2025 Toyota GR Corolla GTS review – auto & manual (video)

There are hot hatches… and then there is Toyota’s mad science experiment known as the GR Corolla. This is not your aunty’s sensible Corolla that innocently gets them to church and back. This is the machine equivalent of a middle finger directed at everything you thought about the Corolla name.

The 2025 update builds upon an already exhilarating platform by adding more torque, more tech, and a new automatic gearbox for those who want hell-raising performance without working a clutch.

Developed by Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s performance offshoot, the GR Corolla is the bigger, brawnier sibling of the GR Yaris. It gets the same crazy turbocharged three-cylinder engine, now pushing an outrageous 221kW and 400Nm (up from 370Nm in the previous model), sent it to all four corners via Toyota’s rally-bred ‘GR-Four’ four-wheel drive system.

This is the hot hatch you buy if you want to blitz apexes, build your neck muscles from the turbo boost, and make car enthusiasts alike smile every time you park it nose-first at your local coffee shop. It’s loud, it’s wide, and it’s proudly unhinged. This is what we think after spending a week each with the auto and manual.

2025 Toyota GR Corolla GTS manual: Specifications

Engine: 1.6-litre turbo three-cylinder
Output: 221kW@6500rpm / 400Nm@3250-4600rpm
Gearbox: Six-speed manual
Drive type: Four-wheel drive
Wheels: F & R: 18×8.5, 235/40
ANCAP: Five stars
Kerb weight: 1490kg
Power-to-weight: 6.74:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 8.4L/100km
Our consumption: 9.2L/100km

Fuel tank/Fuel type: 50L/98 RON
Power efficiency: 26.30kW:L/100km
0-60km/h: 2.37 seconds*
0-100km/h: 5.06 seconds*
0-200km/h: 19.81 seconds*
60-110km/h: 3.38 seconds*
1/4 mile: 13.22 seconds at 173.0km/h*
Max acceleration: 1.332g*
100-0km/h braking: 37.12 in 2.89 seconds*
Max deceleration: -1.190g*
Starting price: $67,990

2025 Toyota GR Corolla GTS auto: Specifications

Engine: 1.6-litre turbo three-cylinder
Output: 221kW@6500rpm / 400Nm@3250-4600rpm
Gearbox: Eight-speed auto
Drive type: Four-wheel drive
Wheels: F & R: 18×8.5, 235/40
ANCAP: Five stars
Tare weight: 1510kg
Power-to-weight: 6.83:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 9.5L/100km
Our consumption: 9.2L/100km

Fuel tank/Fuel type: 50L/95 RON
Power efficiency: 23.26kW:L/100km
0-60km/h: 2.67 seconds*
0-100km/h: 5.38 seconds*
0-200km/h: 19.89 seconds*
60-110km/h: 3.54 seconds*
1/4 mile: 12.64 seconds at 168.2km/h*
Max acceleration: 0.793g*
100-0km/h braking: 38.26m in 3.04s*
Max deceleration: -1.258g*
Starting price: $70,490

*Figures as tested by Driving Enthusiast on the day. Manufacturers’ claims may be different

2025 Toyota GR Corolla GTS: How much does it cost?

The 2025 GR Corolla comes in just one flavour – the GTS. It’s priced from $67,990 for the six-speed manual, and $70,490 for the new eight-speed automatic (excluding on-roads). While that figure may induce a sharp intake of breath, especially when you associate this nameplate with what you once drove to school, this isn’t any ordinary hatch.

You’re paying for a Toyota-accredited special, built with real motorsport intentions. The auto version justifies its premium by adding safety features like all-speed adaptive cruise control and parking support brake with object and vehicle detection, making it a touch more daily-driver friendly.

But it is still pricey, comparatively. You can have the Hyundai i30 N starting from $50k, but it is front-wheel drive only, and produces less grunt, with 206kW/392Nm. Then there is the Subaru WRX that kicks off from $48k, but it only extracts 202kW/350Nm.

