Will Hybrid Corolla make Prius Better?

That's a tantalizing question. I do realize that the Corolla hybrid is just a presumably small part of the bigger "Corolla picture," but I wonder if maybe, in part, Toyota was trying to put some distance between the Corolla and the Prius. If the new car had maintained the older one's size, there'd have been an argument that the Prius was, in effect, a Corolla hybrid wagon. Clearly that's not the case. The Prius is a substantially larger car now. Still trying to understand the pattern, if there is one.

 

AND, the new Corolla hybrid is also ~200 lbs lighter than the Prius, so I suppose it's going to be a bit quicker. I'd happily take the size back, but that's just my opinion.

 

They did the same with the Hatch. I've just glanced at the latest WheelsMagazine road-test comparison of medium hatches - it came last - though they said it drove well, but, space was unimpressive. Both back seat and worst, the boot.

They've lost the plot. Corolla sales are down markedly here.

 

Perhaps Toyota is trying to reverse their tendency to make their models larger over time.
The Corolla now is larger than the older Camry.

 

In the UK and Europe, Toyota punt the Corolla as their C-segment car (replacing the old Auris) and the Prius as their D-segment car (unofficially replacing the old Avensis).

 

For us in Finland they are replacing Avensis Wagon with Corolla Wagon. Saying that space is almost same etc.
Corolla Wagon will be successful here as we are wagon nation.

 

Indeed. Maybe they should just call it "Corollis" or maybe "Yarolla" -- pretty like a Corolla and cramped like a Yaris!!!

 

Hello, NM here.
I don't understand how the passenger volume decreased. When I compare a 2019 Corolla with a 2020 model, the dimensions are pretty much identical. Definitely not a 10 cu ft difference. Any ideas?

 

Ryan: The 2019 data in the upper portion of your posted image doesn't match the current info on Toyota.com. The lower portion IS from Toyota.com, but instead of the "dimensions" sub-page, you need to look at the "capacities" sub-page, below the one you have on their list. Here's a capture of THAT page and its data.


Also, as I indicated earlier, I actually questioned Toyota about this via email, and they confirmed that the new 2020 model is in fact down to 88.6 cubic feet of interior passenger volume. Check this (apologies for the size...):

 

Apologies, I'm having posting problems. The following is the link to the proper sub-page on Toyota.com where you can see the new, correct 88.6 cubic foot interior space for the 2020 Corolla. Also, Toyota confirmed this size reduction to my by email. 2020 Toyota Corolla Specs & Options . Scroll down to "Weights/Capacities", the info is there.

EDIT: I seem to be having "technical difficulties" today. At least now I can see my prior post. Anyone know why my posted pics are coming out so small and barely readable?

Let's try this:

 

Just poor execution. I presume you're talking about a sedan?? With the hatch, its bigger outside, but smaller inside - crazy.

Someone blamed it on the new space-hogging rear suspension - not sure, I haven't looked.

 

Here's a depressing way to spin it: the new Corolla offers essentially the same passenger volume as a 2000 Toyota Echo* -- and the old Echo had one more cubic foot of trunk volume!** I've got a bad feeling about this. . .

* 88.6 vs 88.0
** 13 vs 14.

 

Back to the OP's original question: Will the Hybrid Corolla make the Prius better? I just noticed this intriguing and encouraging detail of the Hybrid Corolla:


Suddenly, I noticed that the Hybrid Corolla actually has a tachometer! It's not an incredibly huge thing, but the lack of tach has grated on me since I got my first Prius, and my Hybrid Camry (09) didn't have one either. I solve the problem using a Scangauge. It's nice to see that Toyota has finally decided we're steady enough not to have a nervous breakdown when we actually observe the rpms in one of their hybrids. Mabye this will eventually spread to the other cars too, and that would be a nice, solid, if relatively small, improvement!

 

that's beautiful

 

Personally, I can't see the point.

Yes, on a Manual so you can match revs when you down-change.

Maybe on a normal automatic (or one of those awful twin-clutches) so you can manually select a gear.

But on a PRIUS - the revs move all over the place continually, and a tachometer is meaningless. I know that it won't over-rev, and if it decides to spin MG2 high and just idle ICE - or vice-versa, there's nothing I can do about it - I just drive.

 

Alan, I understand your perspective, and I was almost ready to accept that explanation at the beginning -- until I installed the Scangauge and started seeing the rpm response myself. Yes, it's almost totally different from that of a conventional car, but once you learn what the car is telling you by where the rpms fall, and how quickly they move, you can see that it's far from meaningless. Without a tach, it's essentially a case of "you don't know what you don't know." Of course, as most have done since the Prius appeared, one can happily and safely operate a Toyota hybrid without a tach. So no, it's not essential. But having driven hybrids for over a dozen years WITH a tach, I'm pleased to see a neat, clean built-in ANALOG setup.

 

An example of a little "tach trick" I use fairly often: If I'm trying to extend an EV run (you know, trying to make the driveway without one last ICE start...), I'll focus more on the rpm readout on the SG. The very first indication I'll get of an ICE start is to see the rpms begin to spin up from zero. That indication comes a split second before I can hear, see or feel any other indication. If I back off the gas immediately it will usually abort the ICE start. Obviously, if the batt is just too low, or some other triggering parameter has gone out of limits, this won't work, but often it does. Again, non-essential, but part of the fun of this car is tweaking it like this to minimize fuel burn.

 

At this point, I feel like Prius is obsolete, adding e-AWD isn't going to help. Toyota Canada just updated the price and top spec Corolla Hybrid is significantly cheaper than FWD Prius equivalent.

 

...and from what I'm reading the Corolla Hybrid actually has a spare tire!

 

If you assume that its ONLY purpose was to introduce the gas-electric hybrid concept, then you might sensibly argue the obsolescence of the Prius. You'd still get substantial push back from many of us who find it anything but obsolete. It is a versatile, reliable hatchback that has improved with each of the four generations introduced. Four generations too many? Then strike both the Camry and Corolla -- those two have been around waaaaay longer than the Prius, and for many more generations, and they are at least as "stagnant" as you can ever accuse the Prius of being.

The Corolla, hybrid or conventional, should cost less than a Prius. It's a smaller car with substantially less capability than a Prius. As I noted in an earlier post, the new Corolla has the same passenger space as an old 2000 Toyota Echo, and a slightly smaller trunk too. For both passenger room, and cargo handling, the Corolla is simply no match at all for the Prius.