- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.8i/53kW Hybrid, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
143kW (comb), 163Nm
- Fuel
Hybrid (91) 3.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (CVT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2018)
2020 Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport hybrid sedan review
Australia is loving petrol-electric hybrids, with the Toyota RAV4 leading the charge, up 53 per cent in December 2019.
With the Japanese brand also adding a hybrid to the Corolla sedan range, it’s given buyers even more choice over the less practical and smaller Corolla hybrid hatch. Here, we take a drive in the 2020 Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport hybrid sedan.
How does the Toyota Corolla compare on price?
At $26,335 before on-road costs, the Corolla Ascent Sport hybrid is the entry-level model in the hybrid line-up. There aren't a lot of options when it comes to affordable hybrid sedans, having to look into Toyota’s very own range, with the larger Camry Ascent hybrid coming in at $30,590 before on-roads. Hybrid aside, the petrol-powered Mazda 3 G20 Pure BP Series auto can be had for a little less than the Corolla at $26,240.
What is the Toyota Corolla like inside?
Although this is the base specification, the cabin layout and quality still remain modern and fresh. You won't find a premium steering wheel or leather seats, but I think the cloth seats are more comfortable anyway, with great support around the shoulders and lower back, and a perfect driving position height.
The dashboard design is somewhat confronting for the front seat passenger with it pushed out towards them. This also makes finding the USB connection placed near their right leg harder to find. The 8.0-inch infotainment colour touchscreen has the ability to use your phone to access Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, or factory navigation is available as a $1000 option.
Over in the back, the leg room has enough space for an adult, but the head room is very tight. Kids will feel right at home, though. Apart from a folding centre armrest and small phone shelf, there are no connections or air vents.
Moving on to probably one of the reasons why you’re looking at this car, and that is its boot. The sedan’s 470L boot is a massive 253L bigger than the hybrid hatch, and as we discovered with the 60:40 rear seats folded, the boot can fit a push lawnmower and its catcher quite comfortably. A space-saver wheel is under the boot floor.
Is the Toyota Corolla a safe car?
The Corolla sedan, both petrol and hybrid variants, were tested by ANCAP in 2019 and received a five-star safety rating. Apart from blind-spot monitoring, the Ascent Sport hybrid gets all the safety equipment that the rest of the Corolla sedan line-up gets, with highlights being traffic sign recognition, lane-trace assist, lane-departure alert with steering assist, pre-collision safety system, reversing camera with guidelines, and ISOFIX child restraints.
Seven SRS airbags are scattered throughout the cabin, with front, front side, full-length curtain airbags, and driver’s knee airbags.
How much does the Toyota Corolla cost to maintain?
You won’t feel the brunt from your hip pocket when you visit the Toyota service centre. At 12-month or 15,000km intervals, each service will cost $180 for the first four visits.
What does the Toyota Corolla have under the bonnet?
A 1.8-litre hybrid engine powers the Corolla producing 90kW and 142Nm. The hybrid is beautifully quiet at slow speeds and when you’re light on the throttle. Put the foot down a little more and the petrol engine will kick in. It can get a bit thrashy, especially when going up a hill, often revving up to 5000rpm.
Activate cruise control on the freeway and it’ll happily sit at around 1200rpm, which does wonders for fuel economy, and we will get to that in just a moment.
We did use the B (braking) gear selector mode a few times when going through mountain ranges. The brakes do get a workout on long descents, and this is where the B mode helps, using engine braking instead while also feeding more power back into the battery. Overall, though, it’s very comfortable driving around town and out on the open road.
Get a great deal today
Interested in this car? Provide your details and we'll connect you to a member of the Drive team.
What is the Toyota Corolla's economy like?
Extremely impressive. Toyota has a combined claimed fuel reading of 3.5L/100km. The highest we got driving around a country town was 4.2L/100km, and the lowest reading we saw was on the freeway with 3.3L/100km. Incredible. To give you context, the 2.0-litre petrol Corolla auto claims 6.0L/100km.
What else should I consider in this segment?
If you are set on a hybrid, you could look at the larger Camry or Hyundai Ioniq hybrid, both with prices bumping up to $35,000. But, if you aren’t too fussed about going ‘green’, and still want to stick to the Corolla price range, the Mazda 3 sedan is worth a look, with a little more of a premium feel over the Corolla.
Any problems I should look out for?
We found a couple of niggly things with Toyota’s driver technology. Voice guidance cannot be turned off while the car is on the move. This feature tells the driver things like a school zone or railway crossing is ahead, or the more annoying one telling you every 30 seconds to obey the speed limit, even though the car hasn’t recognised a speed limit via its traffic sign recognition function.
The volume for Siri on Apple CarPlay cannot be adjusted via the usual volume controls on the console or steering wheel. Instead, it’s deep within Toyota’s infotainment under voice volume. This also cannot be adjusted while on the move.
Should I buy a Toyota Coro?
If you love the styling of the Corolla Ascent Sport hybrid hatch, but need more room and practicality, then yes, the Corolla Ascent Sport hybrid sedan is perfect. With that extra boot space, there’s no price premium compared to the five-door model either. Oh, and it’s worth ticking the hybrid box because your wallet will thank you later.