In terms of power, the Corolla GR sits in the middle of the Golf GTI and Golf R. And the R, with its 245kW/450Nm turbo, has the same $70k price tag. Higher up the performance and price scale, you also have the BMW M135 from $83k, and the Audi RS3 from $105k.

Turning to ongoing costs, the Corolla GR GTS comes with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. An additional two years coverage is offered on the engine and driveline if it is serviced as per the warranty and service schedule.

Servicing is required more often than most, at six months or 10,000km – whichever comes first. Toyota offers capped-price servicing, with the first six services costing $310, then $342.40, $735.14, $358.68, and $910.39 for the next four services. This price applies to both the auto and manual options.

2025 Toyota GR Corolla GTS: Interior & packaging

Starting with the interior, it’s still more or less a Corolla inside. Toyota’s has put some effort in to GR-up the cabin, but it feels more compact than the standard Corolla hatch does. Of course, this is a high-performance hatch and limited interior real estate is forgiven. This is mainly due to the chunkier sports seats in the front.

They are snug, bolstered like a rally seat should be, and come with heaters – a welcome nod to daily usability. Shoulder space is narrow and the dash protrudes in a way that makes you feel like it’s leaning into your personal space. Careful you don’t bump your knee into the pointy dash corner getting in like we did, numerous times. The centre console is low and lacks an armrest, meaning your elbow is unsupported. But let’s be honest, you’ll be too busy wrestling the wheel through corners to notice.

On the storage front, the cup holders are shallow, bottle holders in the doors are fussy about what they’ll accept, and there’s a noticeable lack of practical compartments for phones, keys or sunglasses. Adding to the frustration, there’s no grab handle toward the rear of the doors from the inside, meaning you are always grabbing it at the end with the least leverage.

Rear passengers are likely to grumble too, with no face-pointing climate vents and tight space all around. And the boot is predictably small. With just 213L on offer, it’s enough for a couple of gym bags.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, however, is a standout. It’s sharp, intuitive, and fully customisable, allowing you to select from a range of telemetry and performance data depending on your mood. You get three main zones, each displaying exactly what you want; G-force, turbo boost, lap timers, gear position – take your pick.

The 8.0-inch infotainment screen, while not large by today’s standards, makes up for it with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto support, plus crisp graphics and minimal lag.

That said, the whole cabin has a raw, motorsport-lite vibe. Alcantara touches, GR badging, glossy black accents – it’s enough to remind you that it’s not your grandma’s Corolla.

Under ‘Toyota Safety Sense’ both the auto and manual transmission score a suite of features to help keep you safe. It includes lane departure alert with steering assist, pre-collision safety with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, intersection turn assist, emergency steering assist, speed sign display, auto high beam, and blind-spot monitors. But they miss out on side door exit warning, rearward crash avoidance with braking, and 360-degree cameras.

Other highlights with the GR GTS include telematic services, an 8-speaker JBL sound system, sat-nav, a wireless phone charger, head-up display, dual-zone climate, 18-inch alloys, a carbon fibre roof, triple exhaust tailpipes, GR red brake calipers, and leather accented seats wrapped in Brin Naub suede with silver stitching. Notably, only the auto scores all-speed adaptive cruise control. The manual only gets standard cruise.

In terms of external appearance, the Corolla has certainly been to the gym. You are drawn to the crisp LED lighting, huge front guards and grille, extra air gills all round, and puffed out wheel arches giving it a broader stance. These all provide functional purposes and give the hatch a definitive muscular character.

2025 Toyota GR Corolla GTS: Powertrain & handling

Here’s where the GR Corolla goes from interesting to unhinged. At the heart of the beast is a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine that is so potent it makes most four-bangers look underdone. With 221kW and 400Nm, this thing has more thrust than a base Porsche Cayman, and it’s delivered in a frenzied burst that keeps you glued to the wheel.

