2019 Toyota Corolla Hybrid

By Alex Forrest

There was a time when the word sensible was synonymous with the Toyota Corolla. Not anymore.

The new Corolla has a somewhat menacing-looking front end, and a set of wheels on the top model that would be right at home on a car twice the price. It’s also longer, lower and wider than it was before.

What’s more, you can also get it as a hybrid version for not much more money at all. The Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid starts at $29,298 drive away, which is $1600 more than the petrol-only Ascent Sport auto.

The Corolla Hybrid consumes 4.2L/100km, whereas the non-hybrid Corolla automatic uses 6.0L/100km.

Alternatively, there’s the regular Toyota Prius, which is not much bigger than the Corolla Hybrid but costs over $11,000 more. It uses less fuel at 3.4L/100km, but that fuel needs to be premium which in Western Australia costs about 13c more per litre than regular unleaded.

It’s at this point the Corolla Hybrid starts to make quite a lot of sense, even if it’s less sensible than most other Corollas before it.

However, Toyota has dropped the previous entry level Ascent variant, so now the cheapest Corolla you can buy is the Ascent Sport, which although better equipped, costs about $2500 more than the previous Ascent.

Among the gear included with the Ascent Sport is LED daytime running lights, voice recognition and an electric park brake, and the hybrid versions of the Ascent Sport get keyless entry and push-button start.

It’s clear there has been a step up in the quality of the interior materials such as gloss black finishes, stitched edges to the dash and well-bolstered seats. The 8-inch infotainment screen is standard across the range, as is the rear camera.

A big tick also goes to Toyota for making autonomous emergency braking standard. This system can also detect pedestrians, including at night. On top of that, active cruise control is also standard.

One feature missing from the Corolla is the Apple Carplay and Android Auto, which reduce the temptation for some drivers to touch their smartphones.

Overall though, this isn’t the Corolla you may think it is.

2019 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Specifications