COMPACT FAMILY CAR OFFERS EFFICIENCY AND GREAT VALUE
Nobody buys a Corolla Hybrid to carry mountain bikes — that's what CUVS and Subarus are for.
Long hampered by battery packs that devoured precious trunk space, hybrid sedans were for reducing emissions and gasoline costs, for going farther on a single tank of fuel without fretting about the range of a battery-only car. Utility always took a back seat to efficiency.
The 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid we're steering on this bright and colourful autumn day is, however, carrying two mountain bikes and backpacks. Swallowed through the trunk's opening and protruding into the cabin via folded 60/40-split folding rear seats, the bikes didn't require Cirque du Soleil acts of contortion to fit them inside, such was the size of the opening of the Corolla Hybrid's 323-litre trunk, only slightly smaller than the gas-powered models.
Because the recyclable nickel-metal hydride battery now sits under the rear seat, there is no real loss of cargo space with this hybrid, although even more capability could be gained if Toyota opted for a trunk lid that uses gas shocks instead of those low-hanging arms that hinge into the trunk cavity. Yes, the front wheels of both bikes had to be removed, and the Corolla Hybrid isn't really designed for the outdoorsy set. But the bike experiment reveals how surprisingly easy it is to carry stuff in a Corolla Hybrid — a first in the Corolla's long model lineage, which is now in its 12th generation.
Riding on a new platform that is 60 per cent stiffer than the previous generation, the front-wheel drive Corolla Hybrid drives something like its Prius sibling, having adopted its 1.8-L, four-cylinder engine and two generator motors that work together to deliver a combined output of 121 horsepower, delivered through a CVT.
While the car can be noisy at highway speeds, in part because of the tires, the transition between full-electric mode (which can be sustained for short bursts even at about 80 km/ h) and the combination of electric and gas is almost seamless, lacking any shudder, vibration or much noise. Sometimes the only way of knowing the change has occurred is by watching the tachometer fall to zero or seeing the EV light come on.
The brakes on the Corolla Hybrid did occasionally feel touchy as they recouped kinetic energy, like most hybrids, but when used gently at slower speeds the brakes felt normal. Under heavy braking, the brakes can bite too hastily, though they can still be modulated through the pedal. The “B” driving mode increases the regenerative braking, acting almost like a downshift of the CVT, working to keep the battery topped up.
Of course, because the Corolla Hybrid isn't a plug-in hybrid, it doesn't qualify for a government rebate, but that may not matter all that much. A $24,990 sticker is an agreeable price of entry for a reliable hybrid that should have good resale value, and the long-term fuel savings will add up.
While it should be possible to easily achieve something better than the already impressive 4.2 L/100 kilometres we averaged over the course of a week of combined driving, the range on that single tank approached 1,000 km, so the monthly fuel cost won't be much with today's price of gasoline. We managed to achieve lower than the official rating of 4.5 L/100 km, even though “Power mode” was engaged the whole time. There is also an Eco mode, but it felt lethargic. EV mode, for electric-only operation when the
battery is topped up, allows up to two kilometres of electric-only driving, but you have to drive super slow ( below 30 km/ h) and not step on the gas too much or it will disengage, so it's not very useful. An EV range closer to 10 or 20 km that can run at a little higher speed would be far more beneficial.
The cost difference between the Hybrid and a similarly equipped, gas-only Corolla makes the Hybrid even more attractive. The gas-powered L costs $20,790 and the LE $21,790, which gets close to the $24,990 Hybrid. Our tester came with automatic climate control and push-button start, but also the $2,000 premium package that added leatherette seats that feel like real leather, plus heat
ed front and rear seats, wireless charging, ambient lighting and — wait for it — a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel. In a Corolla! In Canada, that alone is worth the $2,000.
Of course, like most Toyotas, a full suite of active safety gear comes standard, including a pre-collision system, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist and automatic high beams, and now blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.
A backup camera is also standard, displayed across an eightinch colour touch screen that would definitely benefit from an improved graphic display.