Toyota Corolla Review, Specs & Performance
The Toyota Corolla is a great value family car that's not only good looking but is also packed with equipment. It's available as either a hatchback, saloon or touring sports - and only in hybrid guise. Compare our Corolla lease deals available for 2022.
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Overview of the Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla offers drivers not only a long equipment list but also great handling to impress. The new self-charging model is stylish and spacious and is a British-built hatchback delivering refinement and reliability.
Why choose a Toyota Corolla?
The engines for the Toyota Corolla car lease range are hybrids including a 1.8-litre petrol engine delivering 138 bhp and there’s a new 2.0-litre hybrid producing 193 bhp. The smaller engine will sprint from 0 to 62 mph in less than 11 seconds, while the more powerful unit will be doing the distance in under eight seconds.
The power is delivered using a CVT gearbox and Toyota has added steering wheel-mounted paddles to deliver swift and smooth gear changes when necessary.
And rather than follow rivals in offering a plug-in hybrid, this is a self-charging car that uses the petrol engine with the battery being topped up whenever the brakes are used. The electric motor will then help boost performance of fuel efficiency - and can be used in all-electric mode for short distances.
The 1.8-litre unit delivers enough performance for everyday use, particularly around town, and it also performs well on motorways. The larger unit delivers a more sparkling performance with more power for overtaking. The emissions for the 1.8-litre version are just 102g/km, and its fuel economy is around 60 mpg.
Toyota Corolla in a nutshell
The new Toyota Corolla car lease range offers a great family car and a vehicle that will appeal to company car drivers. This British-built offering has great build quality and impressive handling, certainly among the best in its segment.
What to expect when you lease a Toyota Corolla
The ride is comfortable and there’s lots of refinement in the cabin to make it a standout offering among rivals. The body styles include the five-door hatchback, a touring sports estate and the saloon version. There are five trim levels for the hatchback, seven for the estate and three for the saloon.
The Corolla offers precise steering and good feedback from the road which means that the car feels composed at higher speeds; it always feels stable and grips when cornering.
Around town, the Corolla is very quiet when using battery power, and even when the petrol engine is used, it still a refined and quiet car to drive.
The lower trim versions come with a 7.0-inch display behind the steering wheel, while the better spec versions have a 12.3-inch digital cluster. It’s easy to configure and switch between hybrid and media displays. The satnav and infotainment display uses a 10.5-inch touchscreen that is easy to reach and use. It’s a quick system and most models have satnav as standard. The system also adds Bluetooth connectivity and DAB radio and there’s an option to upgrade to a JBL sound system in some models.
The interior is well-designed and a comfortable place to spend time, and everything has been screwed together really well. The materials used are high quality and the Corolla has been designed for lots of robust use.
Standard equipment includes dual-zone climate control, dusk-sensing headlights, heated and power-folding door mirrors, heated front seats and adaptive cruise control. Other models come with parking sensors and satnav, while the top models add auto-dimming rear-view mirror, 17-inch alloys and privacy glass.
The previous version of the Corolla scored five stars when crash tested by Euro NCAP and the new model is packed with safety kit, including traffic-sign recognition, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring. There’s also plenty of space in the rear seats for tall adults and lots of storage dotted around the cabin. The boot size in the hatchback is 361 litres, it’s slightly smaller for the 2.0-litre engine versions, and with the rear seats folded flat, the boot size increases to 1,270 litres.
Essentially, the Toyota Corolla car lease range offers a stylish and well-built car that is packed with equipment and safety features, and it’s a great choice for families and company car drivers wanting comfort, fuel economy and a rewarding car to drive.