Toyota GR Corolla: Where does it rank among remaining hot hatch options?

Performance car fans have been dealt a difficult hand in 2025.

Thanks to global emissions regulations, the affordable performance car is a former shadow of its once-great self. Performance car options under $100,000 are becoming rarer, with many brands simply not playing in the space any longer.

Thankfully there are still some options available such as the Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai i20 N and i30 Ns, Volkswagen Golf GTI and R and Subaru WRX. Plus, two options from a brand more renowned for middle-of-the-road, mass appeal cars: Toyota.

The GR Yaris went on sale in 2020 and was joined by its larger GR Corolla sibling in 2022. Both have just had big upgrades, including a new automatic transmission option, so how does the GR Corolla automatic measure up in the world of performance cars?

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Price and equipment

The Toyota GR Corolla is offered in one spec in Australia: the GTS, which is priced from $67,990 plus on-road costs for the manual and $70,490 +ORC for the automatic. That makes it $7,500 more expensive than the smaller and less practical GR Yaris and priced similarly to other hot hatches such as the $70,990 +ORC Golf R.

GR Corolla standard features

• 18-inch Enkei alloy wheels with Yokohama Advan Apex tyres
• Dusk-sensing automatic LED exterior lighting
• Intermittent manual wipers
• Rear privacy glass
• Carbon fibre roof
• Keyless entry with push button start
• Heated and auto-folding mirrors
• Synthetic leather steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake
• Leather and suede upholstery
• Heated front seats and steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• 12.3-inch digital driver’s display
• 8.0-inch touchscreen
• Satellite navigation with live traffic
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto
• AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio
• Wireless phone charger
• 2x USB-C ports
• 8-speaker JBL sound system
• Head-up display
• Normal, eco, sport and track driving modes
• AWD power split setting select dial: 60:40, 30:70 or 50:50
• SOS emergency call, automatic collision notification and vehicle insights through the myToyota
• Connect smartphone app
• 12 month access to stolen vehicle tracking, status connect, remote connect and multimedia connect through the myToyota Connect smartphone app

GR Corolla safety features:

• 7x airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection assistance
• Adaptive cruise control (high-speed)
• Lane keeping assistance with lane departure warning
• Adaptive lane guidance
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• Auto high beam
• Speed sign recognition
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring

GR Corolla automatic adds:

• Paddle shifters
• Automatic low speed braking (forward and reverse)
• All-speed adaptive cruise control
• 12 month access to remote air-conditioning through the myToyota smartphone app

Interior, practicality and bootspace

The interior of the GR Corolla is much like the standard Corolla: good quality, well featured and comfortable, though it’s hardly the most practical car in the world. While the plastics used aren’t premium, there is more than enough soft touch trims throughout the cabin. The suede and synthetic leather upholstery is appropriately sporty as well, and the sports seats are quite supportive and comfortable, though electric adjustment would be a good addition.

Cabin practicality is not the GR Corolla’s strongest point, it must be said. There are small door pockets, a tray with a wireless phone charger located underneath the dashboard – beware of accidentally activating the heated seats when using it – and some shallow cupholders in the centre console. But thanks to the manual handbrake in the GR, the regular Corolla’s central armrest with covered storage no longer features – instead, it’s just a big open tray, with no covered storage.

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The small 8.0-inch touchscreen in the centre of the cabin is well featured with wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio and sat-nav with live traffic. It’s bright and quick, though the menus could be easier to use – for example, the sound settings are buried in the audio menu and not in the settings page. The eight-speaker JBL sound system also leaves a lot to be desired for aural quality, while the digital driver’s display could also be easier to use.

The rear seat of the GR Corolla is, like the front, not the most practical space but it is comfortable and at least it has rear doors, unlike the GR Yaris. Two six-foot adults will fit fine with just enough leg- and headroom, while the map pockets, and bottle holders in both the doors and central arm rest will cover their storage requirements. However, the air vents in the Corolla ZR don’t feature thanks to the aforementioned manual handbrake removing the centre console, though there is a USB-C port and 12V socket now available to rear passengers.

The boot of the GR Corolla measures just 213 litres with the seats up and 503 litres with them folded, and the boot floor is quite high thanks to the rear differential and battery located underneath. There’s also no spare wheel, but the seats do fold completely flat.

