Home › Small Family Cars › Toyota › Corolla Hatchback

Toyota Corolla Hatchback

View all Toyota models

Toyota Corolla Hatchback Review

Price range:

$20,990 - $30,290

Car Verdict rating:

Good:

The Corolla's body feels solid and well engineered. Nice interior quality and good fuel economy. Now with 7 airbags across the range.

Not so Good:

The four-speed auto transmission is getting a little old. The boot is a little small and the engine would benefit from an increase in torque.

car review

Toyota Corolla Hatchback Competitors

Volkswagen Golf 45 from: $21,990 car review	Hyundai i30 40 from: $19,590 car review	Mazda 3 40 from: $20,330 car review
Kia Cerato 35 from: $20,240 car review	Holden Cruze 35 from: $21,240 car review	Ford Focus 35 from: $21,990 car review

view all competitors

Toyota Corolla Hatchback Review

Design and Engineering	Good	The current shape Corolla went on sale in Australia in May 2007 and is a big improvement over its predecessor. The mid life facelift arrived here at the end of 2009 to keep the Corolla's styling fresh. We quite like the hatchback’s 'minimalist' design – cleanly styled, with no excessive bulging wheel arches or a mish-mash of lines cutting through the panels. The Corolla also feels like a solid and well-engineered vehicle; the door’s close with that decidedly tasty European note rather than the far-too-common 'tinny' sound. Interior size is also a significant improvement over the previous generation.
Design and Engineering	Not so good	Significantly heavier than the previous model (the price you pay for a stronger body?).
Interior and Styling	Good	The centre console is an original design (more commonly seen in European People Mover's than in Australia) with the high-mounted gear lever now closer to the steering wheel (just like in a Porsche Carrera GT Supercar). Interior plastics look and feel like quality - actually the whole interior has a quality feel about it. The front seats are comfortable and suited to a wide range of bodies PLUS lots of useable storage compartments. From October 2010 the entry level Ascent grade now features power rear windows instead of the previous manual winders.
Interior and Styling	Not so good	A boot space of less than 300 litres is on the small side (however, the rear seats can be folded down to increase cargo carrying capacity).
Performance	Good	1.8L Petrol engine generates 100kW of power; whilst not class-leading it is sufficient for the vast majority of buyers looking for a small family car.
Performance	Not so good	Engine could do with more low-down torque, (i.e. a turbo diesel, which Toyota are unlikely to release in Australia anytime soon); four-speed auto not as competent/fancy as a growing number of competitors offering five and even six-speeds automatic gearboxes.
Ride and Handling	Good	Whilst the suspension is relatively basic in its design, on the road it works quite well and gives the hatch fine handling. The strong brakes work well on tarmac and gravel.
Ride and Handling	Not so good	Not the sportiest handling vehicle in the Small class; more body roll than some (however, this contributes to a comfortable ride when travelling straight). Steering could offer greater feedback. We prefer the Corolla’s low speed handling than at highway speeds.
Buying and Owning	Good	Fuel consumption is impressive for a small family car powered by a 1.8L petrol engine. It's nice to see a full-size spare tyre, rather than a space-saver, as Australians tend to drive higher-than-average kilometres. From late 2009, Electronic Stability Control (Toyota refer to this technology as VSC) and side airbags was standardised on all Corolla hatches – both important safety features. October 2010 update sees lower pricing and even higher safety features with even the entry level Ascent grade including full-length curtain and driver's knee airbags (so all Corolla's now come with 7 airbags as standard).
Buying and Owning	Not so good	Luggage space is only on-par, could be better.