2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback Special Edition Debuts With Hot Looks

Toyota has something special in mind for its Corolla hatchback. Sadly, it's not a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive hot hatch as rumors have suggested, but it is a slick visual upgrade that certainly warms things up in the hatchback segment. Something hotter is almost certainly on the way – which we'll talk more about in a bit – but for now, say hello to the 2021 Corolla Hatchback Special Edition.

What's makes this car special? For starters, Toyota only plans to build 1,500 so it certainly won't be another everyday Corolla. As the name suggests, it's a package only offered on the hatchback, and you can only get it in one color – Supersonic Red. The finish is contrasted with exclusive black 18-inch alloy wheels and plenty of black trim where you would normally find chrome. Toyota then adds its own body kit – also finished in black – that includes side skirts, a front splitter, and a black roof spoiler. Special Edition badges wrap up the package.

Underneath all the sporty style, the Special Edition is still a normal Corolla SE. That means you'll find a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine developing 168 horsepower, which goes to the front wheels through a standard-issue CVT. A six-speed manual is also available for rowing gears, and for 2021, Toyota adds rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring as available options on the SE. For that matter, Toyota offers a new Enhanced Cargo Space option available at no charge, which lowers the floor just a bit for easier loading. It also adds six cubic feet of storage space behind the rear seat.

Of course, performance fans are really waiting for the rumored GR Corolla. Toyota actually teases the car yet again in this Special Edition press release, saying it "foreshadows even more excitement still to come in the hatchback segment." That foreshadowing hopefully means an all-wheel-drive hot hatch with a six-speed manual and the 257-horsepower (192-kilowatt) turbocharged three-cylinder mill snatched from the GR Yaris.

Toyota first teased this some time ago, with a report last week claiming that it was in the works. Now with another wink-wink tip from the automaker, it's essentially a question of when we'll see it.