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​​​​​​​Built solely for the North American market, the new Toyota GR Corolla is a fitting reward for those enthusiasts who missed out on the GR Yaris.

The upcoming 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is among the most anticipated cars rolling off the line this year and builds on Toyota's decades-long tradition of offering affordable cars with reliable and rugged operational behavior. A Toyota being dependable is hardly any surprise, though. What is more remarkable is that pleasant performance and sporty looks have been thrown in to add excitement.

Built specifically for the North American market, the all-new Toyota GR Corolla is also a fitting reward for patient American and Canadian consumers who felt a little short-changed that the GR Yaris wasn't sold here. When it becomes available, the 2023 GR Corolla will compete against popular sport compact cars such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Honda Civic Si, Hyundai Veloster N, Subaru WRX, and so on. Here are ten reasons why the Toyota GR Corolla appeals to us.

Incredibly light, agile, and immensely powerful, the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla will be built by Toyota in collaboration with the company's Gazoo Racing (GR) performance division.

The vehicle will be assembled at the GR production center within Toyota's renowned Motomachi factory – the same production line where other GR-branded cars such as the GR Yaris are made. The GR Corolla development prototype was rigorously tested by Toyota's master driver Akio Toyoda and professional Toyota Gazoo Racing drivers with consideration not only for its performance but also for maximum driver involvement.

The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla benefits from a 1.6-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine borrowed from the GR Yaris, which gives it a lot of punch. The output is rated at 300 horsepower (43 more than the GR Yaris' same-size mill) and 273 pound-feet of torque.

Being capable of 100 hp per cylinder secures a prominent place for the GR Corolla among high-output sport compact cars such as the Volkswagen Golf R (315 horsepower), Hyundai Veloster N (275 horsepower), Volkswagen Golf GTI (241 horsepower), etc.

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According to Toyota, enthusiastic gearheads holding out for the 2023 GR Corolla can expect more than satisfying performances. That's because the sport compact comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission that efficiently transmits engine power to the ground.

While very compact, this vehicle benefits from the well-proven functionality of a smooth-running all-wheel drive system, meaning owners can drive over terrain and road conditions that an ordinary two-wheel drive vehicle cannot.

The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla shares a chassis with the regular Corolla. However, the variant in the GR Corolla has been reinforced with added welds and adhesives to make it more rigid, stabler, and durable.

Up front, the GR Corolla features a MacPherson strut suspension matched up to a double-wishbone multilink rear setup (which replaces the torsion-beam setup on the standard Corolla). The hot hatch also offers upgraded brakes with four-piston calipers in the front and 2-piston calipers in the rear. The brakes feature ventilated rotors front and back for quicker cooling.

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With a wheelbase of 103.9 inches, 72.8 inches of width, and an overall length of only 173.6 inches, the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is small enough to be incredibly agile around town.

This means you can expect the hot hatch to feel nimble, fast, and powerful both on the road and off – just like its muscular and sporty design suggests.

Beyond its muscular capability and sporty charisma, the GR Corolla allows drivers to determine how it distributes its power by tweaking the front-rear torque distribution settings.

The default configuration sends 60% power to the front and 40% to the rear wheels. However, owners can choose a power-distribution mode that provides a perfect 50/50 split for more grip or select a 30/70 setup that distributes 30% power to the front and 70% to the rear wheels.

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The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla will be offered in two grades: Core and Circuit Edition. The Core trim, which arrives in dealerships later this year, is available in white, black, and Supersonic Red colors. In contrast, the Circuit Edition model will be offered in red, white, or heavy metal gray paint options.

Both models have sporty styling elements that imbue them with a youthful and dynamic appearance. These include a color-keyed roof with rear lip spoiler, GR-Four stamped side rockers, wide-fender flares, and so on. However, the limited-run Circuit Edition distinguishes itself with a forged carbon fiber roof, a sporty rear spoiler, and functional bulge hood vents.

Inside, the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is well-equipped. Soft touch materials abound, with plenty of standard amenities borrowed from the regular Corolla. The base Core trim is equipped with sports seats, push-button start, ambient interior lighting, as well as a black-and-gray interior theme with aluminum pedals and trim accents.

The Circuit Edition, which will be limited to 1,500 units for the U.S. market, has Brin Naub suede-trimmed front sport seats, heated seats, an exclusive Morizo signed shift knob, red accents, a heated steering wheel, and more.

RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Experiencing The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo On The Track

To cover occupants' comfort and safety needs, Toyota equipped the 2023 GR Corolla with the Safety Sense 3.0, a better engineered and more technologically advanced safety suite.

It includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, active lane control, etc.

The 2023 GR Corolla showcases Toyota's latest ambitions with innovations that directly enhance the driving experience. One proof of that is its straightforward 8.0-inch infotainment display, which allows direct integration of smartphone apps in the hot hatch.

The system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, Amazon Alexa capability, as well as an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot. A wireless smartphone charging pad, in-dash navigation, and an eight-speaker JBL stereo system are available.

Monday Goma delights in writing about cars. He has written buyer's guides, car reviews, product reviews, etc., for a bunch of car dealership sites in the U.S. When not writing about cars, Monday can often be found either playing FIFA or researching new automotive technologies. Monday is married to a very devout, hardworking, strong-willed, and truly remarkable woman.