Corolla Hybrid?

There's two scenarios in which I could see it happening under the Corolla nameplate. (I phrase it like that because the CT 200h basically is a Corolla iM (hatchback) hybrid, and the Prius Liftback is rather close to a Corolla sedan hybrid in role.)

The first scenario is if the Gen 5 Prius no longer has a non-plug-in model - basically, the Prime being the only model of Prius. In that case, I could see the hybrid powertrain being made an option on the Corolla line.

The second scenario is if import duties on Japanese cars are raised. In that case, Prius volume to the US market likely is too low to justify local production, so the Corolla sedan would likely get a hybrid powertrain instead, just like how it gets one in the Chinese market where import duties are currently too high on Japanese cars for the Prius to be viable (and in fact, the Gen 4 is not sold there). Conversely, in the European market, the Auris (Corolla iM) has a hybrid variant that's cheaper than and more popular than the Prius, but as it's also smaller than the Prius, there's still a niche for the Prius (especially as a taxi) in that market.

 

The Gen 4 Prius is larger inside than the Corolla. I think it is closer to the Camry.
I bought a Prius instead of a Corolla after realizing we needed more inside space than our 2008 Corolla for a pending dog purchase. We tested the crate in the Corolla and found it lacking, compared to the Prius.

 

The cargo configuration of the Prius is better, but the current (2014+) Corolla sedan got bigger, and is similar in size to the Gen 3 Prius that it's closely related to.

 

not until gas prices go up.

 

That is much better than my 2008 Corolla.

 

Toyota is usually extremely conservative, after all - hence the US Corolla's engine lineup being all 1.8 liter 4-cylinders (although Valvematic is a surprising one for them to try in the US market) with port injection and no turbos. The 4-speed automatics have been quite reliable and are likely cheap to make, and they didn't need much more to meet fuel economy standards of the time, so why do better?

 

The Toyota Yaris still has a 4 spd auto.

 

That's partially because it's a class of car that sells very poorly, and buyers of it care about minimum purchase price above all else, even efficiency. I mean, the Fiesta is being discontinued in the US because we don't buy enough of them to even bother bringing the new generation - I wouldn't be surprised if we lose the Yaris entirely (except for maybe the Yaris iA, seeing as it's actually a rebadged Mazda2) when the Yaris actually moves to TNGA, especially because the US is currently getting French-built Yarises - that plant won't want to stay on old Yaris production.

The US/Canadian-spec car has an entire automatic powertrain that dates back to 1999, in the 2000 Echo - the 1NZ-FE and U340E (and, the 1NZ family dates back to 1997, with the NHW10 Prius).

Conversely, a new automatic 1.5 liter Yaris in Europe has the much newer, more efficient 2NR-FKE (a family from 2008, a variant from 2015), with I believe the K411 CVT (from 2010). (The base engine is the 1KR-FE, but that's a 1.0 liter 3-cylinder, designed by Daihatsu, that we'd never get, and is manual only, and the other choice is the 1NZ-FXE and P510 that we get in the Prius c.) That's because that's a class that actually sells well there, and warrants investment.

 

https://www-caranddriver-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.caranddriver.com/news/amp26522505/toyota-corolla-hybrid-vs-honda-insight/?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCCAE%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.caranddriver.com%2Fnews%2Fa26522505%2Ftoyota-corolla-hybrid-vs-honda-insight%2F

 

i was wr, wro, wrong

 

Report: 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Will Replace the Prius C - The Fast Lane Car