The Toyota GR Corolla Just Got Even Better For 2026

2026 Toyota GR Corolla debuts with a stiffer body, refined suspension, and cooling updates. Nine-speaker JBL sound system added with fake engine noises. Pricing starts at $49,115 with destination (an increase of $760), and the middle trim has been removed.

Exactly one week ago, Toyota Japan revealed the 2026 GR Corolla for the domestic market, and now it’s our turn in the United States. Changes are relatively small but meaningful, though none are evident from a cosmetic standpoint. And why would they be? The GR Corolla is one of the most eye-catching hot hatches around. Its angry aesthetics are now even further backed up by the capability of the chassis after the addition of another 45.6 feet of structural adhesive in the front and rear sections of the body, which Toyota says improves overall rigidity as well as rear grip and feel. The subtle improvements continue with a new secondary air intake duct that should mean more track time without overheating for the remarkable G16E-GTS 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbo engine. Outputs remain unchanged at 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Two GR Corolla Trims For 2026 And A Small Price Increase
Previously, the GR Corolla was available in Core, Premium, and Premium Plus guises, but for 2026, the Premium has been dropped from the lineup. Both of the remaining trims are available with your choice of six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic (a $2,000 option), with the Core starting at $39,920 and the Premium Plus at $45,965 (excluding the destination charge of $1,195).

These prices represent increases of $760 and $150, respectively, and the latter is particularly impressive since the 2026 GR Corolla Premium Plus has been imbued with a new nine-speaker JBL audio setup that now includes Active Sound Control, or fake engine noises. It’s unclear whether this can be deactivated, but we hope so, as the three-pot sounds rorty enough in stock guise.

A Third Trim Is Likely To Arrive Soon, And It’ll Be The Best One
As positive as these changes are, there’s still something that the most hardcore enthusiasts are waiting for: the long-awaited GRMN variant. Earlier this month, following indications of a hotter “Gazoo Racing Meister of Nürburgring” variant from the car’s chief engineer, Naoyuki Sakamoto, images of just such a thing leaked online, showing additional carbon fiber elements, the deletion of the rear seats, Alcantara-clad buckets in front, and a plaque indicating that production would be limited to 500 units. With no mention of this GRMN variant in Toyota’s announcement today, we can only hope that it will be launched at the Los Angeles Auto Show (November 21-30). In the meantime, the two-trim GR Corolla lineup for 2026 is promised to reach dealers in the fall.