The Toyota GR Corolla is one of the best hatchbacks on the market. It has a turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a quick six-speed manual transmission. However, it probably won't be manual-only for long.
Leaked documents show what appears to be an eight-speed automatic option for the 2025 GR Corolla. The documents, which were originally posted on GR Corolla Forumindicates the “Premium AT” model with an eight-speed automatic transmission equipped with paddle shifters. A six-speed manual transmission remains standard on the Core and Premium trims.
Adding an automatic transmission to the GR Corolla lineup would make sense. The overseas GR Yaris, which uses the same 1.6-liter engine as the GR Corolla, got a “Direct Automatic Transmission” last year with eight gears. And that transmission only adds 40 pounds to the curb weight. Offering that option in the U.S. could open up the door to more GR Corolla buyers without a significant weight penalty.
With the automatic transmission, the GR Corolla will also get more torque. The current base model makes 273 pound-feet of torque with the six-speed manual while the top-of-the-line Morizo makes 295 pound-feet of torque. However, the documentation shows 295 pound-feet of torque overall with the automatic, again, in line with the eight-speed in the GR Yaris.
2024 Toyota GR Yaris Interior
We reached out to Toyota, but the company wouldn't comment. A spokesperson for the automaker said: Motor1“We don’t have any announcements at this point.” If the rumors about the automatic GR Corolla are true, we expect the hot hatch to make its debut before the end of the year before going on sale in early 2025.
