Skip advert
Advertisement

‘Hybrid-only Toyota Corolla shows the market is shifting towards electrification’

Deputy editor John McIlroy thinks more and more people in the UK are now willing to give electrified vehicles a try

Opinion - Toyota Corolla

It may be a name from the past as far as UK buyers are concerned, but the reborn Toyota Corolla has every chance of looking bang up to date when it lands in British showrooms next spring.

The Corolla is Toyota’s best crack at a proper Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf rival for a generation – and not just because the Japanese manufacturer has at last delivered the sort of decent chassis that family car buyers demand. The fact that it’s built in Britain isn’t the key factor, either.

Advertisement - Article continues below

• New Toyota Corolla prototype review

No, the Corolla feels like the right car at the right time because, while there is technically a 1.2-litre pure-petrol version available in some other markets, UK Toyota dealers won’t be stocking it or selling it – officially. The new model’s line-up is exclusively electrified, therefore, and mainly based on a 1.8-litre hybrid powertrain that has a lot in common with that in the Prius and C-HR.

However, the scale of Toyota’s ambition (and opportunity) with the Corolla is really demonstrated by the new 177bhp 2.0-litre hybrid that we’ve tried this week. Prices and specs mean that it may not ultimately prove to be the pick of the range, but the fact that it has been created at all, specifically for European customers who may consider switching from a 150bhp-odd turbo petrol or even a 2.0 diesel, shows Toyota’s engineers are well tuned to the way the new-car market is shifting.

Will this all-hybrid hatch succeed where its predecessors failed? There’s no doubt that Toyota’s hybrid powertrain still requires a different driving technique. But the ever-increasing number of people looking for reviews of electrified vehicles on our website – and our recently launched sister site DrivingElectric.com – suggests more potential customers than ever are willing to give it a try.

Click here for our list of the top 10 hybrid cars currently on sale...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Editor-at-large

John started journalism reporting on motorsport – specifically rallying, which he had followed avidly since he was a boy. After a stint as editor of weekly motorsport bible Autosport, he moved across to testing road cars. He’s now been reviewing cars and writing news stories about them for almost 20 years.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best hybrid cars on sale 2025
Best hybrid cars header

Best hybrid cars on sale 2025

With more hybrid cars on the market than ever before, these are the best ones to buy
Best cars & vans
3 Feb 2025
Best automatic cars to buy 2025
Best automatic cars

Best automatic cars to buy 2025

Today’s best automatic cars are slick-shifting, relaxing and in some cases, brilliant fun. We’ve listed our favourites below
Best cars & vans
18 Dec 2024
Best used hatchbacks to buy now
Best used hatchbacks - header image

Best used hatchbacks to buy now

Hatchbacks offer great practicality, low running costs and comfort – these are the best used hatchbacks on the market
Best cars & vans
21 Nov 2024
Most reliable family cars to buy 2024
Most reliable family cars - header image

Most reliable family cars to buy 2024

These are the most reliable family cars you can buy, according to our Driver Power survey
Best cars & vans
10 Jul 2024

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price
Ford Capri - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price

Rebooted Seventies classic is now an electric SUV for a low monthly outlay. It’s our Deal of the Day for 5 February
News
5 Feb 2025
Car Deal of the Day: sleek ‘n’ sporty Mazda 3 hatch at just £173 a month
Mazda 3 front corner tracking

Car Deal of the Day: sleek ‘n’ sporty Mazda 3 hatch at just £173 a month

Mazda’s high-quality family hatch might cost less than you expect with low initial payment and monthly fee
News
2 Feb 2025
Electric company car megatest: Tesla, BMW, Polestar, Hyundai and BYD head-to-head
Electric company car megatest - header

Electric company car megatest: Tesla, BMW, Polestar, Hyundai and BYD head-to-head

Drivers are spoiled for choice in the flourishing EV company car market, but which of our six rivals does the business?
Car group tests
3 Feb 2025

Find a car with the experts