While other brands have scrambled to devise and introduce novel hybrid concepts to meet emissions targets, Toyota has been sitting comfortably. It has gradually refined its hybrid system – which is still fundamentally a development of the planetary CVT concept introduced on the original Toyota Prius in 1997 – and made it suitable for more and more models.
The latest refinement benefits the Toyota Corolla, particularly the 1.8 Hybrid. With 120bhp and an 11.1sec 0-62mph time in Touring Sports estate form, its performance has always been on the leisurely side of adequate. So for 2023, it’s getting an 18bhp boost to 138bhp, for a 0-62mph sprint of 9.2sec.
The point of the exercise is not so much to make the entry-level Corolla (the previous entry-level 1.2-litre petrol was offered for only a short time) a fast car, but more to improve drivability. In other words, reduce the typical CVT behaviour of indirect throttle response and soaring revs.
The Corolla 2.0-litre hybrid model has had a few tweaks, too. It has gained 6bhp, cutting its 0-62mph time to 7.5sec and reducing its CO2 output by 3g/km to 107g/km. It also swaps its older-style nickel-metal-hydride drive battery for a lithium ion one, like the 1.8.
Toyota let us drive the current version and a late prototype of the updated 1.8 hybrid back to back. There was no opportunity to try the 2.0-litre, but then important changes are to the 1.8 anyway.
Initial impressions of the revised 1.8 are that the drivetrain doesn’t feel markedly different. However, Toyota has also recalibrated the drive modes. Where Eco mode used to feel quite sluggish, in the updated car it makes better use of the increased potency of the electric motor and waits for longer before it has the engine working hard. That makes the car feel more relaxed without noticeably compromising performance.
When you ask for more performance, it’s unmistakably still a CVT, but a pretty good one. At anything less than full throttle, the gearbox will build in some shift points and avoid holding maximum revs wherever possible. It helps that the 1.8 engine is a refined one, so when it pipes up, it’s not grating. Economy remains impressive: at the end of our test route, the car was indicating 57.7mpg.
What might be just as valuable in daily usage as the increased performance are the improvements to the brakes. On the outgoing car, it was almost impossible to come to a stop perfectly smoothly, but the pedal is now more progressive and allows clean limo-drive stops.
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i think the CO2 you have for the 2.0 is incorrect
I see the 'FROM' price at the top of every Autocar item is still thousands off the mark.
The 'FROM' price of £20,354 is actually £27,635 for the current model - not this refreshed model.
So, as all mild refreshes provide a perfect excuse for car makers to push up the price of their cars by thousands these days, expect Autocar's 'FROM' price to be at least £10,000 short of the real price when this model hits the showrooms.
For an estate that boot doesn't look much bigger than an average hatchback, which is surely the main reason for buying one
The picture is deceiving. Ots around 600 litres, similar to my Mk7 Golf estate
Looked at one of these but the boot was too small. Bought a Focus Estate which has a boot that's 200mm wider, longer and I've just got 60+mpg out of a car that's actually interesting to drive....