Yahoo Autos Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch could pack a lot more power than expected
Rumors surrounding Toyota's upcoming Corolla-based hot hatch are getting louder on a monthly basis. While the model hasn't been officially announced yet, the latest round of reports claims it will be more powerful than expected.
As we previously reported, most sources agree the GR Corolla — which will be positioned above the rally-bred GR Yaris in Toyota's hot hatch pecking order — will eschew hybrid technology and instead receive its smaller sibling's power-dense three-cylinder engine. It will be tuned to develop at least 300 horsepower, according to Japanese publication CarSensor, an increase of more than 32 horses over the GR Yaris. That's a surprisingly high amount of power to squeeze out of a turbocharged, 1.6-liter triple, and it's much more than the output quoted by earlier reports.
Toyota will bolt the three-cylinder to a six-speed manual transmission that will spin the four wheels via a center differential with a multi-plate clutch. Like in the Yaris (pictured), the front-rear torque split will vary depending on the driving mode selected. The default split is 60/40 front/rear; Sport changes it to 30/70, while Track locks it at 50/50.
