The rumor mill has long churned out reports that Toyota is working to release a Gazoo Racing (GR) hot hatch in the United States sometime in the future. These rumors are no more as the Japanese automaker just confirmed its GR plans.
Toyota VP Jack Hollis told Roadshow the GR badge is heading to the U.S., but not in the form of a Yaris, which has since been debunked by the company.
“While GR Yaris isn’t hitting the States… perhaps it’s time the U.S. got a hot hatch to call its own,” an official Twitter account for the company posted.
The tweet did not specify which particular Toyota model will get the hot hatch version, but, according to hearsay, it will be the Corolla.
The claim is consistent with earlier reports from Car and Driver saying the automaker will equip a Corolla hatchback with the Yaris GR’s 1.6-liter turbocharged I3 engine. This suggests the Corolla GR will deliver around 260 horsepower, effectively putting it just above the Volkswagen Golf GTI with 228 horsepower.
Toyota is yet to release an official statement about the tweet; however, it recently launched a teaser page on its U.S. website where interested consumers can sign up to get updates on the upcoming GR model.
The Toyota Corolla already has a hatchback version that does well in terms of performance. But a more powerful GR edition is still something that the public wants, considering that the Yaris won’t make it to American shores.
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