The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla will expand the sport compact car’s potential audience by offering a new 8-speed automatic transmission when it arrives in showrooms this winter. It’s the first automatic (which Toyota has dubbed the Direct Automatic Transmission, or DAT) offered in the GR Corolla. It will be tuned to take advantage of the car’s all-wheel-drive power delivery, and have the ability to learn and adjust its shift patterns based on a driver’s throttle application and overall driving style. The DAT will maximize power delivery when the GR Corolla is in “Sport” mode.
Adding to the 2025 GR Corolla’s performance is a bump in peak torque, from 273 pound feet to 295 pound feet. The three-cylinder, 1.6-liter turbo engine maintains its peak power rating of 300 hp at 6,500 rpm, but all models equipped with the new automatic benefit from a new transmission cooler. Additional cooling power comes from a new front bumper, with larger openings to cool the brakes and space for an additional radiator to cool the engine. This new “sub-radiator” is optional on the mid-grade “Premium” trim and standard on the new-for-2025 Premium Plus trim.
The 1.6-liter turbo 3-cylinder gets a bump to 295 pound-feet of torque
Toyota also retuned The GR Corolla’s suspension for improved stability, with a specific focus on keeping the tires planted during hard cornering and when accelerating out of corners. The upgraded suspension components combine with new, standard front and rear limited-slip differentials, allowing the GR Corolla’s AWD system to send more torque to the left or right wheels based on steering input and available traction. “Normal”, “Gravel”, or “Track” AWD modes let the driver tune the system’s behavior based on the road surface.
MORE FROM FORBES ADVISORDrivetrain upgrades include standard limited-slip differentials
The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla will come in three trim levels: Core, Premium, and Premium Plus. The base Core trim includes 18-inch wheels with Michelins Pilot Sport 4 tires, front and rear limited slip differentials, and cloth seats with “GR” logos on the seat backs. The Premium trim adds a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, suede upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, a JBL audio system, and wireless phone charging. The new Premium Plus trim includes a carbon fiber roof, power bulge hood with functional air vents, a head-up display, and matte black wheels.
Standard 18-inch wheels are upgraded to matte black on Premium Plus models
All GR Corollas comes with Toyota’s advanced driver assist system, featuring pre-collision warning, lane departure warning, radar cruise control, and automatic high beams. A free one-year trial of connected car technology allows owners to locate, lock/unlock, and remote start the GR Corolla. And every GR Corolla includes a one-year membership in the National Auto Sport Association (NASA), which provides access to track driving events.
The top trim GR Corolla gets suede seats with red contrast stitching
In a market that seems increasingly bereft of affordable performance cars it’s encouraging to see Toyota widening the appeal of the GR Corolla. While purists may scoff at an automatic version of the affordable hot hatch, realists know the first rule of “saving the manuals” is saving the cars that manuals are offered in. More GR Corolla buyers translates to more years and a higher likelihood the model stays in production.
2025 GR Corolla pricing will be announced closer to its on-sale date this winter.