The max torque band has been widened for 2025 (3250-4600rpm), meaning it pulls harder and earlier – a gift in both traffic and tight corners. But giving it all and climbing the rev range gets your heart racing, especially where peak power comes in at the roaring tune of 6500rpm.

Choose the six-speed manual and you get a raw, mechanical connection to the car. Although, shifts are on the clunky, heavy side, as is typical of performance AWD setups. But it’s worth it – especially when combined with ‘iMT’ rev-matching, which makes your downshifts smoother and more aggressive, even if you’re not a heel-toe wizard.

Opt for the new eight-speed automatic and you’re not getting a soft, family-friendly experience. This is a proper performance gearbox, calibrated to deliver sharp shifts, fast kick-downs, and hold gears through corners. It works in track-focussed cooling and that adaptive cruise control, making it a compelling alternative to the manual.

The all-important 0-100km/h figure for the manual  is officially 5.3 seconds. Our testing resulted in 5.06 seconds. Then the auto doesn’t have a claimed time in Australia, but we tested it with a Vbox in 5.38 seconds. To give you some indication on where the GR GTS plots on the hot hatch scale, the Golf GTI officially clocks 5.9 seconds with its 195kW, and the i30 N auto also clocks 5.3 seconds with its 206kW.

Underneath, Toyota’s GR-Four AWD system is a marvel, offering various drive modes; Normal, Sport, Custom, Eco, and even a full-blown Track mode. These aren’t placebo modes – they actively tweak torque split, throttle response, and even muffler loudness. Track mode locks it into a 50/50 front-to-rear split for maximum aggression. Sport sends more torque rearward for hoon-approved antics. There’s even a gravel mode if you feel like reliving your Colin McRae fantasies.

Handling is surgically precise. This is a car that lives for corners. Body roll is minimal, grip is immense, and steering feel is communicative – not artificial. It dances across apexes with a lightness that opposes its AWD hardware. Yes, the ride is firm, but not as firm as some of the rivals. This is liveable for everyday commuting so long as the road isn’t filled with potholes and repairs.

You don’t buy this car for fuel economy. With a tiny 43-litre tank and thirst levels that rival V8s when driven hard, expect refuelling every 400km or thereabouts. It also requires nothing less than 98 RON petrol. It’s the cost of doing business with performance like this. Officially, the manual uses 8.4L/100km and 9.5L/100km in the auto. But our average was the same in both, at around 9.2L/100km.

2025 Toyota GR Corolla GTS: Key attractions/reasons to buy

• Bonkers power from a three-cylinder: Nothing else like it on sale. It’s light, and fast. Toyota found its mojo. Thank you, Akio.
• True driver engagement: Especially with the manual’s mechanical feel and iMT downshifts.
• GR-Four AWD system is genuinely dynamic: With multiple torque-split modes to choose from, they noticeably change the car’s behaviour.
• Tough, rally-inspired styling: Flared arches, triple exhaust outlets, carbon roof, contrasting glossy black areas, and an overall aggressive stance unmistakably sets it apart from most rivals.
• Toyota reassurance: Despite its rally-car performance, it comes from a familiar brand with unmatched experience in building products that prop its reputation for reliability. Resale is likely to be good as well.

2025 Toyota GR Corolla GTS: Key considerations before you buy

• Cabin space: The latest Corolla cabin is tight in general, with limited storage, shallow cup holders, minimal rear seat space, and a small 213L boot. But you are unlikely to be buying this car type for these attributes.
• Transmission choices: Manual gearbox is absolutely more engaging, but it can feel heavy and clunky in daily stop/start traffic. The auto burns more fuel, but picks up adaptive cruise. Hard choice. Not that it’s a bad thing we guess.
• Fuel consumption: It’s thirsty when pushed hard, and fuel range is limited due to a small 43-litre tank.
• Price: At over $70K for the auto, it’s expensive – you’ve got to be really passionate about your hot hatches and performance to buy one.