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The Toyota GR Corolla’s third year on the market may well bring a few notable upgrades and options for the hot hatch, as purported information sent to dealers making the rounds on owner forums indicates that Toyota will add an eight-speed automatic transmission option for the upcoming 2025 model year. That may not be all, either, as all models will reportedly receive a torque bump to 295 lb-ft, up from 272 lb-ft in the existing, non-Morizo models.
These headline changes arrive to use via a user over at the GR Corolla Forum, who shared a screenshot of a document listing new equipment for model year 2025 cars in Canada, supposedly lifted from a verified owners group on Facebook. It leads with “new 8-speed automatic transmission added,” as well as the aforemetioned “peak engine torque increase,” a “revised front bumper design,” and a “new sub-radiator” on Premium-grade cars intended to help keep the engine cool during full-throttle driving. The sub-radiator was a recent addition for the GR Yaris as well, and likely necessitated that hatch’s larger air intakes, too.
Meanwhile, another post corroborates these reports and contributes additional supposed tweaks for 2025, pertaining to color and trim options. It seems Blue Flame, the hue introduced for ’24 Circuit Edition vehicles, is gone for now. But that new automatic would obviously be the draw for a certain subset of interested buyers, and go hand-in-hand with Toyota’s stated intent to offer a more performant automatic for its enthusiast offerings. The 8-speed looks to be only available on the mid-level Premium spec, skipping the base Core which should remain manual-only.
This would be the “Direct Automatic Transmission” we’ve heard so much about over the last few years, that recently made its way to the GR Yaris. It adds just 40 pounds to that hot hatch’s curb weight, and touts “world-class gear-shifting speeds” through the use of clever software and a clutch made of “highly heat-resistant friction material.” Nobody at The Drive has sampled it yet, though it seems we may have our chance in the not-too-distant future.
Better yet, the torque bump shouldn’t discriminate between owners looking to row their own gears, or let the car do the heavy lifting. On the surface, you’d assume that future GR Corollas will merely receive the same equipment and tuning that gave the super-limited Morizo Edition its 295 lb-ft, but we don’t yet precisely know how Toyota is achieving the new target. As someone who dailies a 2024 model with just 272 lb-ft, I’m not mad, I promise.
In all seriousness, this is all great news if it’s indeed legitimate. Whether you personally would opt for the auto or not, more choice is never a bad thing, especially when cars like the GR Corolla are as rare as they are. The Drive has reached out to Toyota for comment on these reports, and while we wouldn’t advise holding your breath for confirmation on rumors of any kind from a major automaker, we’ll update this story in the outside chance we hear back anything of note.
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