You get a hybrid! You get a hybrid! You get a hybrid!
The all-new Toyota Corolla is one of this year’s most highly anticipated new car launches. Like it has in other markets, the 5-door hatch’s Australian launch will continue to signal toward a more youthful and dynamic image for the now 80 year-old automaker.
Early impressions from initial debut markets point at an all-round more impressive machine than the version it replaced, but it will also face stiffer competition than when that 11th-generation model arrived on the scene.
Due locally in August, Toyota Australia have now released some additional specifics as to what local buyers can expect next starting next month. Evidently, the company is doubling down on the proliferation of its hybrid strategy, offering all future variants with a petrol-electric powertrain from the get-go, and the same will be true for the upcoming RAV4 crossover.
"Toyota was one of the pioneers of this advanced technology when it launched the original Prius over 20 years ago and as we move to a more electrified drivetrain culture we are continuing to evolve our hybrid technology to ensure it has the widest application possible,” said Wayne Gabriel, Toyota’s chief marketing officer.
"It is no longer a marginal powertrain option, but rather, as we have experienced with Camry, a favoured option for customers who appreciate its responsive, economical and low-emission performance for all driving environments."
It will marry a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder from its Dynamic Force family running the efficient Atkinson combustion cycle with a pair of electric motors to send a total output of 90kW to the front wheels. Maximum torque, meanwhile is a little fuzzier - a combination of both the petrol motors 142Nm peak and the electric spinner’s 163Nm.
It’s a very similar overall package to the outgoing Corolla Hybrid, but Toyota is adamant that it has significantly improved its tractability and behaviour for more driving enjoyment in parallel with greater refinement and thermal efficiency despite offering 10kW less than before.
Hopefully, the company has also tweaked the standard-fare e-CVT to match this personality. It’ll be a fuel-sipper, that’s for sure, and claims to consume just 4.2-litres/100km on a combined cycle. They’re confident, too, that the smaller and more efficient electric motors and power control unit deliver a marked improvement to the Corolla’s everyday sprightliness due to the power-to-weight ratio pluses they bring.
Mind you, this isn’t to say that this will be the only powertrain option available at launch. Toyota’s newer and more powerful 2.0-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive has yet to be confirmed for local inclusion but the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol, lifted from the C-HR, is all but guaranteed to be the entry-level engine. That said, it's very much still up in the air whether or not the AWD Sport variant will ever be offered outside the Japanese market.
For more on Toyota cars, check out our Showroom.
