Toyota has made changes to the GR Corolla for the Japanese market. For the 2026 model year, we expect the same changes to be made to the US market. The GR Corolla’s shell is stronger because it has 45 feet of extra adhesive and a new air vent that helps the engine run better. Toyota is putting a subwoofer in the trunk and using a new technology in the JBL sound to make engine noises that aren’t real. With its 300-hp turbo three engine, available six-speed manual gearbox, and all-wheel-drive system inspired by rally cars, the Toyota GR Corolla is one of the loudest and most interesting cars on the market. Toyota is now making the GR Corolla, its most popular hatchback in Japan, better with a number of changes. These changes will likely be made to the sporty Corolla for the 2026 model year. These improvements won’t take away from the GR Corolla’s natural, active energy. In fact, the changes will make it more fun to drive the car. The improvements were caused by Toyota’s involvement in the Japanese endurance racing series Super Taikyu Series. Toyota thinks that the stronger body structure of the new GR Corolla will make it better able to handle high g-forces in both directions, especially on a race track. Toyota says that most of the extra 45 feet of structural glue were used to glue the GR Corolla’s floor, back wheel wells, and front end together. Toyota says that stiffness has gone up even though very little weight has been added. Toyota added a new “high-engine-speed-activated” air duct to the GR Corolla to lower the temperature of the air that goes into the engine when the driver is accelerating quickly. By pulling air straight from the front grille and opening at high RPM, this duct keeps the power output steady even when it’s hot outside. The new Active Sound Control feature on the JBL sound system doesn’t make us happy. Toyota says that the Active Noise Control is better now and that a new speaker helps the “clearer, more powerful” sound in the trunk. If you have a JBL sound system in your GR Corolla, it will now make “sounds that evoke the feeling of motorsports” by responding to shift and throttle directions and making engine noises. A burble is made when the driver steps on the gas pedal. Toyota says there are three volume choices, three “sound patterns” that go with the driving modes, and a setting that turns off Active Sound Control, which is great. These improvements will be made for the 2026 model year in the US. On November 3, the better GR Corolla goes on sale in Japan. The price of the regular Core model, which starts at $40,355, won’t change much from 2025 to now. In the coming months, more details about the 2026 GR Corolla will be made public.
