Toyota will offer the Corolla sedan as a hybrid. The announcement comes just after the all-new 2020 Corolla sedan was unveiled, which is what the new hybrid model will be based on. But Toyota is keeping all the U.S.-spec details close to its chest until the car's debut at the Los Angeles auto show at the end of November, so we don't have specs or photos for the hybrid yet.
The Corolla hybrid bound for sale in China has been revealed, though, and the one coming to America should look nearly identical. (Pictured above is the China-market Corolla hybrid sedan.) The only styling differences between the standard Corolla sedan and the hybrid will likely be blue-ringed Toyota emblems and some special badging. Like the Camry hybrid, the Corolla hybrid could be offered in an SE trim to bring the same aggressive styling elements found on the nonhybrid SE and XSE Corolla sedan trims.
We expect that the Corolla hybrid will use the same 2.0-liter inline-four engine found in the higher trim levels of the standard sedan. That new Dynamic Force engine was designed from the outset to be used in hybrids, and it powers the Europe-market hybrid Corolla hatch. In that application, the powertrain makes 180 horsepower and uses a six-speed automatic transmission. The Euro Corolla also is offered with a less powerful hybrid setup that uses an older 1.8-liter engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT); the U.S.-spec Corolla hybrid could use this setup instead.
The Corolla hybrid will be a good choice for those who want excellent fuel economy in a compact car without resorting to the funky styling of a Toyota Prius or a Hyundai Ioniq. The Corolla's closest competitor will be the new Honda Insight, which is based on the Civic—the standard Corolla's biggest target—and is similarly very mainstream in design. The most efficient versions of the Insight are rated at 52 mpg combined, which is surely a number Toyota will try to beat with the new Corolla.
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