Toyota Corolla GR Sport 2019 revealed

The Toyota Corolla GR Sport 2019 model has been unveiled - but it's not the fully-fledged hot hatch we'd been hoping for.

The new GR Sport version of the Corolla hatch is essentially a more sporty looking model, with a more aggressive design, two-tone paint and alloy wheels, a new grille, new front and rear bumpers a lower body kit, revised headlight inlays and new fog lights, and a model-specific colour known as Dynamic Grey.

The interior is said to offer a few sporty changes, too - though no images have yet been released. The car will debut at the Geneva motor show in early March, and we'll add more pictures when they're available.

That's not all, though - the Corolla GR Sport is said to see a raft of chassis changes to make it handle with a touch more agility. But the drivetrain options are set to remain the same, with a 2.0-litre petrol or 1.8-litre hybrid available. 

So this isn't the rumoured Corolla hot hatch we've reported on, and according to Toyota Australia, the new Corolla GR Sport mightn't make it here, unless there is demand for a model between the regular Corolla line-up and a more serious hot hatch.

"At the moment it's something we would need to study. But in general for our GR models we are looking to introduce GR models that offer a step up in terms of engine performance," said Toyota Australia product public relations manager, Orlando Rodriguez. 

"It isn't to say we wouldn't look at bringing in a GR Sport model - but the business case would have to make sense," he said.

According to Rodriguez, part of the problem would be that the Corolla GR Sport model is built in Europe, and the cost of importing such a model would be considerably higher than if it were built in Japan.

"The business case always becomes a bit harder when we source vehicles from Europe," he said.

The GR Sport is said to see a raft of changes to make it handle with more agility.

"Suspension and aesthetics - that's probably part of business case. Do we think the market here wants something of that nature? Or does it want something with more credible performance increases?" 

It's possible that this GR Sport model could be part one in a three-stage sporty Corolla strategy - a similar way to how Ford has Focus ST-Line, Focus ST and Focus RS models. So, if the GR Sport is step one - sporty looks and some minor driving enhancements - a GR model with a bit more zest under the bonnet could happen, and an unrelenting hardcore GRMN could sit at the top of the range. 

"We haven't locked in what our strategy is going to look like," Rodriguez said of the Corolla GR range. "We can't guarantee the three-tier lineup will be offered, and there is some disparity between the strategies that are happening globally."

"As models become available globally, we'll look at them on a case by case basis," he said.

Should Toyota Australia bring the GR Sport Corolla? Tell us in the comments section below.