I own and love a Toyota GR Corolla, but I’ve never thought that it should be bigger, even though my two kids and 80-pound dog often voice their displeasure with the accommodations. Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s division that handles the GR Corolla, GR Supra, GR 86, and GR Yaris, feels otherwise.
President Tomoya Takahashi told Australia’s Drive that the market for performance SUVs is strong and hinted that they would eventually join the sub-brand’s sports cars.
“To expand the GR brand, maybe SUVs are needed as well,” he told journalists. He also noted that some families need larger vehicles, which could be the open-door Toyota GR division needs to offer a speedy SUV.
Takahashi believes the automaker needs a GR SUV in the future, though he didn’t elaborate on dates or proposed models. Lexus has shown the LBX Morizo RR concept SUV, which uses the same turbo-three found in the GR Corolla and GR Yaris. That said, Takahashi was clear that GR has limited resources and must focus on the projects it already has in the works.
I’m not mad that Toyota could eventually sell a GR-branded SUV. It is a sign of the times, after all, as the market for small hatchbacks and sporty coupes isn’t as strong as it used to be. However, I do hope that the birth of a hotted-up SUV doesn’t come at the expense of the brand’s existing model line. It’s unclear how much longer Toyota plans to sell the GR Corolla in the U.S., though it’s likely to get the automatic transmission and updated interior from the GR Yaris before the automaker kills it completely.
[Images: Toyota]
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