In-depth reviews

Toyota Corolla - Engines, performance and drive

The Toyota Corolla has an impressive chassis, but its hybrid powertrain isn’t the most exciting

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

Engines, performance and drive Rating

4.0 out of 5

Find your Toyota Corolla
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Advertisement

We might not be getting the full-fat GR Corolla in the UK, but despite its ‘self-charging’ hybrid powertrain and CVT automatic gearbox, the Toyota Corolla is a sportier car than you might think, and updated model rides and handles as well as Toyota’s family hatchback ever has in its standard guises.

The TNGA underpinnings feel sophisticated, as it allows for a great balance between ride comfort and body control. The steering is precise and well weighted, with the Toyota turning into corners well and providing reassuring grip.

The updated Corolla feels more refined, too. There’s not as much of the droning you used to get from older CVTs, and although it hasn’t been completely eradicated, the benefit is quieter cruising. Toyota has also made some tweaks so the throttle response is much more direct now. Acceleration on the whole is brisk enough.

At low speed, silent EV mode makes for relaxing progress – refinement is such that when the petrol engine does kick in, it’s fairly unobtrusive when trundling around town. If you spend the majority of your time on congested streets, the Corolla will prove very easy to live with. 

The electric side of the Corolla’s powertrain was reworked as part of the car’s update in 2022, with the old battery replaced by a redesigned, lighter lithium-ion unit that’s more energy dense, meaning it weighs 14 per cent less yet delivers 14 per cent more power. It supplies an electric motor that offers more torque, thus creating the fifth-generation of Toyota’s hybrid technology.

0-62mph acceleration and top speed

The total power from the 1.8-litre hybrid powertrain is 138bhp; enough for 0-62mph time in 9.1 seconds. If you go for the 2.0-litre hybrid, total power output rises to 193bhp, which shaves half a second from the Corolla’s 0-62mph time, cutting it down to 7.4 seconds. 

When the engine is worked really hard, it’s still accompanied by a loud drone, because the CVT transmission causes the revs to rise at a rate that doesn’t match the road speed. However, the extra electrical energy that came with the facelift means that happens less frequently than before. Plus once you're done accelerating and up to speed, some software tweaks allow the engine to run at lower revs at a cruise, making the updated Corolla a quieter long-distance companion than pre-update models. 

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.2T VVT-i Icon 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £20,354

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.2T VVT-i Icon 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £20,354

Fastest

  • Name
    1.2T VVT-i Icon 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £20,354
News reporter

As our news reporter, Ellis is responsible for covering everything new and exciting in the motoring world, from quirky quadricycles to luxury MPVs. He was previously the content editor on DrivingElectric.com and won the Newspress Automotive Journalist Rising Star award in 2022.

Most Popular

New Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2024 review: big estate with value boost
Jaguar XF Sportbrake - front tracking
Road tests

New Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2024 review: big estate with value boost

Jaguar's XF Sportbrake may be 8 years old but it just got a whole lot cheaper!
7 Dec 2023
New Nissan Qashqai to get radical look and all-electric power
Nissan Qashqai exclusive image - front
News

New Nissan Qashqai to get radical look and all-electric power

Major investment in Nissan’s Sunderland plant underpins the new fourth-generation Qashqai
8 Dec 2023
Polestar 4 awarded Car Design of the Year by Car Design News
Polestar 4 - front studio
News

Polestar 4 awarded Car Design of the Year by Car Design News

Car design’s most auspicious peer-awarded prize goes to Polestar 4, while Dacia Manifesto wins Concept Design of the Year
7 Dec 2023