Toyota Corolla Hybrid 2016 Review

Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Road Test

Just when the rest of automotive industry appears to be leaving Toyota behind in the hybrid stakes, with the latest Prius proving a let-down, the Corolla Hybrid rocks along and makes amends.

The Corolla is one of the world's top-selling cars and now Toyota has crammed the petrol-electric hybrid innards of the Prius into the popular hatchback, the result of which is far more palatable to the eye… and the wallet.

Priced at a smidge under $27,000, it costs $8000 less than a Prius and, despite its place in Toyota's hybrid hierarchy, it's still got plenty of fruit as standard.

Dual-zone climate-control will please cold-blooded passengers and auto-levelling LED headlights provide plenty of illumination at night. The remote entry and engine start mean you can leave the car keys in your pocket or handbag at all times and lock or unlock the car by touching the door-handles, which is a great convenience.

Sat-nav is also standard but like Ozzy Osbourne it's not particularly pretty or easy to understand. That said, the 4.2-inch touch-screen infotainment system works well, the six-speaker stereo likewise, and the reversing camera is frequently helpful.

Bluetooth pairing was hassle-free but the lack of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility is an oversight, and continues to be on Toyota vehicles.

The 17-inch alloy wheels look OK and safety features such as seven airbags, electronic stability control and anti-lock braking make you feel less anxious when it's wet and dark on the freeway and you're surrounded by weaving motorists playing Pokemon Go.

The cabin is a nice place to be, with ample room for four adults – five at a pinch – and the great thing about this hybrid is that boot space (360 litres) hasn't been cannibalised by the battery, which is located under the rear seats instead. The rear seats also fold down for more room and there's top-tether and ISOFIX child seat points too.

Cloth upholstered seats and mundane plastics don't look or feel particularly flash but should be hard wearing in typical Toyota fashion.

Unlike the Prius, apart from the hybrid badges on the car's rump and flanks, the only clue that this ain't your garden-variety small car is the stumpy gear knob and revised dashboard, which has a more sophisticated (but less practical) design.

Incidental storage is pretty good with bottle holders in the door pockets and cup-holders near the park brake between front passengers. The glovebox and centre console also give you options to store odds and sods.

In the hustle-bustle of urban commuter traffic, the Corolla is easy to drive. Just point it and shoot like a conventional car. Ride comfort is excellent, the car's supple suspension gliding over rough roads and even cobblestone laneways with impressive poise.

If you put a high value on comfort, this Corolla is for you and a combined 100kW output will only disappoint if you're trading in a WRX STI.

The automatic (CVT) transmission fulfils its function by modulating the car's petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, all the driver need do is choose normal, power or eco modes.

We left the car in eco mode for the majority of this 10-day test, on which it returned an impressive fuel economy figure of just 5.0L/100km (claimed is 4.1L/100km). Such efficiency means you can travel 900km on one tiny (45-litre) tank of fuel.

The hybrid system comprises a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine hooked up to a small electric motor, fed by a nickel-metal hydride battery that charges from regenerative braking and petrol power.

When driving, you can call up energy distribution flow maps on the car's central infotainment and trip computer screens, which shows whether you're driving on pure petrol, pure electricity or both.

Punting along on pure electricity is possible, but the battery pack is so small and electric motor so weak you can cover maybe one kilometre before the petrol engine spins up to recharge the battery and provide propulsion simultaneously.

That means its electric-only capability is still no better than the Mk4 Pruis, which itself doesn't better its predecessor in this regard, but makes it the only small-car – apart from Nissan's $40K LEAF EV – that can make a silent getaway from your garage.

But while the Corolla Hybrid is probably the most compelling hybrid vehicle Toyota Australia offers today, it's been left behind by competitors that offer more range and response. Driving away from standstill in pure electric mode requires Zen-like patience and the super-slow acceleration usually angers other motorists.

We managed to coax the car up to 60km/h in electric mode but it was fleeting and if there's any sort of incline, forget it – the petrol engine starts up and fuel economy efficiency takes a hit.

That said, while Toyota's hybrid tech development has slowed, its full parallel petrol-electric system is undeniably effective. It works best around town and in slow stop-start traffic, but the electric motor provides a boost to the petrol engine at highway speeds too, even if the CVT auto sometimes sounds like it struggles to keep up.

Toyota offers its normal three-year, 100,000km warranty on the car to protect against major faults (eight years for the battery pack) and its capped-price servicing plan won't break the bank, which is impressive for a complex hybrid car. It costs $140 every six months or 10,000km to service for the first three years.

Despite the feeble electric propulsion system, the Corolla Hybrid represents good value for money. This neat and tidy hatchback is feature-packed, can be very fuel efficient and, unlike its Prius cousin, doesn't look like a bag of smashed crabs.

Price: $26,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid
Output: 73kW/142Nm (+60kW electric)
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 5.0L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 96g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Audi A3 etron (from $62,490 plus ORCs)
>> Lexus CT200h (from $37,990 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Prius (from $34,990 plus ORCs)