We test the new Toyota Corolla 2019 range: a guide to choosing wisely

The new Toyota Corolla 2019, which replaces the Auris, comes with two hybrid engines, three body styles and five trim levels. We analyse it in depth and help you choose the best version.

When Toyota presented what is now the new Toyota Corolla 2019, it first did so with the five-door version… and it still kept the name Toyota Auris. Here we already saw its definitive look, and learned that it would finally abandon diesel engines to focus on hybrid powertrains.

Then came the decision that many of us applauded: reviving the Corolla name for the Japanese compact. And the versions that would complete the body-style range gradually appeared: the Toyota Corolla Sedan, and the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports.

Now that Toyota has begun selling the new Corolla in Spain, and after having been able to drive every version, it is time to carry out this analysis of the new range, which we can first see in this video.

https://youtu.be/ZgxmAT6DFik

Three body styles: 5-door, saloon and estate

To begin with, three body styles are available. All of them use the same platform, which Toyota calls GA-C. Each body has a different approach: the 5-door is the more sporty one, the Touring Sports has a family-oriented layout, and the Sedan is more elegant. Beyond the styling differences that the body itself brings in each case, the Sedan also has a front end with a different design from the other two versions.

Logically, the dimensions are different, and so is the wheelbase. The 5-door Corolla measures 4.37 metres in length, with a wheelbase of 2.65 metres. The length rises to 4.65 metres in the Touring Sports, and to 4.63 metres in the Sedan, both with the same wheelbase: 2.70 metres. All share a height of 1.43 metres, with a width of 1,790 mm for the 5-door and the estate, and 1,780 mm for the Sedan.
Image gallery Toyota Corolla 5-door

The approach of each body style is very clear, and choosing will not be a problem at the time of purchase, depending on how each user intends to use the car. What you do need to know is that the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, thanks to its wheelbase being six centimetres longer, offers almost that same extra distance for the legroom of passengers in the rear seats.

Image gallery Toyota Corolla Touring Sports

As for the

boot

, the estate ranges between 580 and 600 litres, depending on the engine version, due to the placement of the conventional 12-volt electrical system battery, which in the more powerful versions is located under the boot floor. Since we are on the subject of luggage space, in the case of the Corolla 5-door this capacity ranges between 315 and 361 litres, while in the Sedan, available only with the “small” engine, it is 470 litres.

Only in the case of the Touring Sports the tailgate can, in some versions, be opened electrically using a gesture control (by passing your foot under the bumper). Other details that add versatility are the reversible boot floor with a special side for placing wet items, and the various systems for organising and securing cargo.
Image gallery Toyota Corolla Sedan

As for the Corolla Sedan, it is an interesting option for those looking for a classic three-box saloon who do not want to move up to a higher segment in terms of size or price. What must be borne in mind here is that this version is sold only with the 125H engine, the least powerful one. And unlike its “siblings”, for logistical reasons

the battery is not lithium-ion, as in the 5-door and Touring Sports with this same engine

, but nickel-metal hydride. Although, in terms of driving and maintenance — the weight — this does not make any appreciable difference.

The three body variants of the Corolla use the same type of suspension, with a MacPherson front axle and a multi-link rear axle. That said, each has its own tuning of springs and dampers. Toyota does not offer in Spain, at least for now, the electronically controlled damping option, which does exist in other markets.

As a curious note, it is worth mentioning that both the 5-door Corolla and the Touring Sports leave the Toyota factory in the United Kingdom. The Sedan, for its part, is built at the Toyota plant in Turkey, which also produces the Toyota C-HR. This is the reason for the different battery we mentioned for the Sedan.
The Toyota Corolla engines: hybrid versions only
No diesel or petrol engines. Well, petrol yes, but only in combination with the corresponding electric motor.

Toyota has decided to sell the new Corolla in Spain with hybrid engines only

. And not one, but two. The Corolla thus becomes the first Toyota model where you can choose between two hybrid options. A strategy that will gradually extend to other models of the brand.

