Page 11 - Motoring Spring 2021

TOYOTA COROLLA HYBRID SPECIAL PRE-LAUNCH TEST

do as little work as possible, thus achieving
amazing fuel economy. Total combined
power output is around 110kW
Economy is what this model is all about.
Early in the test period we took a road trip
to Parys. Cruising at 120km/h on the
freeways, we returned from a 300km cruise
showing 4.0l/100km and the fuel gauge with
still lots of fuel. The rest of the week involved
another 300km of normal urban driving and
I was amazed to see that when the car was
collected it was showing 4.1l/100km overall.
An added bonus was the fuel gauge still
reading above half.
My experience is that the Corolla Hybrid
is best suited to a very relaxed driving
style, whether cruising on the open road or
commuting daily. It was interesting to see
the ËV mode light flash on from time to time
when cruising at 120km/h which prompted
me to lift my right foot to ease the pressure
on the accelerator. Yet, with the superb 12th
generation platform, the car still handles
extremely well when adding a bit of verve
while driving through a mountain pass.
I must admit to having found previous
generations of the Corolla somewhat dull
and boring. This is certainly not true of the
latest generation. Anyway, who am I to
disagree with over 50 million Corolla buyers?
Pricing is not available yet, but with the
current top model selling for R460 200,00,
the Hybrid will carry a premium and perhaps
be somewhere between this and the current
Prius price tag of R577 700,00. n

MOTORING | Spring 2021 | 9