We love a shot of adrenaline. That’s what sports cars, sports coupes, and sports compacts are for. That extra concentrated shock of excitement that carves canyons and make long interstate runs more exciting.
In the world of sports compacts, only a few rule the car meet or the Tail of The Dragon. The new kid in town might be looked at sideways. Not this one.
Toyota’s Gazoo Racing North American arm made sure that the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla came to impress the crowd. That, while taking turns at the local motorsports venue or the nearby mountain road.
The hottest hatch from Toyota starts out as a Corolla Hatchback. The design itself is sharp with a bold front end utilizing a large mesh lower grille and “boomerang”-shaped LED lighting. The body flows from there with a series of curved shapes throughout the body ending with a bubbly rear end. 
The hatchback’s rear doors are a bit shorter than usual. Yet, the hatch opens high for access to cargo. In all, it is a very sporty Corolla, something we have not seen in decades.
The Toyota GR Corolla adds a specific bumper skin for more frontal cooling into the engine bay. That along with wheel arch extensions, rocker panels, multiple vents on the hood and front fenders, a larger hatch-mounted rear spoiler, and a rear diffuser with three exhaust ports. The Premium Plus trim adds a carbon fiber roof panel and a set of 18-inch black-finished alloy wheels.
You step into a cockpit that inspires you to tackle any road. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster offers plenty of information and can be switched over depending on the drive mode. You can switch out readings for each view. This is augmented by a wide head-up display. An eight-inch infotainment touchscreen sits on top of the center stack with familiar and new controls throughout. A new knob for the GR-Four drive system appears that dials in the balance of torque delivery of your choice.
Our Premium Plus seats is upholstered in a suede-like material, called Brin Maub with leather trim and red stitching. Racing-style seats up front are firm, but very supportive. However, rear seat room is tight for taller people, but you can fit four average sized adults inside easily. There is only 17.8 cubic feet available in the hatch area. Cargo expansion can be a bit challenging thanks to the exposed rear strut brace behind the rear seats. 
Every GR Corolla is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine. It features both direct and port fuel injection. With 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque on tap, it is capable of a top track speed of under 143 MPH. An eight-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels through a torque vectoring system.
Power delivery requires a bit of interaction with the throttle. There may be some lag from the turbo. Once you get going, it is quite fast. It can cruise competently, as well. We also observed a fuel economy average of 24.1 MPG in our care.
There is no question that the ride quality is firm. There is not a setting to adjust the dampers. But there is a bit of compliancy on smoother surfaces. Where it shines is in the handling. It corners precisely and sends a high level of torque over every curve.
The precise cornering comes from a “circuit-tuned” electric power steering system. It is truly a point-and-shoot system that is highly responsive at the wheel. On-center feel was fine, until you switch drive modes or turn on the adaptive cruise control toi add more weight. The large four-disc brakes stop with authority. Very direct inputs from the pedal enable solid stops in normal and panic situations. 
The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla is available in three trim levels with a choice of a six-speed manual transmission or the direct-shift automatic. Pricing starts from $39,160 Our Premium Plus tester came with a sticker price of $50,144.
Excitement is the game in the sports compact segment. The GR Corolla is not alone here. Other contenders include the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf, Subaru WRX, Honda Civic Type R and Acura Integra Type S.
When you are choosing your own fun-to-drive, track-ready sport compact, select one that satisfy you the most. That could be the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla, hang on to your flat-billed hat. This could be it for you.
