Jeff Griffiths with the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid in Calgary.Brendan Miller/Postmedia Toyotas 2020 Corolla is all new from top to bottom and front to back. Now in its 12th generation, the Corolla platform first launched way back in 1966. Since then, the car has been a perennial best-seller for Toyota with more than 45 million examples sold worldwide.While overall design of the compact sedan has been revised and driving dynamics have been improved thanks to Toyotas New Global Architecture (TNGA) underpinnings, the big news for 2020 is the fact that for the first time ever Toyota is offering the Corolla as a hybrid. Theyve taken the Hybrid Synergy Drive system from the Prius and placed it in the Corolla to give the model maximum fuel economy.So, does it live up to its miserly expectations?Calgary driver Jeff Griffiths says he spent $10.26 on gasoline for the week he spent driving the compact sedan. Which is, frankly, quite amazing, he explains of the money invested to add 325 kilometres to the odometer. In the Corolla Hybrid, a 1.8-litre four-cylinder internal combustion engine is paired with two motor/generators. Combined output of all three is 121 horsepower, and that power is put to the front wheels and ultimately to the road through a continuously variable transmission. Electrical power is stored in a nickel-metal hydride battery that lives under the rear seat and takes up very little real estate. Plus, the batterys location lowers the Corolla Hybrids centre of gravity, something the automaker claims helps to improve overall agility.Ive driven a Toyota before, Griffiths says, adding, Back in the Seventies, I had a Land Cruiser and it was indestructible. My opinion of the company is theyre one of the best automakers on the planet theyre all about quality.While certainly aware of the nameplate, Griffiths had never before driven a Corolla. Of his first impression of the 2020 Corolla Hybrid, he says the car was bigger than hed expected it would be.He adds, One of the most striking things about the car is the bucket nose on the front end, it certainly makes the car noticeable.Getting into the drivers seat, Griffiths was immediately impressed by the fit and finish. It feels like they cared when they put it together. Everythings soft that needs to be soft and there are no hard edges sticking out anywhere its very refined looking.With the door closed, it took Griffiths only a few moments to make a couple of small adjustments to the seat and mirrors. Ergonomically, he says, the car fit him nicely and the switchgear was all where hed expected it to be.Basically, I was just able to get in the car and drive, and thats a good thing in my opinion, he says. I didnt need a course to drive it, but it does take a few minutes to learn the various menus in the touchscreen and what they all do. When he was ready to roll, Griffiths hit the start button.And, nothing happened, he chuckles. The engine doesnt start, but everything lights up and the electronics take over. Thats a bit of a different feeling because thats all new to me Id never driven a hybrid or electric vehicle before.You hit the accelerator pedal and off you go. With very little road noise and no engine noise you at first feel like youre floating along.When you demand more power, the gas engine kicks in when it needs to. Its got all kinds of poop when you get the electric motors and the gasoline engine going, itll really get up and dance.For the most part, Griffiths kept the Corolla in the city. He commuted and ran errands, but he did get out on a country road to judge how well it would handle some curves.Its a confident, sure-footed car, he says. And the brakes were very efficient. When you lift off the throttle, thanks to the regenerative braking system, the car felt like it was being slowed by engine braking.While Griffiths says he experimented driving in different modes, including Eco and Sport, he couldnt feel too much difference, and wondered what part of the driving dynamic might have changed.He says the trunk has plenty of room and he didnt have any difficulty lifting objects in or out of the cargo space. The rear seat offers a 60/40 folding back and that further increases carrying capacity.His two adult sons, 5-feet 8-inches and 6-feet tall, each found room in the back seat and thought it comfortable for a short ride.The Corolla Hybrid, he thinks, would best suit someone using the car to commute on a daily basis or to have as a second vehicle. It was easy to drive, and offered worry free, fuss free, economical convenience.While I personally might not have found the car that exciting to drive, he says, It is really, really good at what it does. DRIVER’S JOURNALDay OnePicked up the car first thing in the morning. First impression: quiet. On the drive into downtown Calgary it was difficult to tell if the engine was running. Very smooth. Driving home in the evening; feels isolated theres very little feedback to the driver. It
Origin: Reader Review: 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid