Overview

The Toyota Corolla hybrid hatchback has for years struck a chord with family hatchback buyers, and especially those among the brand’s loyal following. The Corolla is an enticing proposition, combining fantastic real-world fuel efficiency with comfort and a bullet-proof reliability record – what more could you want from a family hatchback? 

The efficiency part will come as no surprise, as Toyota has been pushing the hybrid agenda longer than anyone. Its part-electric, part-combustion system is one of the most tried and tested in the industry, but Corollas of old have arguably lacked some of the imagination of their European rivals, compromising their position on the market.

Toyota attempted to correct this in 2023 by subjecting the Corolla to a fairly major facelift. It gained minor tweaks to the bodywork, new lights, and an improved infotainment system – but most significantly of all, the fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid Drive. This brings increased power, especially for the 1.8-litre model, and a better driving experience with no fuel efficiency or CO2 emissions penalties. In fact, it should be even better in the real world than before.

Sounds good – and it is. But the Corolla competes in a very busy sector of the car market, with rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Kia Ceed providing strong opposition. Not to mention the Honda Civic, which also features a very clever hybrid system. This impressed us so much we made it overall Parkers Car of The Year 2023.

The Toyota’s chief assets include its strong reputation for reliability – supported by up to 10 years of warranty cover – and that eye-catching styling. It’s also available exclusively with petrol-electric hybrid power. There are no non-hybrids or diesel versions at all.

The Corolla hybrids are based around a small battery that can’t be charged externally – the brand calls them ‘self-charging hybrids’. This is in contrast to the plug-in hybrids some rivals offer, which have larger batteries for longer electric-only driving ranges. You’ll find the Toyota manages to operate as EV (electric vehicle) a remarkable percentage of the time in regular driving, even so.

On the downside, the Corolla is not that spacious inside for people and has a small boot – particularly when fitted with the 2.0-litre engine. It’s also only available with a ‘constantly variable’ automatic transmission, which may put some buyers off.

Toyota sells the Corolla hatchback in Icon, Design, Excel and GR Sport trim levels. The latter is a styling exercise only, including a bespoke front grille, 18-inch alloy wheels and a GR Sport specific dual-tone paint scheme. It is not to be mistaken for the raucous GR Corolla hot hatch sold in other markets. Toyota also sells the Corolla as an estate car, which you can read about in our Corolla Touring Sports review.

Over the next few pages, we’ll be thoroughly reviewing all aspects of the facelifted Toyota Corolla and rating them in our verdict. Along the way, we’ll consider the car’s driving experience, the quality and comfort of its interior, the level of practicality available and how much it’ll cost you to keep it on the road.