The first version is the 125H, with the hybrid system already known from other models of the brand, such as the new Toyota Prius or the C-HR. It is what Toyota calls the fourth generation of its hybrid system, which here includes an improved version of the 1.8 Atkinson-cycle engine with 98 hp, and a 72 hp electric motor, as well as other changes affecting the transmission. The total system power is 122 hp, with a maximum torque of 142 Nm at 3,600 rpm.

With this engine, the Corolla reaches a top speed of 180 km/h in any of its versions. The official average consumption is 3.3 litres for the 5-door and the estate, and 3.4 l/100 km for the saloon. The 0 to 100 km/h acceleration is 10.9 seconds for the 5-door, and rises by a tenth with the other two bodies.

The new version is the 180H, with a 2-litre petrol engine producing 152 hp, and a 109 hp electric motor. System power here reaches 180 hp, with a maximum torque of 190 Nm between 4,400 and 5,200 rpm. While keeping the same top speed, this engine clearly improves acceleration, cutting the 125H’s figures by no less than 3 seconds. Official consumption is 3.7 l/100 km for all versions.

An important difference is that, given its more dynamic focus, the 180H includes paddle shifters on the steering wheel, which allow you to simulate the operation of a manual/sequential gearbox with fixed gears. In the 125H version, the driver can only select “B” mode on the lever, in which engine braking is stronger.
Behind the wheel of the new Toyota Corolla
After driving all three body variants of the new Toyota Corolla and both engines, both in town and on country and motorway roads, we can draw some clear first conclusions.

Toyota

has greatly improved the feel and steering response offered by its previous compact hybrid, the Auris. This is a car that feels “more like a car”, if you will excuse the redundancy. The wheels grip the tarmac better, transmitting greater composure, safety and comfort.

It is no Ford Focus or a Seat León, to mention a couple of the references when talking about handling among compacts. But there is no doubt that the new platform makes itself felt, being 60% stiffer and with a centre of gravity 10 mm lower, as well as the work done on tuning the suspension and steering. The latter could be more precise on winding roads, but on long motorway journeys or in town manoeuvres it offers the composure and smoothness needed.

There are no decisive differences in dynamic behaviour when comparing the three body versions, apart from those you would expect from the difference in wheelbase, and the clearly softer damper tuning on the Sedan. The Corolla is an easy car to drive, which conveys safety and more comfort than sportiness.

As with virtually all hybrid cars – some to a greater extent than others – the Corolla also requires you to get used to the feel of the brakes. Remember that during the first part of the pedal travel, the car loses speed through the energy recovery system, until the conventional hydraulic brakes take over.
125h or 180h, which engine to choose?
And the engines? Well, the first thing to say is that Toyota has softened, but not completely eliminated, the

characteristic behaviour of its hybrid engines

, due to the type of transmission used. Yes, when accelerating, the engine keeps revving high, in a way that does not correspond to the gain in speed, which generates noise and a sensation that can become annoying in those phases when you cannot maintain a constant speed.

But now that feeling has been mitigated, especially in the more powerful version, the 180H, which does not need to rev as hard to gain speed, thanks to having more power and more torque. That is not the only reason to prefer the 180H over the 125H, even though when driving in town or in a relaxed manner you do not get the impression that there are actually more than 50 hp of difference between the two.

Another advantage of the 180H is that, in some higher trim versions not available on the 125H, it has additional insulation measures — including acoustic glazing — that make the noise when accelerating less intrusive while driving. Then there is pure performance. The 3 seconds quoted for the official 0–100 km/h figure do not reflect the real difference in response between the two engines when you have to put your foot down, for example to overtake or when tackling a hill.

Finally, in favour of the more powerful engine, there is the paddle-shift function that simulates fixed gears, compared with the single “B” position on the 125H. It is not a decisive factor. But it always provides additional help and makes driving easier to have six different options using the gearbox, for example for engine braking, instead of a single position in which a lot of speed is lost as soon as you lift off the accelerator.

With the drive-mode selector you can choose between the Sport, Normal and Eco modes, as well as the additional “EV” button to force electric mode, which is only possible at low speed (below about 55 km/h) and if the battery has enough charge. There is not much difference between the various modes, either in throttle response or in steering assistance.

