The highest-selling Toyota Corolla has been tweaked each in and out for 2023.
Highlights embrace a extra highly effective petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, up to date expertise, and a few beauty modifications.
The mid-spec 2023 Corolla SX Hybrid Hatch on check right here will be distinguished by the brand new 16-inch wheels it shares with the entry-level Ascent Sport, in addition to the LED entrance fog lights and privateness glass.
The Corolla has been Australia’s top-selling passenger car for 10 years and competes in opposition to the likes of the Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato, Mazda 3, and Volkswagen Golf.
The small SUV section can be heating up, placing the Corolla in opposition to rivals such because the associated Toyota Corolla Cross, in addition to the GWM Haval Jolion, Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Kona, and MG ZS searching for economy-minded motoring.
Certain the Corolla could also be a top-seller, however is it nonetheless convincing in 2023 with this mid-life replace?
How a lot does the Toyota Corolla Hatch SX Hybrid price?
The Toyota Corolla SX is the mid-spec variant within the vary. In hybrid hatch type it’s $34,280 earlier than on-road prices, which is $2500 dearer than the non-hybrid.
Our tester was completed in Sunstone Orange metallic paint, which is new for 2023 and prices an extra $575, bringing the entire to $34,855 earlier than on-road prices.
It’s at present priced at $39,251 drive-away for Victorian consumers (every state has barely totally different taxes).
There aren’t many hybrid rivals to the Corolla SX Hybrid in the identical bracket.
Two of its closest rivals could be the GWM Haval Jolion Extremely Hybrid and Honda HR-V e:HEV L, that are each an SUVs and are at present priced at $39,990 drive-away and $47,000 drive-away, respectively.
Inside Toyota are plenty of options together with the Corolla Cross GX 2WD Hybrid ($35,500), Yaris Cross City 2WD Hybrid ($35,840), and Camry Ascent Hybrid ($34,990).
Should you’re not determined for a hybrid, the Corolla additionally competes in opposition to a diminishing variety of small passenger autos priced equally.
These embrace the Mazda 3 G20e Evolve M Hybrid ($33,340), Hyundai i30 N Line DCT ($32,220), Kia Cerato Sport+ ($31,440), and Volkswagen Golf 110TSI ($35,190).
2023 Toyota Corolla pricing:
- Corolla Ascent Sport hatch: $28,630
- Corolla Ascent Sport sedan: $28,630
- Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid hatch: $31,130
- Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid sedan: $31,680
- Corolla SX hatch: $31,780
- Corolla SX sedan: $31,780
- Corolla SX Hybrid hatch: $34,280
- Corolla SX Hybrid sedan: $34,280
- Corolla ZR hatch: $35,620
- Corolla ZR sedan: $37,120
- Corolla ZR Hybrid hatch: $38,120
- Corolla ZR Hybrid sedan: $39,620
All costs exclude on-road prices
What’s the Toyota Corolla Hatch SX Hybrid like on the within?
The inside of the Toyota Corolla has traditionally been considered as largely purposeful, but possibly just a little appliance-like.
The up to date Corolla SX Hybrid on check right here brightens issues up within the a few of the most-needed areas, regardless of its darkish color palette.
The material seats are inoffensive by way of design and have some funky-looking inserts, together with hexagonal parts on the seat again and base.
The entrance seats have a sporty look and are manually adjustable. They’re very snug to take a seat in, though the motive force’s seat might do with a bit extra lumbar help to make it excellent. The wheel is nice to carry with its synthetic leather-based trim, and the buttons are logically positioned with a pleasant, tactile click on.
Forward of the motive force is a brand new 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster that’s largely darkish and has one primary format consisting a round cost/eco/energy dial that mimics a rev counter. It undoubtedly appears to be like prefer it could possibly be changed with a bodily dial at first look.
I primarily had the cluster on the ‘Power Monitor’ web page the place it exhibits the workings of the hybrid system. It’s very attention-grabbing to look at how quickly the high-voltage battery can cost with on a regular basis driving in city areas.
The digital instrument cluster has plenty of different pages, together with Eco Rating, EV Ratio, radar cruise, gas financial system, and a compass. You may select between three designs for the cluster, known as Informal’, ‘Good’, and ‘Sporty’.
Transferring throughout to the centre of the sprint, the brand new 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system is a large enchancment to thanks partially to its high-resolution show. It’s technically the identical dimension because the pre-update mannequin, however it’s an enormous step up by way of high quality.
