2016 Toyota Corolla Hybrid REVIEW | The ‘No-Downsides-Here’ Hybrid
ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S OLDEST NAMEPLATES - “COROLLA” - HAS SUDDENLY MADE HYBRID MOTORING MAINSTREAM.
Enter the 2016 Toyota Corolla Hybrid.
Sure the larger Camry Hybrid has been wooing families and the taxi industry for a few years now, but it’s part of a declining medium car class.
The Corolla, however, consistently one of Australia’s best-selling cars, may be the game-changer in ‘normalising’ petrol-plus-electric power.
Only available in hatchback, it is priced from $26,990 plus on-road costs, and is very well-equipped. Importantly, it sells its hybrid wares without forcing buyers to attach to a Prius badge, price tag… or image.
Vehicle Style: Small car
Price: $26,990 (plus on-roads)
Engine: 73kW/142Nm 1.8-litre 4cyl petrol + 60kW/207N electric motor
Transmission: Continuously-variable automatic (CVT)
Fuel Economy Claimed: 4.1 l/100km | Tested: 5.7 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Not only does the Corolla Hybrid bypass the pricing premium typically expected of a petrol-electric model, but it undercuts the petrol-only Corolla ZR range-topper by $2000 while poaching much of its equipment.
Such additions include satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, keyless auto-entry with push-button start and auto-levelling bi-LED headlights. Meanwhile the hybrid only asks $1200 more than the Corolla SX below it that lacks all those features.
Toyota Corolla - Prices, Features, and Specifications