Subscribe Us

New 2019 Toyota Corolla prototype review

Model: Toyota Corolla 2.0 Hybrid
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol-electric hybrid
Power: 177bhp
Transmission: CVT auto, front-wheel drive
 0-62mph: 7.9 seconds
Top speed : 112mph
Economy/CO2: 74.3mpg/86g/km (NEDC correlated)
 On sale: February 2019

 The new car is based on the same TNGA chassis architecture that has impressed us in the Prius and the C-HR crossover. And sure enough, it’s available in the UK only as a hybrid; unlike with the C-HR, there’s no conventional petrol option, and don’t even ask about a diesel. All UK Corollas will be automatics, too, because Toyota’s hybrid system isn’t designed to be used with a manual gearbox. The new Corolla’s looks are definitely sharper than those of the Auris - helped, no doubt, by shorter front and rear overhangs, a 25mm lower roofline and an increase in overall width of about 30mm. It’s 40mm longer than an Auris too, although all of this has been inserted into the wheelbase in a bid to improve cabin space. For the first time, this Toyota hybrid is being offered with a choice of power outputs. The entry point uses a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, an evolution of the set-ups in the Prius and C-HR. In the Corolla it produces 121bhp, enough to take the five-door hatchback from 0-62mph in a respectable 10.9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 112mph. The efficiency figures are pretty impressive too;

Toyota’s figures are based on the tougher WLTP fuel tests and then correlated back to the outgoing NEDC system, but on that basis, this is still a car that returns 83.1mpg and emits 76g/km of CO2. The confirmed WLTP figure should dip under 100g/km. TNGA lends itself to driving fun to a far greater extent than the old Auris’s platform, though (the bare chassis is 60 per cent stiffer), so Toyota is also the offering the Corolla with a higher-powered hybrid configuration. It’s based on a 2.0-litre engine, and incorporates a ‘stepped’ transmission with six ratios - or levels of revs, frankly - that can be controlled using paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. It brings a non-inconsequential 177bhp to the table, slashing three seconds off the regular car’s 0-62mph time, but the top speed stays the same and there is a resulting hit in efficiency, so fuel economy drops to 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions rise to 86g/km.
These are still excellent figures for a five-door family hatchback, of course - and well under what you’d find on any of the cars Toyota considers as rivals for the 2.0, such as the 1.5-litre 148bhp VW Golf DSG.
The suspension configuration is MacPherson struts at the front and a double-wishbone set-up at the rear, and Toyota is also offering the Corolla with adaptive dampers that can operate in a number of different modes. Our first chance to try the car in Europe, though, comes with a 2.0 model on regular suspension and 18-inch wheels. 2.0 Corolla has real potential; at 70mph you’ll frequently find the engine switched off completely, and when it does feel the need to kick in it’s generally smooth enough to be drowned out by tyre roar.

Post a Comment

0 Comments

CLOSE ADS


CLOSE ADS