026 Toyota GR Corolla Premium Plus Test: The Fix Is In

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