Toyota Corolla Hatchback Review 2024
The Toyota Corolla is a stylish hatchback and one of the world's best-selling cars offering excellent handling, reliability, comfort and is enjoyable to drive. The Corolla is also great if you want a vehicle with low running costs but also want to avoid a diesel engine.
Rivals to the Toyota Corolla include the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Skoda Octavia, Kia Niro, Vauxhall Astra and Hyundai Ioniq.
Our Toyota Corolla Hatchback review covers:
- Distinctive and strikingly sharp exterior with a low bonnet and impressive wide grille
- Smart and well-made interior with subtle polished metal lines
- 361-litre boot, which expands to 1,052 litres with the rear seats folded
- Choice between a 1.8 or 2.0-litre petrol hybrid powertrain
- Four trim levels available, including Icon, Design, Excel and GR Sport
The Toyota Corolla has an eye-catching design with its distinctive, strikingly sharp exterior and bi-tone paint options. The low hood increases the driver's field of vision, adding to the sharp silhouette with a sporty wide grille and distinctive LED headlamps.
Inside the Toyota Corolla, you get a much plusher cabin than its rivals, such as the Ford Focus, with subtle polished metal lines used throughout. As for space inside, there's a generous amount of head and legroom for passengers to get comfortable. Room inside the Corolla is on par with the Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus however, if you are after more space, the Skoda Octavia may be a better option.
The Corolla has a 361-litre boot which expands to 1,052 litres with the rear seats folded. The 2.0-litre version's boot shrinks to 313 litres due to a larger battery for its hybrid system that occupies more space in the boot floor. All variants have good access to the back seats and Isofix points on the outer rear seats.
The Corolla's overall interior looks great and is easy to use, but the infotainment system could be improved as it's a tad clunky. However, it's hard to fault the build quality and materials used inside. There's also great attention to detail with subtle polished metal lines that make the cabin look upmarket, like inside a Volkswagen Golf.
An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard on all Corolla models, and it is mounted on top of the centre console so that you hardly have to move to look at the display. Unfortunately, the new Corolla doesn't yet support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto as standard, so the factory-installed Sat-nav is the only option if you want navigation.
Four trim levels are available, including Icon, Design, Excel and GR Sport.
The Icon model is equipped with features such as 16-inch Silver Metallic Alloy wheels with a 5-double-spoke design, the Toyota Safety Sense package with updates available over-the-air, a 10.5-inch multimedia system named Toyota Smart Connect +, which supports wireless smartphone integration including Apple CarPlay, in addition to Toyota Smart Connect + with navigation, a 12.3-inch Combimeter display, LED multi-reflector headlights, LED front fog lights, and a wireless charging pad for mobile phones.
The Design model boasts 17-inch Black Machined-face Alloy wheels with a 5-double-spoke design, LED dual-beam projector headlights, a system for smart entry and push-button ignition, automatic windshield wipers, mirrors on the doors that heat automatically and can be retracted, auto-dimming mirror inside for the rearview, ambient lighting in white for the front cup holders and tray, and privacy tinting on the rear windows which also filters UV rays.
The Excel model comes with 18-inch Bi-tone Dark Grey & Machined-face Alloy wheels in a 5-double-spoke design, a Head-Up Display (HUD), an Adaptive High-beam System (AHS), a Blind Spot Monitor with Safe Exit Assist, an alert system for rear cross traffic that includes automatic braking, heated sport seats for the driver and front passenger, a driver's seat with power-adjustable lumbar support, and sensors for parking in both the front and rear that include an automatic braking feature.
The GR Sport model is outfitted with 18-inch Gloss Black Machined-face Alloy wheels in a 10-spoke design, a 10.5-inch Toyota Smart Connect + multimedia system supporting wireless smartphone integration including Apple CarPlay, sensors for parking in the front and rear with automatic braking, a 3-spoke leather steering wheel perforated and accented with red stitching and satin chrome, a GR SPORT version of the push-button start, scuff plates branded with GR SPORT, a driver's seat with power-adjustable lumbar support, and door mirrors that are heated and can retract automatically.
You can choose between a 1.8 or 2.0-litre petrol hybrid powertrain. Both engines have low emissions, making them cheap to run, and each gets an automatic gearbox that's smooth when driving around town.
Both hybrid engines are nippy despite their eco-friendly credentials. The 1.8-litre hybrid Corolla can do 0-60mph at 11.4 seconds. That's two seconds slower than a non-hybrid Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI but still a decent time for a hatchback.
The Corolla's robust structure and low centre of gravity enable a smooth, effortless drive with strength and precision. These come together, resulting in exceptional handling and stability.
Overall, the Toyota Corolla is an excellent car that looks great, is comfortable, fun to drive and comes with loads of kit for a reasonable price.
Prices for the new Toyota Corolla Hatchback start from £29,289.00 OTR* or to lease from £310.12 per month.
Want to know more about leasing the Toyota Corolla Hatchback? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the largest car leasing providers in the UK. All of our leasing deals include the manufacturer's warranty, road tax for the duration of the lease, breakdown cover, and free mainland GB delivery (exclusions apply).
Plus, with fixed monthly rentals, a low initial outlay and flexible mileage and contract terms, leasing a Toyota Corolla Hatchback might be cheaper than buying outright with a bank loan or dealer finance.
*'On the road' price is correct at the time of publication and includes one year's road fund licence, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change. Always check with your nearest retailer.
