New Toyota Corolla Hybrid Hatch
With both the hatch and sedan, a notable change comes to the engine lineup, with the hatch dropping the 1,2-litre turbo-petrol in favour of the fifth generation 1,8-litre petrol-electric hybrid engine or the 2,0-litre petrol engine.
For the sedan, which already had a hybrid variant – since 2021 – the change is incorporating the newest version of the engine that offers a 14% increase in total system output, upping the stakes from 90 kW to 103 kW.
The 2,0-litre petrol engine also gets a tweak and now offers 126 kW and 203 Nm, while fuel consumption is claimed at 3,5 l/100 km for the hybrid and 6,0 l/100 km for the turbo-petrol with CO2 emissions at 81 g/km and 137 g/km respectively.
For the RAV4, the change is experimental, with Toyota testing the waters ahead of a formal introduction of the plug-in hybrid technology.
The RAv4 Plug-In offers the power and clean efficiency of an EV without the associated range anxiety or charging dependency – a full-hybrid prototype (self-charging, petrol engine backup and extended range) and with the additional performance and pure EV driving mode of a battery electric vehicle (BEV).
Providing the drive is a 2,5-litre petrol powerplant paired with a larger EV battery and two electric motors – driving each of the axles.
The battery is of the Lithium-Ion variety. It supplies 18,1 kW of power from below the passenger compartment.
The petrol engine employs a DOHC design with dual VVT-i, offering 136 kW and 227 Nm. It connects with front and rear electric motors to contribute 134 kW and 40 kW, respectively. Torque is a total system output of 225 kW.
In terms of looks, the hatch sees a widening of the front air dam incorporating C-shaped fog lamp bezels at the outer edges, while Xr models feature bright chrome accent trim.
Revised headlamp clusters feature Bi-LED lighting elements with new larger, J-shaped DRL elements. The DRL and turn-signal functions rely on the same lighting diodes for the first time.
At the back, the lower bumper diffuser is now an all-black design.
Toyota Corolla Hybrid Sedan
The Xs and Xr grades boast new digital Instrument clusters, with Xs models featuring a 7-Inch display with a large centrally housed speedometer and integrated Multi-Information Display (MID). Xr variants receive an all-new 12,3-inch digital display, stretching the width of the panel and offering various display options.
The interior lighting elements now enjoy LED type, and a wireless charger has been added to Xr models, while additional USB chargers – including Type-C format – have also been added.
All Corolla Hatch models come with the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. TSS 3.0 has an Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS) fitted as standard, offering the driver an enhanced version of Rear Cross Traffic Alert by incorporating automatic braking. Another new feature is the Blind Spot Monitor with Safe Exit Assist (SEA) - which uses the camera system to alert occupants of approaching obstacles when exiting the vehicle.
Pricing
Corolla Hatch 1.8 Xs Hybrid - R 481 300
Corolla Hatch 1.8 Xr Hybrid - R 518 000
Corolla Hatch 1.8 Xr Hybrid Bi-tone - R 528 200
Corolla Hatch 2.0 Xr CVT - R 508 400
Corolla Hatch 2.0 Xr CVT Bi-tone - R 518 600
Corolla Sedan
On the Corolla sedan, new horizontal slats in the front bumper replace the current mesh design, and revised headlamp clusters feature Bi-LED lighting elements with new larger, J-shaped DRL elements.
A revised digital instrument cluster on the Xs grade features an enlarged 7-inch Multi-Information Display (MID). Xr variants retain the existing digital instrument cluster but, with a new, black and red interior trim option offering buyers additional personalisation alongside traditional black and all grades now features leather trim.
Toyota Corolla Hybrid Sedan Rearview
Interior lighting receives an upgrade to the LED type and a wireless charger for all models along with additional USB chargers - including Type-C format.
Xs models get a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with capacitive switchgear, and Xr models have a new generation system with Voice Recognition, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and built-in navigation functionality.
Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is a standard across all Corolla models.
Pricing
Corolla 1.8 Xs Hybrid - R 492 700
Corolla 1.8 Xr Hybrid - R 511 600
Corolla 2.0 Xr CVT - R 507 000
All Corolla Hatch models have a 6-services/90 000 km service plan (intervals set at 15 000 km). Petrol models carry a 3-year/100 000 km warranty, while hybrid models hold an 8-year/195 000 km warranty.
RAV4
The plug-in model delivers AWD performance by providing electric drive to both front and rear axles. The petrol engine drives the front axle via a CVT transmission - the E-Four system switches between AWD and 2WD modes depending on usage conditions with a dedicated Trail Mode for increased rear axle torque split.
New RAV4 Hybrid
There are four driving modes, with EV mode as the default setting, prioritising electric-only operation. The vehicle offers a range of up to 80 km in pure EV mode, depending on battery state of charge (SOC) and usage conditions.
HV mode allows the vehicle to operate as a traditional hybrid. And, while the driver can specifically select HV mode, the system will automatically switch should the battery drop below EV mode operation levels.
An Auto EV/HV mode allows the system to switch between pure electric and hybrid modes based on the acceleration input required. The petrol motor option is available online and reverts to electric operation as soon as conditions permit.
Charging Mode is provided to recharge the battery, in which case the system uses the petrol engine to recharge the battery pack. The function comes in handy when a recharging facility is not immediately available. The system switches to HV mode once the hybrid battery is fully recharged.
The recharge happens via Toyota Mode 2 and Mode 3 charging cables. Mode 2 permits home or office charging via conventional AC 220-240V electric outlets.
The average home charge will take between 7 hours and 9 hours. A built-in inverter monitors temperature and current.
Mode 3 permits fast DC charging via dedicated charging stations, drastically reducing charging time to only 2,5 hours when using a 32A, 6,6 kW charger.
The RAV4 Plug-in has a different front bumper grille with a chrome border and accents on the lower apron with a chrome license plate garnishing the rear.
RAV4 Rearview
The plug-in model's interior references the GX-R variant, and the orange accent trim on the leather seats, centre console and dashboard, has been changed to red, with blue illumination. The instrument cluster arrangement sees a dedicated battery state of charge dial in place of a traditional tachometer.
