Has it really returned? - Or perhaps the marketing people at Toyota have found out that "Corolla" sounds better than "Auris"?
The new Corolla's self-charging hybrid drive is well-proven. It has been running in the Prius 4 since 2015. It may seem that Toyota is installing new hybrid drives in it Prius before they roll it out widely in other model series. Then the customers avoid getting any surprises, but today's technology is fresh. The hybrid solution in the outgoing Auris, for example, is more than ten years old. It is noticeable.
- Runs on electricity half the time
I'm curious to see if the Corolla commercial holds up. Hertz Car pool has got a Corolla in his fleet. It is Sunday and the October weather is glorious. We are going on a Sunday trip!
"Nice interior!" exclaims my wife, running her hand over the light upholstery around the dashboard. The interior is inviting. The seats are good and fairly firm. The driver's seat has electrically adjustable lumbar support. The only thing I don't like is that I can't read what the buttons on the infotainment system do. Large icons on a touch screen would have been better for those of us who need reading glasses. But at least I find my wife's favorite channel on the radio – P5 Hits. Most of what I need is also on the steering wheel - and on the small screen between the instruments.
On the road
We have loaded what we need and are heading out of town. I notice that the bottom drag is very good when we take off at the green light. The drive starts on electric, but quickly switches to petrol after I press the gas a little hard. The engine hum is barely audible in the passenger compartment, but I don't know if that is because the engine compartment is well insulated, or if the engine hum is drowned out by other noise. The general sound level inside the cabin is higher than we are used to. The rumbling means that we have to raise our voices when we talk to each other. We drive on brand new winter tyres.
Fierce engines
On the road, the tachometer tells you what the petrol engine is doing, or whether it is switched off. The powerful torque gives me the feeling that the electric motor is constantly in operation. I read from the instruments that there is an interaction going on. If I were to guess how many horses there are, I would say 180. The correct number is 98 HP from the petrol engine and 72 HP from the electric motor, but together they can only produce 122 horses. It seems like there is more. More than enough for this car, anyway.
Sporty?
I consider the Corolla to be sporty, but realize that I don't always understand what the gearbox is doing. During normal driving, the rpm can change in seconds from 1500 rpm, to 2000 and then 2500 for seemingly no reason. Since the engine noise is no longer as audible as before, it does not sound as noisy inside the cabin as in the Auris. The steering does not provide a particularly sharp steering feel. Rather in the middle of the tree. On rural roads, I notice that the chassis seems a bit firm, - without being uncomfortable. The Corolla is not sporty, but certainly has "sporting ambitions".
Is the time for non-rechargeable hybrids over?
Toyota has invested heavily in so-called self-charging, non-rechargeable hybrid cars. Without charging from the grid, you cannot base daily short journeys solely on electricity, for example to and from work, to the shop, to training and so on. You can do that with one rechargeable hybrid – as long as you have charging options. The power in the Toyota hardly lasts longer than the main road. If you don't have your own charging options, or you mostly drive long trips, it's fine if you drive rechargeable or non-rechargeable.
Old prejudices
We arrive at the small chapel while the service is still in progress. We think it's infant baptism. It is completely quiet outside. My eyes fall on a beautiful white '69 Lincoln Continental Mark III. As we wander over to the cemetery to plant autumn heather, I think we might be perceived as typical Corolla owners. A married couple barely above dinner height who use their Corolla for shopping and church visits. I actually think the Corolla is pretty cool, but realize that the the question must be answered by someone younger than me.
Place
"Our" Corolla is a 5-door. Interior space is on par with competitors in this class. This means that if two long-legged people are to sit in the same longitudinal direction, goodwill is required from both parties. The size fits well for people like us - an adult couple with children who have moved out. Corolla's family car option is called "Touring Sport". It has a 6 cm longer wheelbase and 598 liters of luggage space. You get the station wagon supplement of 12-15 again when trading in.
The luggage compartment in the 5-door variant is 361 - under the bonnet. It is as large as in Corollas with a regular petrol engine. You choose 2,0 liter hybrid, the luggage compartment is reduced to 313 litres. In comparison, the plug-in hybrid Golf GTE has 272 liters and the Audi A3 e-tron 280 liters.