The show does have massive black bezels and a quantity knob on the fallacious aspect (for right-hand drive) although, with the bodily scorching key buttons getting the axe.
The system itself packs a good quantity of processing energy, which suggests pages load rapidly and also you don’t have to attend lengthy for it to fireplace up when the automotive’s switched on.
There are fresh-looking layouts which are clearly impressed by the newest Lexus system, although navigating via them with the beeping suggestions that comes with each display screen press can get annoying. Fortunately you may swap this off.
The SX receives satellite tv for pc navigation as normal, which appears to be like and feels up-to-date. It’s extraordinarily simple to seek for places and factors of curiosity.
One new characteristic each single 2023 mannequin yr Corolla receives is wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It appears to be like fairly sharp on the brand new display screen, and I didn’t expertise any main points or dropouts all through my time with the automotive.
There’s additionally a wi-fi telephone charger that truly labored with my iPhone 12 Professional Max. It’s positioned in a handy spot on the entrance of the centre tunnel with a raised border to maintain your telephone in place.
Should you don’t wish to use wi-fi Apple CarPlay or Android Auto you can too plug your telephone into one of many new USB-C ports. There’s one within the centre console and one other hidden on the dashboard close to the wi-fi telephone charger.
Beneath the touchscreen are bodily local weather management buttons and dials which are unchanged from the pre-update mannequin. To the left of the motive force’s knee is a synthetic leather-wrapped gear selector, in addition to buttons for the ‘EV Mode’, traction management, and drive modes.
This specific part of the centre tunnel is roofed in piano black which obtained actually dusty and smudgy over the week we had the automotive. It even had scratches though the automotive was nearly brand-new.
Fortunately, the centre console is roofed in largely mushy plastics, moreover the pesky piano black, however you don’t have look far to seek out some tougher plastics – though the entrance armrests really feel spongy and comfy for any journey.
The cabin as a complete feels fairly darkish and virtually claustrophobic at occasions because of every part being 50 shades of black. This isn’t helped by the black headlining.
There’s a brand new auto-dimming rear-view mirror as a part of the 2023 mannequin yr replace that works as meant and bodily shakes whenever you pump the six-speaker sound system.
Transferring to the second row you begin to really feel such as you shouldn’t be there as a result of there are not any air vents or USB ports.
At a leggy 182cm I needed to splay my legs both aspect of the seat in entrance to get settled. I had simply sufficient headroom, in addition to just a little little bit of toe room.
I undoubtedly couldn’t journey within the again for longer journeys, although the rear bench seat itself is completely sufficient, plus the door armrest and fold-down centre armrest are properly padded.
It’s protected to say the again seat needs to be reserved for teenagers, though I’d like to see somebody attempt to put a rear-facing child seat in and attempt to sit snug within the seat in entrance.
There are three headrests and three seatbelts on the bench, although I wouldn’t advocate going over two passengers within the again in any other case issues will begin to get very squishy.
The boot measures in at a tiny 217L due partially to the high-voltage battery and area saver spare tyre.
The boot itself is just a little awkwardly formed with my work backpack unable to take a seat upright with out lifting the parcel shelf. There are deep areas on either side for free objects although.
One neat characteristic within the boot is the parcel shelf has a loop in it to assist maintain the false ground up so you may entry the spare tyre. That is very useful for these of you who’ve skilled altering a tyre.
What’s below the bonnet?
The up to date hybrid vary is powered by an upgraded petrol-electric hybrid system consisting of a 1.8-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine, an “enhanced” entrance axle-mounted electrical drive motor, a brand new high-output motor generator, a revised energy management unit, and a downsized hybrid transaxle.
Complete system output is 103kW, which is 13kW greater than the pre-update model. Toyota doesn’t quote a mixed torque determine.
Corolla Hybrid variants now obtain a lithium-ion battery, which replaces the outdated nickel metallic hydride unit. This new battery is claimed to cut back weight by 14 per cent, in addition to improve each enter and output energy.
Drive is shipped completely to the entrance wheels via a continuously-variable transmission (CVT).
Claimed mixed gas financial system for the Corolla Hybrid hatch is 4.0L/100km, and through our time with our Corolla SX Hybrid hatch tester we noticed that actual common gas consumption determine over 500km of freeway and metropolis driving.
All Corolla Hybrid variants include a 43L gas tank and will be fuelled with a minimal of 91 RON common unleaded petrol.
