This week on Chasing Cars: GR Corolla unveiled and pricing released for Ranger, Tesla Model Y

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I know, I know – it’s been two whole weeks since we’ve delivered you a proper weekly wrap but I promise you that it’s been for a very good reason which you will find out about shortly.

One thing we haven’t let up on this week though is car news, and it came in thick and fast with the unveiling of the GR Corolla hot hatch alongside a swathe of Australian pricing for popular vehicles such as the 2022 Ford Ranger ute and new-generation Subaru WRX.

There were also some notable shifts in the industry with Tesla deciding to join the rest of the family at the dinner table and dish out sales results on the Model 3 sedan, while Honda and GM announced a partnership to build EVs together.

We haven’t slowed down on the review front either and served up some fan favourites such as a couple of Toyota Land Cruiser 4WDs and a V8 Mustang Fastback which you can read about below.

GR Corolla revealed

The GR Corolla is possibly Toyota’s most anticipated model following the launch of the Land Cruiser 300 Series and this week we got to see the hyper-aggressive hot hatch for the first time.

Powered by the same 1.6-litre turbo-petrol triple as the GR Yaris but with power dialled up to 220kW (and torque remaining at 370Nm), the GR Corolla isn’t hanging about.

A six-speed manual is the only option (for now), with power sent to a flexible all-wheel-drive system that can send up to 70 percent of drive to the rear wheels.

Toyota will introduce the GR Corolla to Australia sometime between October and December this year in a single, fully-equipped grade fitted with mechanical limited-slip differentials at the front and rear.

When it arrives, the GR Corolla will go head-to-head with its most direct rival in the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf R, so we’ve pitted the two head-to-head in a spec battle.

Ford Ranger priced for Australia

It’s all well and good that Ford has transformed the new-generation T6.2 Ranger into a bit of a weapon with a new turbo-diesel V6 option, a more useful tray and better technology, but all these upgrades have made us nervous about the price – and now we have an answer.

Ford will continue to offer the Ranger in XL, XLS, XLT, Sport, Wildtrak, and Raptor grades in a choice of single-, extended- and dual-cab body styles. In total there are 24 different models to choose from. 

Pricing starts at $35,930 before on-road costs for a pretty bare-bones Ranger 4×2 XL single cab with the new 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, meaning the entry point has increased quite a bit – but with no manual transmission or low-rider option available, that’s hardly surprising. 

Sitting at the top of the tree is the Ranger Raptor with a price of $85,490 – representing a $6100 jump over the outgoing model and we’ve written a separate article to explain why.

Tesla Model Y pricing leaked

Tesla Model Y midsize SUV pricing has yet to be officially released for the Australian market but this week Chasing Cars exclusively reported the cost of two key grades.

Data released to corporate and industry customers put the starting price of an entry-level, single-motor RWD Model Y at $67,990 before on-road costs, making it $4000 more expensive than a Model 3 sedan.

The Model Y Performance will start at $98,172 and gains a dual-motor set-up along with a suite of technology including a 14-speaker sound system.

Tesla is also expected to offer the Model Y Long Range in the Australian range that will sit between the aforementioned grades with a price of around $80,000.

All the cars and SUVs we reviewed this week:

If there was one thing that was missing from our arsenal of reviews this week it had to be boring cars because this week was filled with back-to-back titans of the motoring world.

• Kicking off the week was the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series 4WD in the new range-topping Sahara ZX guise, which is a controversial take on the legendary off-roader that is perhaps better suited to driving in cities than muddy trails, but does that make it a bad vehicle?

• If you need a true tough-as-nails Land Cruiser look no further than the tried-and-tested 76-Series which deputy editor Nathan Ponchard covered in a thorough review this week to talk about its shortcomings as a modern vehicle and what makes it so great.

• The Ford Mustang is the most popular sports car on sale in Australia thanks to its muscular styling , and with a price of $74,990 before on-road costs for an optioned V8 Fastback model, is it actually a bit of a bargain?

• After publishing the written version a few weeks ago journalist John Law has given his thoughts on the BMW M240i xDrive coupe in video form and discusses if the new 2 Series has lost its way with its more sophisticated but heavier underpinnings. 

• The Porsche Taycan is a very expensive vehicle but the RWD base model is the cheapest of the lot and for those who crave a pure driving experience, it may well be the one to buy.

• At Chasing Cars we believe that few cars meet the brief as well as the BMW 330i so does the more affordable 320i make just as much sense for less cash?

Other car and SUV news we covered this week:

• Subaru announced this week that its fifth-generation WRX sports sedan would be priced from $44,990 before on-road costs in Australia and will be offered in three grades when it goes on sale in May.

• The arrival of the WRX will also usher in a wagon version known as the WRX Sportswagon (formerly known as the Levorg) which starts at $49,990 but is sadly only offered with a CVT automatic transmission. 

• Sources have told Chasing Cars that the Toyota RAV4 midsize SUV is due for an update in October this year which will see the arrival of new safety features and likely a much larger touchscreen, inspired by the new Lexus NX system. 

• The Federal Chamber for Automotive Industries (FCAI) released sales data for the month of March which saw the Toyota Hilux ute take the top spot, with the Mitsubishi Triton ute emerging as a surprise third-place winner thanks to a wealth of stock available in Australia.

• When looking at electric cars specifically, the Tesla Model 3 was the most popular buy in March and is on track to record 16,000 sales by the years’ end.

• Ford has told Chasing Cars that a Raptor version of the Everest 4WD is under consideration and could happen if there is enough demand. 

• Mercedes-AMG has announced that a 280kW/480Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine will join the SL range in Europe to act as the entry-level engine in the range.

• Kia is set to launch a new limited edition Seltos GT-Line small SUV which swaps out the 1.6 turbo engine for a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated engine and will be priced at $38,790 before on-road costs.

• Hertz is doubling down on expanding its fleet of electric vehicles by announcing it will purchase up to 65,000 Polestar models over the next five years.

• Skoda Australia has told Chasing Cars it may reintroduce the more off-road focused and AWD-equipped Scout variants for the Octavia and Superb if a number of factors fall into line. 

• BMW has introduced a new i3 to the Chinese market which is not a successor for the quirky electric hatch of old but instead a fully-electrified 3 Series sedan that we expect to see in Australia at some point in the near future.

• Mercedes-Benz has taken a brave step forward for autonomous driving by announcing it will take legal responsibility for an accident made while the software is in use.