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Performance and fuel economy

The GR Corolla uses Toyota’s ‘G16E-GTS’ 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine that debuted in the GR Yaris, though now it makes even more grunt: 221kW of power and 400Nm of torque, which is some way off the 235kW Civic Type R and 245kW/420Nm Golf R, though they both have more capacity. Previously, the GR Corolla was only available with a six-speed manual but with its recent update, Toyota added a new eight-speed torque converter automatic as an option.

Toyota claims that the auto will use 9.5L/100km of fuel, with claimed CO2 emissions of 215g/km – in our testing with urban, highway and spirited driving, we used 10.6L/100km. Its 50-litre tank must be filled with 98RON premium unleaded.

On the road

When it comes to the driving experience, the Toyota GR Corolla is outshone in some ways by its rivals: the GR Yaris is ultimately more thrilling thanks to its smaller size, the Civic Type R is more focused and the Golf R is more comfortable for everyday use. But the GR Corolla is still an excellent car to drive, with more than ample performance, driver engagement and – thanks to subtle suspension changes in the update – more comfort than before.

As before, the GR Corolla’s chassis is fabulous, with a darty and planted feel. And while the steering isn’t the last word in feel, it’s well weighted and direct. Like the suspension, the all-wheel drive system has also seen changes – the 60:40 front rear split in normal mode continues as before, but the previous sport (30:70) mode has been changed to gravel (50:50) and track (previously 50:50) is now a variable set up where between 40 and 70 per cent of torque can be sent rearwards at any one time.

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While it doesn’t punch quite as strongly as its main rivals, the GR Corolla’s engine is still a great unit that goes hard and sounds great too, with a meaty three-cylinder roar throughout the rev range. The peak 400Nm of torque hits at 3250rpm, while the 221kW of power then kicks in at 6500rpm, at which point you’re well and truly moving. Toyota doesn’t quote a 0-100km/h time, but we’ve seen overseas reports of a 5.2-second run for the automatic, which feels about right from the driver’s seat.

The new eight-speed automatic transmission has also added appeal to the GR Corolla, and more than just for those who can’t (or won’t) drive a manual. The auto has made it quicker thanks to its eight ratios that are spaced closer together than the six manual gears, while it feels even more like a rally car thanks to the paddle shifters. The transmission isn’t DSG fast and it can shunt a bit at lower speeds when it’s not yet warmed up, but it’s still quicker than expected for an in-house torque converter ‘box, and it’ll even rev to the limiter without shifting up in manual mode.

In its new track mode, you can feel the torque being variably split, making the GR Corolla feel more than sufficiently rear-biased sometimes and really helping it exit corners quickly. The 356mm four-piston front and 297mm two-piston rear brakes are impressively strong, even from higher-speed braking. On the track, the combination of the GR Corolla’s punchy engine, short ratios of the automatic, strong brakes, grippy tyres, fluid track mode and limited-slip front and rear differentials make it an absolute riot. Yet even on the road in a less focused driving mode, it’s still great fun, and thanks to the revised suspension, it’s more compliant and comfortable than before as well.

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Service and warranty

The GR Corolla is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty with extended coverage for up to another two years for the drivetrain if serviced at a Toyota dealership. Roadside assistance is available at an extra fee of $99 annually or $139 annually for roadside assistance ‘plus’.

The GR Corolla must be serviced every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first, and five years/100,000km of servicing costs an expensive $4206 ($841 per year).

Verdict: Should I buy a Toyota GR Corolla automatic?

Ultimately, while there are many less hot hatch options than there used to be, the Toyota GR Corolla provides a great option for those who want one. Certain rivals do some things better – the Civic Type R is faster and more focused, the Golf R is more comfortable day to day and its GR Yaris sibling is more involving. The GR Corolla is also expensive to buy and service, nor very practical, and it’s missing features such as automatic wipers and covered storage.

But the GR Corolla is still among the best hot hatches made this century thanks to its driver involvement, lovely dynamics, punchy three-cylinder engine and genuine everyday driver ability.

Plus, the new automatic transmission option has opened it up to more buyers, and more of these tenacious hot hatches on our roads is only a good thing. Those wanting a sub-$100,000 performance car be rest assured: Toyota isn’t resting on its laurels to deliver you one.

GR Corolla automatic rivals

Volkswagen Golf R

Subaru WRX tS

BMW M135

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Specs