Toyota Australia has confirmed it will be launching a hybrid version of the Corolla for the first time, promising exceptional fuel economy for the popular hatch.
Under the bonnet, the company has confirmed the Corolla hybrid will come with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 73kW, matched to a 60kW electric motor assist system.
Combined output is rated at 100kW, making it just a few kilowatts short of the regular Corolla on sale now. Performance figures haven’t been mentioned but the hybrid will add some weight to the hatch which could slow things down a little.
No specifics haven’t been released in regards to the official average fuel consumption, however, Toyota says it uses around “one-third less fuel” compared with the current Corolla hatch – the manual Corolla is rated at 6.7L/100km and the CVT auto is rated at 6.1L/100km.
This means the new hybrid Corolla should offer a consumption average somewhere around the 4.0-4.5L/100km mark. Toyota says the model will be offered with an electric-only driving mode too, capable of driving at up to 45km/h for about 2km without using any petrol at all.
The new variant will be offered in a single trim grade, equipped with plenty of luxury features as standard including satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, bi-LED headlights, and Toyota Link connect functionality. Speaking about the news, Tony Cramb, Toyota Australia executive director of sales and marketing, said:
“Corolla hybrid hatch will offer all the advantages of Australia’s favourite car, coupled with the hybrid system’s established performance, reliability, durability and exceptionally low running costs. This addition to the Corolla range will be fun to drive – and fun to own with fuel economy and emissions that are superior to its direct competitors, especially diesel.”
While most European rivals and some Japanese rivals to the Corolla are offered with very economical diesel engines, the Corolla is yet to step into that space. The hybrid model should present some interesting competition. The hybrid model will arrive in the middle of this year.
