Toyota has unveiled a new and more powerful update to its Corolla Hybrid, with the top-selling small car getting a significant power boost and the promise of a more refined drive experience.
Revealed in Europe, the 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid facelift pairs the familiar and electrified 1.8-litre powertrain, but ups the combined outputs from 90kW to 103kW.
That’s enough to shave some 1.7secs off the sprint to 100km/h, with Toyota now reporting a 9.2-sec run to triple digits.
“Significant changes to the engine and electric motor enhance the driving experience with extra power, improved performance and drivability,” Toyota says.
“The power control unit and transaxle motor have been redesigned and the lithium-ion battery is more powerful, yet smaller and lighter.”
While the acceleration is designed to “feel natural and rewarding to the driver”, the brand is also promising more refinement, with a quieter ride and “acceleration that more closely mirrors the driver’s intention and their use of the throttle pedal, producing the appropriate G-sensation and an intuitive feel.”
There are also big changes in the cabin, chief among them being an overhauled infotainment system that will now feature a 10.5-inch touchscreen, and the option of a 12.3-inch screen in the driver’s binnacle.
Finally, safety has been overhauled, too, with the 2023 Toyota Corolla adding Acceleration Suppression, which mitigates accidental acceleration at low speeds, Emergency Steering Assist that can now identify oncoming vehicles, cornering collision avoidance and a Safe Exit Assist function.
The new Corolla will begin arriving in Australia in the second half of 2022. Pricing is yet to be revealed, but… we won’t be shocked if we see the asking price head north.
Keyword: Look out Mazda3 and Hyundai i30! New Toyota Corolla Hybrid is lighter, faster, smarter and delivers heaps more cabin tech