How does the Toyota Corolla Hatch SX Hybrid drive?
Turning on the Toyota Corolla Hybrid with a push of its vivid blue begin button is intriguing each time since you count on there to be a surge from its petrol engine, however for essentially the most half there isn’t.
What you get as an alternative is a refined beep and that’s it. The automotive is on and able to go.
There are a number of exceptions to this rule as I did expertise the petrol engine switching on at startup when it was actually chilly and when the high-voltage battery was largely depleted.
Even when the automotive did this the petrol engine wasn’t obnoxiously loud, however it did throw off the zen-like feeling of electrical car (EV) silence.
When you get shifting you begin to realise the Corolla Hybrid is a little bit of a silent operator, particularly at low speeds.
From 0-40km/h you’ll be maintaining with (or pulling forward of) virtually all of the site visitors on the lights. It does the vast majority of this on electrical energy solely. That is thanks partially to the “enhanced” entrance axle-mounted electrical motor for the 2023 replace, in addition to the brand new lithium-ion battery pack.
Should you do push the accelerator tougher or have the automotive in “Energy Mode”, the petrol engine surges to life and help the electrical motor. This is usually a bit intrusive at occasions as a result of the petrol engine likes to rev fairly arduous when electrical energy dwindles.
Even with its comparatively small high-voltage battery pack in comparison with plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and full EVs, the Corolla Hybrid likes to maintain its petrol-electric hybrid powertrain in EV mode in city driving situations as a lot as potential.
There’s a devoted “EV Mode” that locks the Corolla Hybrid into utilizing its electrical motor solely. This may be simply overridden by urgent the accelerator barely too arduous, or travelling too quick.
Throughout one journey into the workplace in unhealthy site visitors I used the electrical motor for 82 per cent of the 45-minute journey. It was like a recreation making an attempt to maintain the automotive utilizing electric-only energy and to attain the very best potential “Eco Rating”. I used to be in a position to obtain this ratio by leveraging regenerative braking as a lot as potential.
The Corolla Hybrid doesn’t have a one-pedal braking operate and as an alternative has a small quantity of regenerative braking factored in whenever you take your foot off the accelerator, and much more whenever you begin to apply the brakes.
For essentially the most half the regenerative braking feels pure, although there have been occasions the place it was obvious the bodily brakes bit just a little too arduous when coming to an entire cease.
The regenerative braking additionally negates that annoying CVT pace creeping you typically get when travelling down a hill.
The Corolla Hybrid does have a braking or “B” operate that may be activated by shifting the gear selector down one notch from “D”. This operate is to assist the automotive decelerate faster, however I discovered it simply switched the petrol engine on and made it rev so it might engine brake.
When you get the Corolla Hybrid on the freeway and away from the town, the hybrid system isn’t fairly as useful. It’s clearly geared extra in the direction of city driving however can nonetheless do the odd rural stint with no fuss by any means.
At greater speeds the petrol engine is on continuously to maintain the automotive going, and the electrical motor helps out because the petrol engine’s revs down. It undoubtedly doesn’t really feel as fast because it does from standstill, with 80-100km/h taking a good whereas.
No matter the place you’re driving although you’ll even be getting improbable gas financial system.
All through my 500km of testing on totally different city and rural journeys I used to be in a position to get the Corolla Hybrid’s gas consumption as little as 3.1L/100km and no greater than 5.1L/100km.
As famous earlier, I averaged round 4.0L/100km over 500km of driving. Utilizing this common gas financial system as a information you will get roughly 1000km on a tank.
Toyota has performed a fantastic job dialling within the suspension tune for the Corolla Hybrid, because it strikes a pleasant steadiness between feeling compliant and managed over all of the lumps and bumps of each city and rural driving.
That is helped by the comparatively small 16-inch alloy wheels with chubby tyres that may assist take in the imperfections.
Regardless of being heavier than petrol-only fashions because of its high-voltage battery, the Corolla Hybrid nonetheless manages to really feel full of life on the street. It feels extraordinarily nimble and virtually encourages you to drive faster.
At greater speeds this interprets to feeling planted, predicable, and controllable. When you’re at freeway speeds the Corolla Hybrid feels prefer it might keep there eternally.
The adaptive cruise management system within the Corolla Hybrid for essentially the most half works properly. For 2023 the cruise management can now apply the brakes whenever you’re travelling too quick to maintain you at your set pace. Beforehand the automotive would go over the set cruise management and play an annoying chime to let you know to decelerate.
