A thrilling return to the hot hatch segment for Toyota, the GR Corolla combines an impressive 300 hp three-cylinder engine with an advanced all-wheel-drive system and aggressive performance parts. And that’s only the start of it. Here’s how America’s GR Corolla buyers decided to spec their vehicles.
Toyota has so far sold a total of 3,927 GR Corollas during the 2023 model year in the U.S., it revealed to Carscoops. Of those, 2,538 were Core models, 1,208 were Circuit Editions, and 181 Morizo Editions. Since America was allocated 200 examples of the last trim level, that means that 15 of the most uncompromising examples of the car (four are not for sale) remain to be purchased.
For the Morizo Edition, which deletes the rear seats, the rear window regulators, the rear speakers, and adds 12 lb-ft (16 Nm) of torque, the most popular color was Wind Chill Pearl. Of the 181 buyers, 97 chose the white paint color, and 84 chose Smoke.
Read: Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition Discontinued For 2024, But A Few Are Still Available
In fact, white was a popular color throughout the range. Of the 2,538 buyers chose the Core trim level, 1,048 opted for Ice Cap. Meanwhile, 902 decided to go for Black, and only 588 decided to go for Supersonic Red.
Also of interest was how drivers decided to improve their vehicle with the available optional packages. Toyota reports that 89 percent of buyers chose the Technology Package, which cost $770 and added a wireless smartphone charger, Premium JBL sound system, and integrated navigation.
It said that 85 percent of buyers chose to add the Performance package, which cost $1,180 and added Torsen limited-slip differentials at both the front and the rear, as well as 14-inch ventilated and slotted front brake discs, four-piston red-painted front brake calipers, and two-piston calipers at the back. Finally, 74 percent of buyers chose to go for the Cold Weather package, which added $500 to the price of the car, as well as heated seats and a heated steering wheel.
For the Circuit Edition, which came with the Torsen differentials, as well as a carbon composite roof, white was not the favorite color. However, Ice Cap (446 buyers) was the second-most popular color option behind Heavy Metal (495). Both were well ahead of Supersonic Red, as just 267 buyers chose the color.
Color Breakdown By Trim Level
All of which helps explain the 2024 model year lineup, for which Toyota has decided to add a loaded model that comes as standard with a number of features from the Cold Weather, Technology, and Performance packages, in the form of the Premium trim.
Meanwhile, the Circuit Edition continues on for performance-focused buyers. The Core trim sticks around for budget conscious buyers, and the only package available is the Performance Package. Although the Morizo Edition is gone for 2024, Supersonic Red soldiers on despite being the least popular color in the lineup.
