[auto-moto] Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid Design Touring Sports 2021 UK drive

[#Hassan.]

Does the smallest engine reduce the appeal of this hybrid compact estate or make it more of a bargain?

What is it? There’s something brilliantly fuss-free about the Toyota Corolla, even more so in this Touring Sports configuration. Massive boot, Toyota reliability, decent comfort… Sometimes, all you need are the simple things in life. We’ve driven the 12th-generation Toyota Corolla Touring Sports before (is it just me or does that bodystyle nomenclature seem the wrong way round?) but this time it’s the turn of the smaller engine, the 1.8-litre petrol hybrid that’s paired with a CVT gearbox, as it is in the 2.0-litre. Power is down from 177bhp to 120bhp because of a combination of a less punchy petrol engine and smaller-output electric motor. In the 1.8-litre, the CO2 figure drops into a lower tax bracket, so if you’re a company car user, you’ll want to look at this version. Fuel economy is also slightly better, with a claimed range of 55.3-62.7mpg (55.4-57.6mpg for this specific Design trim). Our test average was 55.1mpg over a lot of mixed miles, including a long schlep on the motorway, so if nothing else it shows that the WLTP measurement method is more accurate than its predecessor.

The interior is as functional as you’d expect from Toyota. The boot is 581 litres (marginally down on the 611 litres in the Volkswagen Golf Estate ) or 1606 litres with all the seats folded. A more stylish rival such as the Peugeot 308 SW doesn’t get anywhere near those figures, so it’d be a toss-up between looks and practicality if you’re choosing between those two.

The Toyota also gets two levers in the boot to fold the 60:40 split rear seats completely flat, so it’s easy cramming stuff in. If you can make do without a spare wheel, there’s a vast cavern under the boot floor, too. Elsewhere, the infotainment has a useful number of physical buttons combined with touchscreen functionality, but the fonts and layout aren’t quite as slick as on some rivals’.

What's it like? Let’s be frank straight away: it’s not going to set the world on fire. Despite riding on the Toyota New Global Architecture GA-C platform, and various claims from its maker that its handling is aimed at Europe thanks to the MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear set-up, the Corolla Touring Sports is definitely happier over a leisurely journey

cThe lengthened wheelbase on the Touring Sports helps, enabling it to feel stable over long and short undulations, while the suspension and tyres (225/45 R17 on the Design trim) also do a decent job of isolating lumps and bumps. Body roll is well controlled but the light steering and safe handling are tuned more for comfort than involvement. Still, its 120bhp output is comparable with that of rivals like the Golf and 308 and is good for 0-62mph in 11.1sec. It’s not a rocketship, but it’s adequate. As ever with the CVT, it spins away annoyingly during hard acceleration, but the engine noise in today's cars is getting so well isolated from the cabin that in all but the most foot-to-the-floor acceleration moments, the Corolla is a quiet companion. That’s borne out in the lack of suspension noise as well. It’s a well-insulated little car.

 

Should I buy one? In a world where even basic things, such as a takeaway coffee, come in oodles of different varieties, something as simple as a mid-sized estate car is surprisingly appealing, even if the hybrid set-up may have been considered complex just a few short years ago. The Toyota isn’t going to light up your world, but as a multi-purpose tool, it’s just about spot on. Like the Swiss army knife, it isn’t glamorous but it is effective.

link : https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/toyota/corolla-touring-sports/first-drives/toyota-corolla-18-hybrid-design-touring-sports