The radar cruise system likes to brake early which will be each useful and irritating when navigating peak-hour site visitors.
Lastly, the lane-keeping and emergency steering assists work fairly properly. There have been solely a few occasions the automotive obtained a bit confused the place the lane markings had been and tried to steer me within the fallacious path.
What do you get?
Corolla SX hatch highlights:
- 16-inch alloy wheels
- Short-term spare wheel
- Automated LED headlights
- Automated high-beam
- LED daytime operating lights
- LED tail lights
- LED entrance fog lamps
- LED rear fog lamp
- Rain-sensing window wipers
- Auto-retracting door mirrors
- Heated door mirrors
- Privateness glass
- 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
- Wired Android Auto
- DAB+ digital radio
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- 6-speaker sound system
- Wi-fi telephone charger
- 2 x USB-C ports
- Twin-zone local weather management
- Keyless entry
- Push-button begin
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
- Leatherette-wrapped gear lever
- Paddle shifters (excludes hybrid)
- Electrical park brake
- Cloth upholstery
- Toyota Linked Companies with Distant Join (12 months)
The Corolla SX Sedan receives single-zone local weather management as an alternative of dual-zone local weather management.
Corolla ZR hatch provides:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- ‘Excessive-grade’ LED headlights
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- Head-up show
- 8-speaker JBL sound system
- Inside ambient lighting
- Leather-based accented and pretend suede upholstery
- Heated entrance sport seats
- 8-way energy adjustable driver’s seat
- Driver’s seat lumbar help
The Corolla ZR sedan receives a nine-speaker JBL sound system as an alternative, in addition to leatherette upholstery.
Is the Toyota Corolla Hatch SX Hybrid protected?
The Toyota Corolla has a five-star ANCAP security ranking based mostly on testing carried out in 2018.
It obtained scores of 96 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 83 per cent for youngster occupant safety, 86 per cent for weak street person safety, and 76 per cent for security help.
Normal security options for the hatch vary embrace:
- Seven airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian detection
- Bike owner detection
- Motorbike detection
- Junction help
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Protected exit help
- Rear cross-traffic alert (elective on Ascent Sport)
- Lane Hint Help
- Lane departure warning
- Emergency steering help
- Emergency Driving Cease System
- Pace signal recognition
- Adaptive cruise management
- Reversing digicam
- Entrance, rear parking sensors (elective on Ascent Sport)
- Seatbelt warning
The Corolla Sedan vary doesn’t have any parking sensors, plus blind-spot monitoring with protected exit help and rear cross-traffic alert are elective on the Ascent Sport and Ascent Sport Hybrid.
How a lot does the Toyota Corolla Hatch SX Hybrid price to run?
The Corolla Hybrid, like all Toyota fashions, is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee that may be prolonged one other two years when you service throughout the Toyota seller community.
The high-voltage lithium-ion battery can be lined by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee that may be prolonged to 10 years when you service throughout the Toyota seller community and have the annual hybrid well being checks.
Logbook servicing is required each 12 months or 15,000km, with the primary 5 providers capped at $245 every. This equates to $1225 over 5 years.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Toyota Corolla Hatch SX Hybrid
The Toyota Corolla is a superb automotive – it’s no marvel it has been the top-selling passenger automotive for 10 years operating.
Toyota has performed a very good job sprucing up the Corolla each in and out with the 2023 model-year replace. The brand new infotainment system was desperately wanted.
Regardless of all of the positives, the Corolla Hatch’s second row continues to be cramped with barely any facilities, and the boot is genuinely small. It’s wonderful for only one or two individuals.
The Corolla SX Hybrid hatchback guise shapes because the decide of the Corolla vary if you wish to get the real fuel-saving advantages of the petrol-electric hybrid system, in addition to all of the obtainable security options as normal.
Certain the mid-range Corolla SX mightn’t look as flash or sporty because the Corolla ZR hatch, however its smaller 16-inch alloy wheels assist with journey high quality, and it has sturdy cloth upholstery as an alternative of leather-based and pretend suede upholstery.
Should you’re budget-minded you can go for the entry-level Corolla Ascent Sport hatch, however you’ll need to pay further for an possibility pack that will get you options reminiscent of rear-cross site visitors alert and entrance and rear parking sensors.
Additionally when you’re after a bit extra inside area, you can select a similarly-priced Corolla Sedan, Corolla Cross crossover, or Camry as an alternative.
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