Toyota Celica 2026 in Australia

The 2026 Toyota Celica is expected to return to Australia as a Gazoo Racing performance coupe, and this guide covers the rumoured specs, price, likely timing, and how it compares to other GR models.

Is the Toyota Celica Actually Coming Back in 2026?

Everything points to yes, though Toyota has not made a formal production announcement. The clearest signal came in November 2024, when Toyota CTO Hiroki Nakajima told media at the World Rally Championship, "We're doing the Celica." Since then a GR Celica trademark has been filed in Australia, the United States, and Brazil, and prototypes have reportedly been shown to Toyota dealers in North America.

So the badge is on its way back after a long gap. The original Celica ran from 1970 to 2006 across seven generations before Toyota dropped it, as buyers drifted away from affordable sports coupes and toward SUVs. A 2026 reveal is the widely expected timing. Treat the finer details as rumour until Toyota confirms them, but the direction of travel is hard to miss. Toyota is not the only brand reshaping its range either, and you can see how another lineup is changing in our look at the farewell to the Mitsubishi favourites.

Will It Be Called the GR Celica?

The trademark filings are for "GR Celica", which puts the car inside Toyota's Gazoo Racing performance range rather than back in the mainstream lineup. That is a meaningful shift. The old Celica was a stylish, affordable coupe you could buy on a modest budget. A GR badge means it lands next to the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR86, and GR Supra, and it points to a proper performance car rather than a soft revival.

For anyone who remembers the front-wheel-drive Celicas of the 1990s and 2000s, this is a different animal. GR is Toyota's motorsport-derived line, and the cars that wear it tend to be built in limited numbers with real hardware behind the name. The name carries weight with enthusiasts, so Toyota putting it on a GR car rather than a soft coupe tells you a fair bit about the intent.

What Engine and Power Will the 2026 Celica Have?

The strongest rumours point to a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, likely with hybrid assistance from an electric motor, sending drive to all four wheels. Power is reported anywhere from 220kW up to close to 294kW, which would make it the most powerful production Celica ever built, well past the 141kW of the old GT-Four. None of this is confirmed by Toyota, so read it as informed speculation rather than a spec sheet.

For context, that output would sit above the GR Corolla's 221kW and edge toward the GR Supra's 285kW. If the figures hold, the GR Celica would be one of the quickest cars Toyota has put a mainstream badge on. Worth flagging for younger buyers: a turbocharged, high-powered coupe like this would almost certainly fall under Queensland's high-powered vehicle rules for provisional drivers, so it is not a first-car option. Our guide to the P plate rules in QLD and our list of the fastest P-plate legal cars cover what younger drivers can actually get behind the wheel of.

How Much Will the Toyota Celica 2026 Cost in Australia?

Early estimates put it somewhere between $66,000 and $75,000 in Australia, based on a rumoured Japanese starting price near 6.5 million yen. That would position the GR Celica above the GR Corolla and below the GR Supra. No local pricing is official yet, so these numbers will shift once Toyota Australia confirms the range.

Worth remembering that the last Celica started around $38,000 back in 2006, so a $66,000-plus GR version is a big jump in both price and intent. That reflects the move from affordable coupe to Gazoo Racing performance car. If a number like that stretches the budget past what you had in mind, our rundowns of the best small cars in Australia and the smartest car buys this year cover options that cost a lot less to run.

When Can Australians Buy the 2026 Celica?

The global launch window is expected in 2026, with Australian deliveries most likely landing in early to mid 2027. The fact that a GR Celica trademark has been filed locally is a good sign Australia sits on the launch market list. Toyota has not published an on-sale date, so treat the 2027 window as a best estimate rather than a promise.

One thing history tells us: GR models tend to arrive in limited allocations, with waitlists forming fast. The GR Yaris and GR Corolla both sold out early runs quickly, some with lists stretching months. If the GR Celica follows the same pattern, registering interest with a dealer ahead of launch will matter more than turning up on release day. That also affects timing on your current car, since you want it sold and the funds ready when deposits open rather than after you have already committed.

How Does the 2026 Celica Compare to the GR86 and GR Corolla?

The GR Celica is expected to slot between the GR86 and the GR Supra, but with a different character to both. On the rumoured numbers it would sit above the GR86 and GR Corolla on price and power, giving it its own space as a turbocharged all-wheel-drive coupe. Here is how the three lines up on the figures we have so far.

Toyota GR86

The GR86 starts from around $48,000 and is the light, naturally aspirated, rear-wheel-drive option, built for balance and feel over outright speed. The Celica is expected to be heavier, more powerful, and all-wheel drive, which would make it the more usable everyday performance car of the two, at a higher price.

Toyota GR Corolla

The GR Corolla sits from around $72,000 and is the four-door, all-wheel-drive hot hatch, with 221kW on tap. The Celica would offer that same GR performance DNA in a lower, sleeker two-door coupe body. If you want the practicality of rear doors, the Corolla wins. If you want the shape and the focus, the Celica is the one to wait for.

If you already own a GR86 or GR Corolla and you're eyeing the Celica, the trade maths is worth doing early. Performance Toyotas tend to hold value well, and knowing your car's number before the hype builds puts you in a stronger spot.

Should You Sell Your Current Car Before the Celica Arrives?

If a GR Celica is on your shortlist for 2027, timing your current car's sale is worth thinking about now. Values soften as a car ages and racks up kilometres, so the longer you hold while you wait, the less you tend to get back. GR allocations sell out fast, so having your current car already sold and the funds in hand puts you in a much stronger position than scrambling once deposits open. Getting a real valuation early tells you where you stand, and you can start that with our car valuation tools.

We buy cars across Brisbane and the wider SE QLD area, with free pickup and payment by same-day bank transfer, no negotiating and no private-sale hassle. That includes the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, and North Lakes. If your car still has money owing on it, that is not a barrier to selling, and you can read how it works in our guide to selling a car with finance owing.

Selling privately instead is your call, and if you go that way there are a few Queensland basics to line up. The full paperwork you need to sell a car is set out separately, our walkthrough on how to sell a car in Queensland covers the steps, and you will also want to sort the roadworthy safety certificate and the registration transfer. Buyers often ask for a VIN and PPSR history check too, and if the car has ever been written off, our guide to WOVR checks in QLD explains what that means for a sale. Sell to us and none of that lands on you, since we handle it as a licensed dealer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sell Any Car Fast is a licensed QLD motor dealer (DLN 4871214). This article covers the 2026 Toyota Celica based on trademark filings, executive comments, and reporting available at the time of writing. Specifications, pricing, and release dates are unconfirmed by Toyota and may change once official details are announced.