Since its debut in 2020, the Toyota GR Yaris has been nothing short of a cult hero! A compact hatchback infused with rally DNA, developed by Gazoo Racing and loved for its uncompromising character, a real driver’s car! For 2025, Toyota has thoroughly refreshed the GR Yaris. Not only under the skin, but also in terms of usability. Because for the first time, alongside the familiar six-speed manual, there’s an eight-speed automatic transmission available. A bold move: can an automatic truly do justice to such a pure driver’s car? Or did Toyota kill the Yaris GR?

Three cylinders, big character

Under the hood sits the “now legendary” 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbo engine. It might sound modest on paper, but this unit is an engineering marvel. For 2025, it has been refined and pushed to 280 hp and 390 Nm of torque, making it one of the most powerful three-cylinders ever built. Just let the numbers sink in: 0-100 km/h in around 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h in a car the size of a shoe.

The automatic matches the manual for outright performance. That’s telling: you don’t give up a single tenth in acceleration or top speed. What you do gain is consistency. While the manual depends on our driver's skill, the automatic fires through the gears at exactly the right moment, every time.

The new transmission: Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic

This eight-speed automatic isn’t an ordinary unit. Toyota calls it the Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic Transmission. It’s a torque-converter setup tuned specifically for sharp, fast shifts. In standard driving modes, it changes gears smoothly and unobtrusively — perfect for city driving and traffic jams. Switch into Sport or Track and the personality flips. The gearbox holds higher revs, reacts aggressively to throttle inputs and bangs through the gears with urgency. In manual mode, using the large shift paddles, the car feels extremely direct and mechanical.

The big takeaway? You no longer need to choose between raw driving pleasure and everyday usability. You get both.

Driving experience: rally for the road

The essence of the GR Yaris is still its chassis. The compact body sits on a reinforced platform developed specifically for this model. Combined with the GR-FOUR all-wheel-drive system, it makes for a car that feels like a rally machine — but one you can drive legally on the road.

The AWD system adjusts torque distribution depending on the mode. In Normal, it’s 60/40, in Sport it shifts to 30/70 for a more rear-biased feel and in Track it locks into 50/50 for maximum balance. The result is a phenomenal grip and a playful yet controllable character.

Steering is sharp and communicative. Suspension is firm but not punishing. The car constantly challenges you on to push harder. Unlike many hot hatches that shine only in straight-line speed, the GR Yaris lives for corners. The low body weight of 1.280 kg (remember it has Four Wheel Drive) and the small dimensions (less than 4 meters in length and only 1.8 meters widthwise) help to get the most out of the car and make you feel like a driving hero.

A driver-focused cockpit

The cabin has also been updated. Where the first version felt somewhat bare, the 2025 model is more modern and driver-centric. The dashboard is angled towards the driver, materials feel sturdier, and the layout is purposeful. But don’t think for a minute that you can call the car lush or extravagant.

The automatic variant features larger paddles and a revised shifter. The sports seats offer excellent lateral support without sacrificing comfort. A digital display provides real-time information on revs, turbo pressure, and AWD distribution — exactly the kind of data enthusiasts crave.

Of course, the GR Yaris is still a small hatchback: rear passenger space is tight up to non-existent and the trunk -around 170 liters- is limited. This isn’t a practical family car — but that’s hardly the point.

Automatic vs manual

Retard vs logic. In the manual, the car has more engagement, more involvement, the purist’s choice. Selecting each gear yourself, balancing clutch and throttle — it feels raw and authentic.

But we have tested the automatic, the retard. It has more comfort, more convenience, and greater consistency. Ideal for daily driving or urban commutes, without sacrificing the performance you desire.

In outright speed, the difference is negligible. The choice comes down to emotion and usage.

Verdict

I have been hard on the Toyota Yaris Gr with automatic gearbox, calling it a retard. It was an absolute blast driving this little pocket rocket and the car can easily get in my top 3 for this year or even the all-time favorite top 3. The 2025 automatic GR Yaris is far from a watered-down version of the manual. In fact, it’s a fully fledged hot hatch that combines the same raw performance and razor-sharp chassis with a big dose of everyday usability.

For purists, the manual will always hold the crown. But for drivers who want to use the GR Yaris as their daily car — one that breezes through traffic on weekdays and transforms into a rally beast at the weekend — the automatic might just be the sweet spot.

The GR Yaris remains unique: a compact hatchback with the heart of a rally car. And now, it’s available even to those who prefer to let the car handle the shifting.

2025 Toyota Yaris GR automatic, a retard?