Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid hatchback 2019 UK review

The drivetrain in this Corolla is identical to that of the Prius, mixing a 1.8-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine with Toyota’s e-CVT hybrid transmission and running gear. The system puts out 120bhp, and offers up to 65mpg on the new WLTP combined cycle and 83g/km CO2 emissions.

So the driving experience is a familiar one from the Prius; not one of excitement, more one that just works with a nice easy-going manner. We were regularly seeing above 50mpg on our mixed roads test route, the car quiet and relaxed in its road manners and regularly switching silently and unobtrusively between hybrid and all-electric power for even quieter short bursts.

There’s a decent amount of torque at step off to make this Corolla quite sprightly over a 0-30mph sprint, before the familiar CVT drone kicks in when you keep asking the engine for more over a mid-high rev range. It runs out of puff a bit here, and the performance gets far more limited and with no driver involvement.

If you’re looking for more involving performance, look elsewhere, most likely towards the as-yet-untested turbo, non-hybrid 1.2 petrol that also gets a manual gearbox.

This drivetrain should also get the more out of what is a much-improved chassis, which impresses here as much as it did in Spain. The old Auris wobbled its way down the road like an old roller skate, seemingly engineered by folk for whom driving enjoyment was a completely alien concept. 

Not so this Corolla. There’s real feel to the steering, a smooth ride quality at speeds, impressive body control and a decent amount of grip. This chassis tuning, mixed with things like a comfortable, nicely laid out driving position and good control weights, make this the kind of car you can seamlessly slip into and enjoy driving a mile down the road to Morrisons as you would the length of the M1. A Volkswagen Golf does similar. 

The only real blots on its dynamic copybook is how sharp and grabby the brakes are, and the occasional bump and rumble into the cabin with the low-speed ride. Both traits are likely affected by the hybrid drivetrain (integration with the brakes, the weight of the hybrid system on the ride), and neither is a deal breaker. 

The Corolla is built here and it also feels like its been developed for our roads. This hybrid version doesn’t show the car at its very best, but it’s still a darn good machine. 

So while this particualr powertrain doesn’t engage (apart from with your wallet), the chassis certainly does. Bravo, Toyota, and welcome back to the sharp end of the class.