Security
The new Corolla 5-door was tested as a 2019 model. It was then detected that the gas pressure in the front airbag on the driver's side was too low. This resulted in the doll going through the cushion and hitting the material behind. It got not fatal consequences for the test dummies, but lowers the test results. You can see in the pictures that the doll in the driver's seat has received "more beating".
With regard to whiplash injuries, all test dummies were injury free.
Could have gotten a higher score
The results of the Corolla ending up at almost exactly the same level as the Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3, which were tested in 2012 – as well as the 2019 test of the new Ford Focus from 2019. In the test from the previous year, the Focus received a poor score due to the risk of neck injuries. The new test was performed by that Ford changed the design of the front seats. Focus got a second chance, and ended up with 96%. New Corolla scored a decent 95%. It could be interesting to have the Corolla tested again after the factory has fixed the airbags on the driver's side.
consumption
If new Corolla "runs on electricity half the time" (quote Toyota advertisement), then it should show in the consumption figures. It did, indeed! The factory consumption figure for mixed driving is 0,33-0,36 liters per mile. On the way home in normal weekend traffic, the average consumption - measured on the car's trip computer - was within these factory figures all the way. I would have liked better opportunities to capture regenerative energy. An artificial engine brake that could be engaged to maintain speed down a long hill. The "B" setting on the gear lever activates a normal engine brake, which does not absorb any energy. The surplus energy then disappears straight out with the exhaust. I also wish the CVT gearbox held up better at low revs when the engine is not being pushed.
Everyone can drive economically
On the way out I had driven faster, given more gas. The engines run very well. Then the consumption stayed at approx. 0,42-0,44. But after I took off from the E6 and reduced the speed, the average consumption gradually dropped. If you stick to the speed limits on normal country roads, you don't need to be an expert to keep consumption under 0,40 liters per mile. On the other hand, it's not so much you can do, rather.
Economy
Good old Corollas were known to be cheap to run. I think the new Corolla will be too. There are 3 good reasons for that:
1. Still tax-advantaged
Low consumption and low CO2 emissions have a positive effect on taxes. In terms of price, Hybrid is favorable in Norway. That is one of the reasons for choosing a hybrid.
2. Runs on electricity half the time
It is felt in the fuel consumption. If you drive quite normally, you can drive for a long time between each petrol refill.
3. Proven technology
Toyota has gone "all in" for hybrids. These are not niche models. There are cars that are spread all over the world, including the USA - with hundreds of thousands of critical car customers. The previous generation hybrid system, which sits in the Auris, has proven that it has worked without problems for many years among taxis. It counts favorably for future service costs and trade-in value.
An hour on the eye
- When I come to Sanngrund, I will have what they call a big driver. There are eggs, pork and fried potatoes, wort beer and coffee. And it takes a groan to digest, so then I take an hour on the eye, and even more coffee.
If you hang around Sanngrund on a nice Sunday, I promise you'll spot the occasional great donning. I myself caught sight of a Volvo F88 veteran tow truck transported on a semi-trailer. No muzzleloader, but a nice winter project for enterprising souls.
New Corolla hybrid - Facts
Drivetrain
Engine 1: Petrol engine 1,8 liter VVT-i 98 HP
Motor 2: Electric motor 72 HP
Gearbox: Stepless CVT
Performances
Top speed: 180 km/h
0-100: 10,9 seconds
Weights and Measures
Length, width and height in cm: 437 / 179 / 143
Wheelbase in cm: 264
Own weight: 1285 kg
Luggage compartment: 361 litres
– with folded seats: 1052 litres
Petrol tank: 43 litres
Max trailer weight with brakes: 750 kg
– without brakes: 450 kg
consumption
Factory figures city: 0,33-0,36 liters per mile
Factory figure highway: 0,36–0,38 liters per mile
Factory figures mixed: 0,33-0,36 liters per mile
Own measurement city and fast highway: 0,40-0,44 liters per mile
Own measurement country road: 0,34-0,36 liters per mile
Tires
Nokian Hakkapelitta R3
Dimension: 205/55R16 94R
Toyota Corolla 1,8 Active Tech 5-d: NOK 350
Lacquer supplement: NOK 5
About the carHerz BilPool
Source: toyota.no
Euro NCAP: 2019 Toyota Corolla
See
