Quick summary
- The 2025 GR Corolla keeps its 300-hp turbo three-cylinder but gains 22 lb-ft of torque, now 295 lb-ft.
- For the first time the hatchback can be ordered without a clutch pedal, and that version adds launch control.
- Toyota specifies premium fuel, and the automatic gives up about 2 mpg combined against the manual.
Short answer: the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla still makes 300 hp from its 1.6-liter turbo three-cylinder, but torque rises from 273 to 295 lb-ft and an eight-speed automatic is now offered next to the six-speed manual. Pricing starts at $38,860 before Toyota’s $1,135 processing and handling fee.
What changed on the 2025 GR Corolla?
Three things, and the torque figure is the one owners will feel. Toyota raised output from 273 lb-ft to 295 lb-ft while leaving horsepower at 300, which matches the torque the limited 2023 MORIZO Edition carried. The second change is the new automatic, covered below. The third is less visible: the front bumper was redesigned to package the radiator, intercooler, and brake ducts, a sub-radiator joined the options list, and the suspension was retuned with rebound springs front and rear, revised rear coils and stabilizers, and a raised trailing-arm mounting point.
| Spec | 2025 Toyota GR Corolla |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-3 (G16E-GTS) |
| Output | 300 hp @ 6,500 rpm / 295 lb-ft |
| Transmissions | 6-speed manual with rev matching, or 8-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | GR-FOUR all-wheel drive |
| EPA combined | 24 mpg manual / 22 mpg automatic |
| Fuel | premium |
| Starting MSRP | $38,860 plus $1,135 processing and handling |
Manual or the new 8-speed automatic?
The six-speed manual stays the default and keeps its rev-matching function. The new 8-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission adds paddle shifters, launch control, and a transmission fluid cooler as standard equipment — the cooler is a sign of what Toyota expects owners to do with it.
The trade is measurable at the pump. EPA rates the manual at 21 mpg city, 28 highway, and 24 combined; the automatic at 19, 27, and 22. Both want premium fuel, which on a small turbocharged engine is about knock resistance rather than extra energy — our octane guide explains why that distinction matters.
Toyota does not publish a 0–60 mph time for either version, so treat the figures circulating elsewhere as magazine test results, not factory claims.
How GR-FOUR splits the torque
The GR-FOUR system is the reason this car behaves differently from a hot hatch with a front-drive layout. The driver picks the split: Normal sends 60 percent to the front and 40 to the rear, Gravel runs an even 50:50, and Track shifts anywhere from 60:40 to a rear-biased 30:70 depending on how the car is being driven. Buyers who want all-wheel drive for weather rather than for track work will find the same security for far less money in something like the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek; the GR-FOUR hardware exists for a different job.
Trims and price
Three grades for 2025: Core, Premium, and the new Premium Plus. The Premium Plus is the one that collects the extras — a forged carbon fiber roof, head-up display, the sub-radiator, matte black wheels, and suede seats with red stitching. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard across all three. The published starting price is $38,860, with the $1,135 processing and handling fee on top, and Toyota notes prices are subject to change.
For a sense of how differently Toyota tunes its other turbo engines, our 2025 Tundra guide covers the twin-turbo V6 at the opposite end of the lineup.
Sources: Toyota USA Newsroom press release for the 2025 GR Corolla (output, torque increase, transmission, GR-FOUR modes, trims, pricing) and EPA fueleconomy.gov ratings, October 2026. Photos: HJUdall (CC0) and TTTNIS (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons.
