In a recent article naming the Best Hybrid Cars of 2019, What Car? put the New Toyota Corolla at the top of the list, saying it was the best hybrid you can buy right now, and “the most tempting proposition to try hybrid motoring we’ve yet found.”
Our Autocar road test team were particularly impressed by the new Corolla’s brand-new self-charging 2.0-litre hybrid engine, which – combined with Toyota’s new TNGA chassis platform – creates a more engaging and fun driving experience.
In our four-star review, we said: “it’s not overselling the car to describe it as a pacy-feeling drive”, adding that “keener drivers will likely appreciate the outright performance”.
That’s why we took 15 of our readers to a special event, in order to get their impressions. We wanted to see what they made of the new Corolla’s smooth and seamless hybrid performance, and if it exceeds their expectations of driving a hybrid.
To find out more, head to toyota.co.uk/corolla/
More hybrid; more electric; more fun
The new Toyota Corolla marks the return of an iconic name to Toyota’s model line-up. With an all-new design on a freshly engineered chassis platform, it’s far more than just a replacement for the Auris. It’s a hatchback game-changer in its own right.
The new Corolla is available with a 116hp 1.2-litre petrol engine on selected models and trims, but the stars of the range are two self-charging hybrids – a 122hp 1.8-litre hybrid, and an all-new 180hp 2.0-litre hybrid that is not only more powerful, but also more engaging to drive.
Toyota has spent over 20 years perfecting its self-charging hybrid technology, and the new Corolla is the ultimate expression of that ongoing refinement – even easier-to-use, smoother, more effortless and even more efficient.
The new Corolla’s hybrid automatically blends electric and petrol power, while also recharging itself under braking. That means it never needs to be plugged in, making it a great way to get the benefit of improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, without the hassle of home charging or finding a charging point on the move.
In fact, the new Corolla hybrid is so clever and efficient that Toyota reckons that 50 percent of most short everyday journeys are done in zero-emissions, ultra-quiet all-electric mode.
More efficiency, or more power
The 122hp 1.8-litre self-charging hybrid is a fourth-generation design that builds on everything you’d expect from Toyota’s advanced hybrid engineering – smooth, blissfully quiet and seamlessly responsive performance, now with further improved efficiency of up to 62.77mpg (combined, WLTP) and CO2 emissions as low as 76g/km (NEDC).
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