Toyota Corolla Hybrid: No compromise

The petrol-electric version of a perennial favourite has none of the usual green-car quirks.

2016 Toyota Corolla hybrid

IF you believe the hype around hybrids, they have been poised to take over the roads and consign the humble internal combustion engine to the scrapheap for the past 20 years.

We’re still waiting …

Any new technology has to offer at least one compelling reason to consider it over conventional alternatives.

There’s no such reason to consider a hybrid car in Australia.

Unlike Europe and the US, we have no government-legislated carrot and stick incentives such as a gas guzzler tax, or tax concessions, on hybrids.

Our fuel is cheap, so a hybrid will save you two fifths of not very much in annual running costs compared with a petrol or diesel. A hybrid is more expensive than a comparably-sized conventional car.

Most are boredom on wheels.

Hybrid tech is complicated, so it scares a lot of people.

2016 Toyota Corolla hybrid

Then there’s the “you are what you drive” factor. Do we detect a touch of sanctimonious zeal about hybrid drivers? Like vegans, they can overstate the morality of their choice.

It’s just a car. Or food. It doesn’t make you a better person.

Toyota carries the torch for hybrids in Australia, and with the new Corolla Hybrid it may at long last have given people who just want an efficient, reliable, stylish car a reason to at least test drive the technology.

DESIGN

Corolla Hybrid is priced at $26,990 plus on roads. That’s a much more realistic ask for a car of this size than the $34,990 Prius.

They share a 1.8-litre petrol/electric motor generator/nickel metal hydride battery drivetrain — the Corolla’s is actually more powerful than the Prius’ version, but less fuel efficient.

Official tests — inevitably optimistic — put the Corolla Hybrid’s combined average at 4.1L/100km. Prius averages 3.4L/100km, because its core design and engineering brief is to minimise consumption and emissions.

The Corolla is just a normal car with a hybrid transplant.

Still, it uses only two thirds as much juice as the petrol-powered Corolla, which averages 6.1L/100km.

Around town, the hybrid’s claimed 3.9L/100km figure is almost half the petrol’s 8.0L/100km.

However the petrol runs on regular unleaded, whereas premium is recommended for the hybrid.

2016 Toyota Corolla hybrid

Corolla Hybrid has a CVT transmission, 16-inch alloy wheels, a camera and a seven-inch touchscreen. It also picks up features from the top spec $28,990 Corolla ZR, including dual-zone air, auto levelling bi-LED headlights, keyless entry and start, navigation with live traffic updates and the Toyota Link app-based information channel, accessed via your smartphone.

So it’s got plenty of gear for the price. An added bonus is sophisticated independent rear suspension, which replaces the petrol Corolla’s torsion beam axle to accommodate the battery (which lives under the back seat) without losing any of the boot’s 360 litres of luggage space.

Electronic brakes with larger front discs are also fitted to compensate for the Hybrid’s extra weight.

AROUND TOWN

Hybrids work best in city traffic and the Corolla is no exception. It has four drive modes, with battery power getting the car off the line then the petrol engine kicking in seamlessly when required.

EV allows it to run on battery power alone for short distances at low speed, which is why the Corolla’s official city fuel average is less than its overall average. It’s great in bumper to bumper stuff.

2016 Toyota Corolla hybrid

Economy cuts engine power to maximise fuel economy and feels as though you have left the handbrake on. Normal is useful enough but won’t rip your arms off either, while Power is akin to a 2.0-litre turbodiesel, with a smooth, strong surge of electric torque and pretty lively acceleration.

When you lift off the accelerator, the electric motor acts as a generator and keeps the battery charged.

If you drive for economy in traffic, with a featherlight right foot, you can almost match the official fuel numbers. I drove it like any other car and averaged 5.2L/100km, about half what the petrol Corolla would do.

The Hybrid is noticeably smoother and quieter than the petrol Corolla. Around town, the ride is also more supple, thanks to the independent rear suspension.

ON THE ROAD

A highlight here is one of the most comfortable, supportive driver’s seats in the class, also used in the petrol model. The Hybrid’s hushed cabin and smooth, controlled ride add to its touring credentials.

2016 Toyota Corolla hybrid

That said, a hybrid is the wrong car if you regularly do big distances, because the engine is working all the time. This basically negates the electric advantage, as evidenced by our test car’s open road consumption, which varied between 5.9-6.3L/100km.

A 1.8-2.0-litre petrol engine will go close to that and a 2.0-litre turbodiesel will do better.

Corolla Hybrid is a pleasure to drive, though, with tactile, well weighted steering and stronger brakes than the petrol model. Handling is generally secure, though the soft suspension can get a tad loose and jittery at speed on a rough road.

VERDICT ★★★½

Corolla Hybrid is priced right, entirely conventional in its design and packaging, there’s no nerd factor involved and it asks you to make no compromises on the road.

In fact it’s more than just a hybrid, it’s the best model in the Corolla range.

2016 Toyota Corolla hybrid

AT A GLANCE

WHAT IT’S GOT

Seven airbags, stability control, cloth upholstery, 16-inch alloy wheels, camera, eight-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, voice control, USB, navigation, cruise, bi-LED headlights, keyless entry and start, dual zone aircon, Toyota Link, space-saver spare.

WHAT IT HASN’T

Advanced safety features such as blind spot assist, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking; parking sensors.

OWNERSHIP

Capped price servicing costs $840 over three years/60,000km, with intervals of six months/10,000km.

WHAT WE LIKED

The smoothest, quietest, most comfortable model in the Corolla range. Great fuel economy in the city. Supportive driver’s seat. Well priced. Safe. Low running costs. Toyota quality, reliability and durability.

WHAT WE DIDN’T

It ain’t quick. Hybrid technology doesn’t compute on the open road. Gets a bit twitchy at speed in the rough.

VITALS

TOYOTA COROLLA HYBRID

PRICE $26,990

WARRANTY 4 years/100,000km

CAPPED SERVICING $840 over 3 years

SERVICE INTERVAL 6 months/10,000km

SAFETY 5 stars

ENGINE 1.8-litre 4-cyl petrol/electric hybrid; 100kW combined output

TRANSMISSION CVT; FWD

THIRST 4.1L/100km

DIMENSIONS 4330mm (L), 1760mm (W), 1475mm (H), 2600mm (WB)