Toyota Corolla

Corolla’s back – and it still packs plenty of punch

The return of the grandest old name in the Toyota stable is something to cheer, says Andrew Walker

When the Toyota Auris replaced the Corolla in the UK 12 years ago, many thought that that signalled the end of the line for the world’s best-selling car by name.

However, when Toyota recently launched its latest family hatchback, it sensibly went back to the Corolla name, binning the Auris to history. It’s a worthy flagcarrier for that name, too: a big improvement over the departing Auris and a car that should appeal to fleet customers who want a petrol car that actually does offer true 50mpg motoring. Thanks to the hybrid technology, the latest Corolla’s biggest plus is that it will save you money and in this day and age, you can’t say fairer than that.

The Corolla is offered with a choice of three powertrains, including a non-hybrid, 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol version, as well as a range of trim levels. There are three body styles, with the five-door hatch we tested joined by an estate and a hybrid-only saloon. The likely best seller as far as power units are concerned is likely to be the 1.8-litre 120bhp hybrid that we tested on our Excel hatch. Above this sits the more powerful 2.0 litre 177bhp and at the bottom, the aforementioned 1.2 petrol non-hybrid.

UK options for trim levels starts with the Icon and comes with 16” alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated front seats, Adaptive Cruise Control, Toyota Touch 2 multimedia integration infotainment screen, reversing camera and on the hybrid only, dual-zone air conditioning.

Next up is the Icon Tech, which adds SatNav and front and rear parking sensors. Design comes next and offers 17” alloys, auto folding power-adjustable side mirrors, rear privacy glass and LED front fog lights. Our Excel takes things up a notch with front sports seats, a Heads Up Display, coloured TFT information display and 18” alloys.

The 1.8-litre hybrid Icon costs from £24,485 with our Excel setting buyers back £28,300. Recent changes have increased the BIK on Corolla to 28%, so if you select an Icon model, you’ll pay from £139 a month in company car tax.

The new Corolla has been built on the same platform as the Prius and CH-R, which is a good thing, because it handles particularly well. It’s been designed in a similar vein too, with lots of angles both at the back and front. The front features slim wrap-around headlights which merge into the Toyota logo at the centre of the bonnet. The rear hatch is a bulbous affair, with two axe-shaped rear light clusters making the Corolla really stand out.

The cabin is a big improvement in quality over the old Auris. All the knobs and buttons feel well made and of better quality than you’d find in Toyotas of old. The plastic surfaces, even on the door pockets, front of glove box and centre binnacle by your feet, have been finished to a very high standard and are a real match for the Ford Focus. The red stitched leather upholstered finish to the dash is a nice touch as well.

The 8” infotainment screen is logically located in the centre of the dash and underneath this, sit the climate controls.The automatic gear lever is in the usual spot between the front seats, in front of which are the driving options buttons where you make your choice from Sport, Normal or Eco.

Continued on page 20

“If your car is used for the daily commute, the auto box makes driving very easy and I can’t think of a better family hatch to commute in...”

Continued from page 18

Alongside this is the EV mode button. Excel also features an electronic handbrake with hill hold assist.

Directly in front of the driver sits the 4.2” TFT multi-informaton display, with the rev counter on the left and speedo to the right. In-between these are the fuel and engine temperature gauges and trip info. The steering wheel buttons allow hands-free access to the phone, media, volume and voice control functions, with the adaptive cruise control and lane departure buttons located to the right.

There’s a single USB and 12v sockets inside the centre sliding armrest. Underneath this is a storage box. There’s a small cubby large enough for your mobile in front of the gear lever and in comparison with many competitors, an impressive glove box .The centre binnacle features two drinks holders.

Toyota’s designers have designed the dashboard and doors to float towards the driver, and it looks good. However, this is a little bit of style over substance as it means the front door pockets are hard to reach. Similarly, in the rear there is only a single bottle holder in each door, with no storage space at all. The rear does have a fold down armrest with two drinks holders.

Front seat passengers get decent head and legroom. Those in the rear will suffer slightly from the Corolla’s sloping roof, which does reduce headroom, although legroom is fine. The centre rear seat is raised slightly, so as with pretty many C Sector cars, there’s even less room when you sit there. The driver will also find that the steering wheel adjustment is not as good as on rivals, and that the Corolla seat adjustment is fiddly.

The 1.8 hybrid engine has been designed to be both frugal and easy to drive and this is what it does well. In town or in traffic, the CVT auto box is great and the cabin is nice and quiet as you drive around. It’s a different story on the open road though, where the CVT gearbox does what it always does, suck any fun out of the drive. However hard you push the throttle, the CVT box takes an age to respond and this is despite the revs shooting up. Driving on B-roads can be frustrating as a result. Conversely, at motorway speeds it cruises perfectly happily in almost total silence. Top speed is 112mph and 0-62mph takes 10.9 seconds.

Our test driving week took us on a myriad of roads around North Cheshire and South Manchester and we found that in the main, the Corolla really is a relaxing car to drive. Better still, if you’re looking to save money on fuel, the combined WLTP economy is an impressive 55-66 mpg, with CO2 at just 76-90g/km, which are both much better for company car drivers than the 1.0-litre petrol engine in both the VW Golf or Ford Focus. When we tested both of these we struggled to better 38mpg, while our 300+ miles in the Corolla saw us average 50.8mpg, so its figures back the claims up.

An overnight stop in a hotel before a press launch gave me a chance to pack the boot. It comfortably coped with my small suitcase and suit holder but in reality, the boot capacity isn’t that impressive, with 361 litres available in the 1.8. It’s also worth pointing out that if you select the 2.0 Corolla it has even less – just 313 litres – because its 12V battery has to go under the boot floor.

On winding country roads, the Toyota New Global Architecture-based (TNGA) chassis is actually pretty good fun and coupled with the Corolla’s low centre of gravity, makes for happy progress. From a comfort perspective, the ride in the Corolla sits right between the harder Golf set-up and softer Focus. The CVT gear box performs better in the smaller Corolla than in some of the larger, heavier Lexus models that also offer a CVT box. If this sounds like damming by faint praise, you’d be wrong. If your car is used for the daily commute, the auto box makes driving very easy and I can’t think of a better family hatch to commute in.

Toyota has improved the on-board tech and it now comes with AppleCar Play and Android Auto. Despite this, it still feels a little dated compared to what is offered by some of the competition. The main issue is the interface is slow to respond. You do get DAB radio and connecting your phone via Bluetooth is both quick and easy. We tried out Toyota’s in house SatNav but as with every manufacturer’s own offering, it’s just not as good as Google Maps.

In conclusion, the Corolla hybrid makes an awful lot of sense for company car drivers. Compared to the 1.0-litre petrol engines offered by Ford and VW, the 1.8 in the Corolla will save you money at the pumps with 50mpg nailed on without breaking a sweat. It’s also very well built, comes packed with safety features and stands out from the crowd. It’s only let down by the dated interface and some questionable storage options and flexibility in the cab.

While the sector-leading Golf and Focus are better to drive, don’t write the Corolla off. If you want a hybrid family car that takes the hassle out of driving, then at the moment, it’s as good as it gets.

CC&V VERDICT

The Corolla hybrid makes an awful lot of sense for company car drivers. It’s very well built, reliable as hell and comes packed with safety features. If you want a hybrid family car that takes the hassle out of driving, then it’s really worth your time.

CC&V RATING:

N N N N