Juniper
UMW Toyota launched the GR Corolla automatic in January 2026, some three years after the introduction of the manual GR Corolla. Complete with a boost in maximum torque from 370Nm to 400Nm. Here are my observations of the GR Corolla 8 A/T versus the manual 6-speed version. Both powered by the same 1.6-litre turbo, similar 300 PS, identical GR-Four permanent all-wheel drive. However, these two GR Corollas deliver quite a different driving experience.
Undoubtedly, the 8-speed automatic is the easier car to drive fast. In traffic, it offers easy convenience: no clutch work, no constant shifting – just step on the accelerator pedal and go. When you hit a twisty road, the quick gear changes let you concentrate on braking, steering and smoothly putting power on the road. There is even a set of paddle shifters should you want to manually downshift a gear or two. Also a SPORT mode to keep the engine and turbo boost on the boil. It is fast, efficient and remarkably easy to exploit.
Jumping into the 6-speed manual GR Corolla, the car feels more mechanical in contrast. Step on the clutch, physically row into gear, blip the throttle using iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission) and feel the next gear engage. It takes more effort but that’s exactly the point – exercising your left Soleus (calf) muscle! With the manual, you get more communication with the drivetrain. Good or poor shifting, every
gear change becomes central to the driving experience.
Yet, the automatic is probably the one I would choose if I wanted a GR Corolla which is easier to live with, on a daily basis. More so in congested city traffic. But if you’re buying a GR Corolla because you love the mechanical, guttural side of driving, the manual gives you something the automatic simply can’t completely replicate.
One makes fast driving a breeze. The other makes driving feel more special, in an old school manner. Thankfully, UMW Toyota Malaysia still gives us the choice: at RM369k for the manual transmission GR Corolla and RM379k for the automatic version, both sporty and exhilarating GR Corollas.
Kuala Lumpur-based Dr. Long See Pin is a certified car enthusiast who has previously spent some two decades testing and writing about new cars. He is currently motoring correspondent at Juniper’s Journal, MotoAuto.com and can be found online @drlongspcars on Insta, FB, YouTube and TikTok.
He is also on the judging panel of the Malaysia Car of the Year (COTY) 2026.
As a medical doctor, he specialises in skin, wellness, anti-ageing & aesthetics
@drlongdermatology
@drlongskinclinic.com
