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Toyota unveils the 2023 Corolla, which benefits from a design update and a new 5th generation hybrid engine.
The Toyota Corolla is one of the best-selling cars in the world with more than 50 million copies sold since it rolled off the production line in 1966. And this success seems set to last thanks to the new version of this best -global seller. By the way, the Toyota Corolla is the only car to surpass the one million unit sales mark annually in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Light restyling
The new Corolla benefits from a slightly revamped line, which refines its features with changes made to the mesh pattern of the grille, the bezels around the fog lamps and the alloy wheels. The higher finishes benefit from new bi-LED headlights. The top-of-the-range versions are also equipped with adaptive high beams.
Two new shades are appearing with Blue Juniper, which incorporates subtle red reflections, and the new Gray Atlas, which has silver accents. Inside, the redesigned Corolla features new trim pieces and revised graphics for its infotainment system. The main change lies in the new 10.5-inch screen taking place above the ventilation grilles of the dashboard and which receives a new anti-reflective treatment.
Improved infotainment and safety features
On the driver’s side, the instrument cluster receives a new 12.3-inch panel that can be customized according to four different modes: Casual, Smart, Sport and Tough. The voice assistant is optimized to better understand natural language and to control the multimedia system or certain vehicle functions such as opening or closing the windows.
The new Corolla comes standard with a four-year subscription to Toyota Smart Connect, providing access to connected navigation and real-time traffic information.
In addition to the Toyota T-Mate safety pack, which combines the latest generation Toyota Safety Sense aids with other active driving and parking assistance systems, this Corolla 2023 gets some improvements like the sensitivity reduction system of the accelerator in the context of a proven frontal collision, the lane assist, which is now able to react to oncoming vehicles, a collision avoidance aid when the vehicle is turning at an intersection and a assistance in reducing speed in curves and avoiding side collisions.
5th generation hybrid powertrain
The new Corolla is equipped with the fifth generation of the Toyota hybrid system. The 1.8 and 2.0 liters are still relevant, but benefit from modifications intended to improve the driving experience. The cumulative power of the 1.8-litre hybrid engine is now 140 hp (compared to 122 hp today), which improves acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h by 1.7 seconds, to 9. 2 seconds. The cumulative power of the 2.0-litre hybrid engine now reaches 196 hp (against 184 hp), and nearly half a second has been gained from 0 to 100 km/h, bringing it down to 7.5 seconds. Despite these gains, the manufacturer claims to have managed to save 3 g/km of CO2 emissions in the combined cycle.
The GR Sport finish will be available with new 18-inch alloy wheels and a new rear bumper with redesigned lower protection. The seats are given a new finish with the GR logo embossed in the headrest and a new micro-hexagon pattern in the silver ribbons woven around the edges of the backrest and seat. A GR logo was also added to the start push button.
Pricing for this Corolla update has yet to be disclosed, but it will go on sale in early 2023.