Toyota Corolla
MODEL TESTED: Corolla 1.8 Hybrid GR Sport PRICE: £33,005 POWERTRAIN: 1.8-litre 4cyl hybrid petrol, 138bhp
WE don’t get the fire-breathing GR Corolla in the UK, but for most buyers the GR Sport trim tested here will make more sense as an everyday drive. It features a sporty bodykit, but is otherwise mechanically identical to the rest of the range. With a 1.8-litre hybrid powertrain, it’s priced at £33,005.
Tech highlights
WHILE there’s not much new to see from the outside, Toyota has made some fairly significant technical changes under the skin of the Corolla. The Japanese brand has always been at the forefront of hybrid technology, and its latest know-how has been applied to both the 1.8 and 2.0-litre hybrid powertrains.
A new power-control unit reduces electrical losses and is quieter than before, while the battery is physically smaller and 14-per cent lighter, but its capacity has increased by 14 per cent. The transaxle is both more compact and lighter, but the electric motor it houses produces more power, too. Revised throttle mapping makes the car feel more ‘natural’ to drive. The result for the 1.8-litre hybrid is a total output of 138bhp – a 16bhp increase over before.
SAFETY: EURO NCAP hasn’t retested the Corolla since it has been revised, so it still carries a five-star rating from 2019. Toyota says it has improved the car’s various assistance systems, though; a new front camera covers a wider field of view, and the forward-facing radar is also better at detecting obstacles than before.
Revised software for the detection systems allows it to recognise a greater variety of potential hazards than before, too. This has various benefits across the board, but one example is that the adaptive cruise control can see other vehicles sooner and thus adjust the car’s speed more smoothly.
On road
THE current 12th-generation Corolla has always been pretty competent from behind the wheel, but the improvements to the hybrid system have turned what was just an efficient powertrain into one that’s more pleasing to drive.
AROUND TOWN: More power from the electric motor means that the Corolla feels livelier in EV mode, and the enlarged battery allows it to go for longer without the engine cutting in.
Both aspects mean that it’s even easier and smoother to drive at low speeds than before. The one exception is the adaptive brake regeneration, which changes the level of deceleration based on road and traffic conditions. We found its unpredictable nature hard to get along with.
A & B-ROADS: Toyota hasn’t adjusted the chassis set-up in the mid-life updates, but then, not much needed to change, because the Corolla delivers a very positive blend of a comfortable ride and enjoyable handling. The car’s balance is neutral but adjustable, turn-in is keen, and the steering itself is precise, if just a little on the light side.
MOTORWAY: The extra power of the 1.8-litre engine drops the 0-62mph time from 10.5 seconds to
9. 2 seconds. It means that getting up to motorway speeds is a quicker process than before.
When the engine is worked really hard, it’s still accompanied by a loud drone, because the e-CVT transmission causes the revs to rise at a rate that doesn’t match the road speed, but the extra electrical energy means that happens less frequently than before. Once up to speed, the software tweaks allow the engine to run at lower revs at a cruise, so this Corolla is a quieter longdistance companion than pre-update models.
“Toyota hasn’t adjusted the chassis set-up, but then, not much needed to change”