The compact car market is down. Even so, there is a struggle between three big players: the Honda Civic, the Hyundai Elantra and the Toyota Corolla. The latter succeeded in dethroning the 24-year reign of the Civic.
“It must be said that the Corolla has a wider range than ever”, mentions the columnist of the Car guide Antoine Joubert, on the show Salut Bonjour. For 2023, the sedan receives several new features.
First, performance enthusiasts can rejoice with the GR Corolla, a real track beast. Equipped with a 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, it produces 300 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque (295 lb-ft with the limited edition MORIZO). Everything is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive.
Photo: Toyota
At the other end of the spectrum, Toyota has dropped the entry-level version with the 1.8-litre four-cylinder. “A Corolla costs [désormais] just over $25,000 today as a base model. It’s still cheaper than a Civic, but what we sold for $21-22,000 last year no longer exists. But we have multiplied the offer of hybrid models, ”he explains.
Full staffing
The Toyota Corolla is the only compact in the segment to offer both all-wheel drive and hybrid technology simultaneously. Four hybrid versions are offered, three of which are equipped with four-wheel drive (LE, SE and XSE).
Photo: Toyota
“It’s a car that will also stand out for its very long-term cost price. The reliability of a Corolla has been established for a long time,” says Antoine. In terms of consumption, we can expect a rating that varies between 4.7 and 5.3 L/100 km, depending on the version chosen.
For his part, the expert has traveled more than 1,000 km with the Corolla hybrid XSE and the dashboard showed 5.1 L/100 km, although it was fitted with 18-inch rims. “It behaves well and it’s very balanced, says Antoine about the handling. I did the highway with [le véhicule] and it’s relatively quiet.
Photo: Toyota
Watch the video clip at the top of this article for more details about the Toyota Corolla Hybrid.