The Toyota GR Corolla is one of the best hot hatchbacks on the market. It has a turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a snappy six-speed manual transmission. But it might not be manual-only for much longer.
Leaked documents show what appears to be an eight-speed automatic option for the GR Corolla in 2025. The documents, originally posted on the GR Corolla Forum, show a "Premium AT" model with the supposed eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters. A six-speed manual still comes standard on the Core and Premium trims.
Adding an auto to the GR Corolla lineup would make sense. The GR Yaris from overseas, which shares its 1.6-liter engine with the GR Corolla, got a "Direct Automatic Transmission" last year with eight gears. And that gearbox only added 40 pounds to the curb weight. Offering that option in the US could open up the GR Corolla to more buyers without a significant weight penalty.
With the automatic, the GR Corolla would also get more torque. The current base model makes 273 pound-feet with the six-speed manual while the top-of-the-line Morizo makes 295 pound-feet. But documents show 295 pound-feet across the board with the auto, again, in line with the eight-speed on the GR Yaris.
We reached out to Toyota but the company isn't spilling the beans just yet. A spokesperson for the automaker told Motor1, “We have nothing to announce at this time.” If rumors of an automatic GR Corolla are true, we expect the hot hatch to debut sometime before the end of the year before going on sale early in 2025.