As for the factors that affect your wallet, that is, fuel consumption and price, there is far more difference in the latter than in the former. Averaging around 5.5–6 l/100 km is easy with both. On country roads the more powerful one will use somewhat more, but the difference is unlikely to reach 1–1.5 l/100 km, and that is while really working the engine. Being hybrids, both benefit from the advantages that the ECO label provides.

But price and range configuration are decisive. All else being equal, the 180h costs around 2,350 euros more than the 125h, and it is worth thinking carefully. Don’t hesitate if you are looking for performance and dynamism (rather than sporty sensations), or in the case of the Touring Sports if you travel often and will make use of its load capacity.

Then comes the other issue: Toyota associates the less powerful engine with the lower and cheaper trim levels, and reserves the more luxurious and better-equipped — and therefore more expensive — trims for the 180h, so you will need to choose carefully. In principle, with this range configuration, Toyota expects the 125h to take 70% of sales, with the remaining 30% going to the more powerful engine.

These are all the prices across the range, by body style, with the discounts already applied.
Range and prices Toyota Corolla 5-door

125h Active: 20,850 euros

• 125h ActiveTech: 21,150 euros
• 125h Business Plus: 21,850 euros
• 125h Feel!: 22,400 euros
• 180h Feel!: 24,750 euros
• 180h Advance: 27,950 euros
• 180h Advance Luxury: 29,950 euros
• Discounts applied under the current promotion, from 3,000 euros for the 125 h Business Plus, up to 5,250 euros for the Advance Luxury

Range and prices Toyota Corolla Touring Sports

125h Active: 22,100 euros

• 125h ActiveTech: 22,400 euros
• 125h Business Plus: 23,350 euros
• 125h Feel!: 23,650 euros
• 180h Feel!: 26,000 euros
• 180h Advance: 29,450 euros
• 180h Advance Luxury: 31,750 euros
• Discounts applied under the current promotion, from 3,000 euros for the 125 h Business Plus, up to 5,550 euros for the Advance Luxury

Range and prices Toyota Corolla Sedan

125h Business Plus: 21,350 euros

• 125h Active: 21,450 euros
• 125h ActiveTech: 21,750 euros
• 125h Feel!: 23,000 euros
• 125h Advance: 25,900 euros
• Discounts applied under the current promotion, from 4,150 euros for the 125 h Business Plus, up to 4,850 euros for the Advance

Interior and equipment

We cannot finish without reviewing how the new Toyota Corolla has evolved inside. And it has done so with a notable step forward, although a few things have been left on the drawing board.

The design is modern, and the materials are of good quality. I was surprised by

the sporty seats fitted from the Advanced versions onwards, which are magnificent for comfort and support. More storage pockets for emptying your pockets would have been welcome,

As for space, the Corolla is average for its class when it comes to rear seats. The 5-door does not stand out against its rivals in terms of boot space either, whereas the Sedan and the Touring Sports do when compared with similarly bodied cars.

Another area where the Toyota Corolla seems to have fallen slightly behind the competition is the multimedia system. Leaving aside the basic system on the entry-level trim, the rest have an 8-inch touchscreen well positioned high up and close to the steering wheel. But the presentation of the graphics and the operation of some functions do not reach the technological level and sophistication expected.

The same goes for the more advanced instrument cluster, with a 7-inch multifunction display combined with analogue gauges, which falls well short of the quality or customisation possibilities of other digital instrument clusters, such as those offered by models from the Volkswagen Group.

Overall, the equipment is very complete across the five trim levels available — Active, Active Tech, Business Plus, Feel!, Advance and Advance Luxury. Our recommendation is, whenever the budget allows, to opt for the Feel! trim.

As for safety, all Corolla models include as standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.0. This means standard pre-collision system with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, high beam control and lane departure warning. From the Advance trim onwards, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and lane change assist with steering correction are added.

Technical specifications of this car

SedanToyota Corolla12 versions · from 31,400 €