DEMONSTRATING it is a dab hand at hybrid powertrains, Toyota made the jump to add a petrol-electric hybrid to the ever-popular Corolla back in 2021.
Surprisingly, this model Corolla, released in 2019, was the first of the nameplate to go hybrid, with virtually every other model in the Toyota range offering at least one blended power supply in the range.
That is probably the kicker, while the hybrid was in the market for two years, most of that time saw large chunks of Australia under lockdown of one form or another, and Toyota, along with pretty much every other manufacturer worldwide, suffered massive delays in getting cars built, and then on ships to Australia.
So, despite being at the point in its life where Toyota would be rolling out a mid-life upgrade to keep the car ‘fresh’, it was virtually a new release.
Our first test was the base hybrid model, the Ascent Sport, which gets the older 1.8-litre four cylinder petrol engine, mated to a pair of electric motors to deliver a maximum of 90kW, whether it is straight petrol, petrol-electric or full electric modes.
In this respect, the Corolla felt it was lacking compared to more recent rivals, almost as though Toyota did not want to get into a power war with its hybrid range.
Driven in isolation, the Corolla Ascent Sport is a reasonable proposition, and does have good fuel economy as its leading feature, covering plenty of highway kilometres saw the average fuel consumption down in the three and four litre per 100 kilometres range, so that the 35 litre fuel tank was cheerfully covering 800km and more between fills.
The downside was the car just felt a bit bargain-basement, as though Toyota had ticked ‘cheapest’ on pretty much every interior feature.
The result was a car with reasonable performance, slightly above average ride and handling thanks to the low centre of gravity generated by stowing the hybrid batteries under the floor and within the front and rear axle lines.
This last bit is important, the first hybrid I drove, back in about 2005, was the Lexus GS large sedan, which had the batteries under the boot, BEHIND the rear axle. Not only did you lose half the boot space, but on a twisting, turning section of road, by about the third change of direction, the back end was doing its best to overtake the front end halfway through the corner, leading to lots of opposite lock in a bid to keep it together.
The Corolla, with its front wheel drive, and lower kerb weight than the Lexus, was remarkably vice free, and the in-line electric motor actually damped the ‘torque steer’ effect many high-torque front drive car suffered from, there was a slight twitch if you gave it full power, but generally the front end tracked straight and true.
This was pleasing for a couple of reasons, the ‘instant on’ nature of electric motors means they can be susceptible to torque steer, although in this case any potential torque steer is eliminated by the CVT splitting the power to both front wheels.
I will also acknowledge the work done by the ride and handling team, they have also fixed the previously ‘wheel of fortune’-style power steering where you would spin the wheel, and have no idea where the car was actually pointing.
While the steering still lacks the precision of Toyota’s sports range, like the 86, the Yaris GR models or the Supra, you now have enough weight and feedback to accurately point the Corolla into a corner, and come out pointing in mostly the desired direction.
One area I will heap unstinting praise is the stopping power of the hybrid, the Corolla, like its various larger siblings, will stop in a ridiculously short distance from any speed and outbrake most other cars, while also capturing the ‘waste’ energy from the brakes as electric power, to top up the batteries.
Like other hybrids, and Toyota was the first to get this right on Hino 300 Series trucks, the electric motor deploys magnets, so that it becomes an engine brake, as well as a generator, increasing the braking capacity, without wearing the brakes, and using electrical generation to fill the batteries.
A good test is to engage the ‘B’ mode (for Braking) on the transmission selector when coming down a steep hill, and leave the brake pedal alone, the road speed will drop to almost a standstill and the battery charge indicator will show how much power is being generated and captured.
Toyota previously copped a lot of flak for making safety items additional cost items, which proved a big barrier to widespread adoption. This changed when the ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) started giving out points for included safety tech, now Toyota is as generous as other manufacturers in this area.
All variants across the range feature a comprehensive suite of Toyota Safety Sense driver assistance features including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) provided by the pre-collision safety system (PCS), active cruise control, lane trace assist (CVT-only), lane departure warning (manual gearbox), road sign assist and auto high beam.
While the Ascent Sport is probably the least inspiring in the Corolla range, Toyota did not reach and hold the number 1 selling brand, and Corolla the top-selling model, for many years in a row without having a firm understanding of market dynamics and car buyers wants.
So, while I think it feels a bit under-done in the power stakes, lacking at least 25 kW, and maybe more, and the interior feels a little bland and uninspiring, there are literally a million Corolla owners who would disagree.
For those wanting more, there are the SX and ZX versions, which do add at least some of the missing kilowatts and generally feel more exciting, you just have to pay for what you are getting - and maybe, that is the point, you can’t expect something for nothing, and Toyota has the market leadership to prove it.
Comments