Corolla returns with a point to prove

One of the oldest names in motoring is back, carrying with it heritage and expectation, writes Matt Allan

“No more boring cars”. So decreed Mr Toyoda, boss of Toyota.

That might explain why the brand’s family hatchback has ditched the Auris name - a byword for dull - and gone back to Corolla.

The Corolla name has been around for 53 years. It’s the world’s best selling car and has built up a strong reputation as a solid, reliable family car.

This Corolla, though, is a new chapter, say Toyota. It brings new hybrid technology and a more exciting feel, with different variants for different buyers.

To that end, Corolla comes in three bodystyles.

Expected best seller is the five-door hatchback, aimed at youthful urban couples. It’s the most striking looking and its sharp styling set it apart from the bland Auris.

The Sports Touring (estate) with its 598-litre boot is aimed at families who need a commuter car that can swallow the trappings of an active lifestyle ,and the Sedan reintroduces a saloon shape to Toyota’s Csegment line-up.

Refinement is one of the main things that strikes you about all three. The saloon is the quietest and the tourer is noticeably noisier but all three offer the quiet, soothing drive that you’d expect in a class above.

Part of the brief for Corolla was to make it fun to drive. Compared with the Ford Focus the Corolla is still behind but it’s perfectly reassuring on difficult roads while being easy to thread around town.

Ninety per cent of Corollas are expected to be hybrids and the Corolla come with a choice of setups. 1.8-litre and a 2.0-litre petrols are paired with a 53W electric motor to produce 120bhp and 180bhp respectively. While the 1.8 offers combined economy of up to 65.9mpg and emission of 83g/km, the 2.0-litre manages 60.6mpg and 89g/km while being three seconds quicker to 62mph.

The 2.0-litre has noticeably more vim than the smaller setup. It takes a moment or two to wind up but once it does there’s enough pull for most driving. The 1.8 feels more staid but for many drivers it will be perfectly adequate.

Whichever engine is fitted, there’s very little noise and the intelligent drive system slips seamlessly between pure EV, hybrid and all-petrol modes.

The interior is the most impressive in a Toyota since the radical CH-R. The Corolla’s isn’t out-there like the CH-R but it has been well thought out without being fussy and the materials and layout are a significant step up.

All Corollas get full LED headlights; alloy wheels; heated seats; dual zone climate control; a reversing camera and Toyota Safety Sense, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and pedestrian and cyclist detection. Only basic Icon doesn’t get an eight-inch touchscreen.

Prices start at £21,300 for the sole 1.2 petrol option, with a 1.8 hybrid Icon costing £23,750. A top-of-the-range 2.0-litre touring sports Excel is £30,340.

The Corolla still won’t set the world alight but it is a significantly more interesting, better looking, better driving car than the Auris. Its only problem is that so are the Ford Focus, Kia Ceed and VW Golf.