We put Toyota's new and improved 2025 GR Corolla 5-door hatch to the test at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. These 10 updates make it even better.

The 2025 GR Corolla tempts enthusiast ire with a new automatic gearbox option, but Toyota won't let stick shift zealots set the agenda.

Toyota once offered the GR Corolla with a six-speed manual transmission. To attract a broader range of buyers, the automaker is introducing a fast-shifting eight-speed automatic and adding more standard handling upgrades to this hot hatch.

The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla enters its third model year on sale equipped with various small improvements and a major one: an optional automatic transmission. Whereas the 2023 and 2024 models were only available with a six-speed manual,

Strategic tweaks and a new automatic transmission mean a sharper drive with wider appeal, but the GR Corolla's fundamental charms haven’t changed.

Toyota added an optional eight-speed automatic to its GR Corolla hot hatch for 2025, though the automaker expects that just 22 percent of consumers will choose the $2,000 option.

The latest Toyota GR Corolla is packed with updates aimed at enhancing performance, including suspension improvements, better cooling, and even a new transmission option. However, the core of what makes the GR Corolla great remains unchanged—the simple formula of a six-speed manual transmission.