Review: Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid (2018-on)

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• Fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain
• Good ride quality and competent body control
• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and LED headlights fitted as standard

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• Less powerful than E180 Corolla Hybrid
• Poor rear seat leg and head room
• Limited cargo space
• Blind Spot Monitoring should be standard across the range
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto not available

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Overview

Released in Australia in August 2018, the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid was a five-door hatchback. Manufactured in Miyagi, Japan, the front-wheel drive Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid was powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that was mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). As per the table below, the E210 Corolla Hybrid hatchback range consisted of Ascent Sport, SX and ZR variants.

E210 Corolla Hybrid: 2ZR-FXE engine

Shared with the Toyota XW50 Prius , the 1798 cc 2ZR-FXE engine had a die-cast aluminium alloy block, an alloy cylinder head, multi-point fuel injection, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, Toyota’s ‘Variable Valve Timing with intelligence’ (VVT-i), cooled exhaust gas recirculation, direct ignition and a compression ratio of 13.0:1. As an Atkinson cycle engine, the 2ZR-FXE had a higher expansion ratio than a conventional Otto cycle engine, making the expansion stroke longer than the compression stroke.

The 2ZR-FXE engine ran on 91 RON unleaded petrol and, over the combined ADR 81/02 test cycle, fuel consumption for the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid was 4.2 litres per 100 km (compared to 3.4 litres per 100 km for the XW50 Prius ). According to Toyota, the 2ZR-FXE engine achieved a thermal efficiency of 40 per cent, the highest in the world. [su_table responsive=”yes”]

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Hybrid components

The transaxle of the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid housed four components:

• Motor-generator #1 (MG1): served primarily as a generator, converting surplus power from the petrol engine into electricity which could be stored in the hybrid battery. MG1 also served as the engine’s starter motor;
• Motor-generator #2 (MG2): the electric drive motor which also acted as a generator when the car was in regenerative braking mode. MG2 powered the car from start-up, at low speeds and in EV (electric vehicle) mode; it was also the sole propulsion method when the vehicle was in reverse;
• A single planetary gear; and,
• A reduction gear to the final drive.

The Power Control Unit (PCU) housed the inverter/voltage booster, a DC/DC converter for auxiliary power and the electronic control for the motor-generators. Instead of a belt-driven alternator, the E210 Corolla Hybrid used a DC/DC converter to recharge the 12-volt auxiliary battery by drawing power from the hybrid battery.

Body and dimensions

Based on the ‘Toyota New Global Architecture’ (TNGA), the E210 Corolla Hybrid was underpinned by Toyota’s GA-C platform which was shared with the Toyota C-HR and XW50 Prius . The body of the E210 Corolla Hybrid achieved a 60 per cent increase in torsional rigidity, yet was also lighter due to the increased use of aluminium and high-strength steels. To reduce mass, the composite tailgate was made from Toyota Super Olefin Polymer and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. Kerb weights for the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid ranged from 1360 kg to 1400 kg.

Compared to the Toyota E180 Corolla Hybrid hatch , the E210 Corolla Hybrid hatch was 45 mm longer (at 4375 mm), 30 mm wider (1790 mm), 40 mm lower (1435 mm) and had a 40 mm longer wheelbase (2640 mm).

Suspension and steering

The Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid had MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension.

The E210 Corolla Hybrid had rack-and-pinion steering with electric power assistance. The steering also featured an ‘active cornering assist system’ which used the actuators and sensors of the electronic stability control system to apply brake force to the front inside wheel when cornering to reduce understeer.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid included dual front airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, front seat-mounted side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.

As standard, the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid was equipped with the following ‘Toyota Safety Sense’ safety technologies:

• Pre-Collision System (PCS) with pedestrian detection and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB): operating at speeds above 10 km/h, PCS used a front-mounted monocular camera sensor and millimetre-wave radar sensor to detect vehicles and pedestrians on the road ahead, during the day or at night; cyclists could also be detected during daylight. If there was a collision risk, the driver would receive an audible warning and a ‘Brake’ message would be shown on the multi-information display. In its second stage, Pre-Collision Brake Assist would prepare the braking system so that it would respond faster if the brake pedal was depressed. If the driver did not react and a collision was imminent, maximum braking force would be applied automatically to reduce the severity of the collision;
• Active Cruise Control (ACC): using the same millimetre-wave radar as PCS, ACC could maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead when cruise control was active – for models with CVTs, this included applying the brakes to bring the vehicle to rest if necessary and accelerating back to the pre-selected cruising speed when safe to do so;
• Lane Trace Assist with steering assist and lane centring: Lane Trace Assist operated when Active Cruise Control was engaged and used the forward-facing camera to detect lane markings. Lane Trace Assist would then provide steering assistance to keep the vehicle in the centre of its lane, even on curved roads. Where lane markings were not visible, Lane Trace Assist used the position of the vehicle ahead so that the E210 Corolla Hybrid would follow its path;
• Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with steering assist: used the windscreen-mounted camera to monitor the vehicle’s position relative to lane markings on the road surface. If the vehicle was about to depart from its lane without the turn indicator having been applied, an audible tone would alert the driver and a warning would appear in the multi-information display. If the vehicle continued to move outside its lane, light steering force would be applied to encourage the driver to move back into the lane. LDA also included a sway warning function that would prompt the driver to take a break if the system detected that the vehicle was drifting within its lane due to driver inattention;
• Automatic High Beam: operating at speeds above 30 km/h, Automatic High Beam would automatically switch between low and high beam lighting according to ambient light conditions. As such, Automatic High Beam used the windscreen-mounted camera to detect the headlights of oncoming vehicles or traffic ahead and, if detected, would automatically switch to low beam to avoid dazzling other road users; and,
• Road Sign Assist (RSA): the windscreen-mounted camera could recognise speed limit signs so that the speed limit would be displayed on the multi-information display (MID) in the instrument cluster.

The Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid SX and ZR were further equipped with a Blind Spot Monitor which used radar sensors mounted on the rear corners to detect vehicles up to 60 metres behind the E210 Corolla Hybrid and in adjacent lanes. If detected, the driver would be alerted to their presence by the illumination of LED warning indicators in the door mirror on the side of the E210 Corolla Hybrid, and the LEDs would remain illuminated while there was another vehicle in the driver’s blind spot. If the driver operated the indicators to move into the lane where there was another vehicle in the driver’s blind spot, the LEDs would flash rapidly.

From October 2019, the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid SX and ZR were equipped with –

• Parking Support Brake (PKSB): operating at reversing speeds up to 15 km/h, PKSB used the rear radar sensors to detect stationary objects and crossing rear vehicles that posed a collision hazard. If a collision risk was detected, PKSB would initially reduce driving force. In its second stage, PKSB could apply the brakes to stop the vehicle; and,
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA): used the rear radar sensors to detect approaching traffic when the vehicle was reversing out of a parking space. If detected, the driver would be alerted by a warning buzzer, LED indicators on the door mirrors and an icon in the rear view camera image.

Wheels, tyres and brakes

The Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid Ascent Sport and SX had 16 x 7.0J alloy wheels with 205/55 R16 tyres; the Corolla Hybrid ZR, however, had 18 x 8.0J alloy wheels with 225/40 R18 tyres. While the Corolla Hybrid Ascent Sport and SX had a temporary spare wheel, the Corolla Hybrid ZR had a tyre repair kit.

The Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid hatch had 283 mm by 22 mm ventilated front brake discs and 265 mm by 10 mm solid rear discs.

Features: Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid Ascent Sport

Standard features for the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid Ascent Sport included a six speaker sound system, an eight-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and voice recognition, ‘Toyota Link’ apps, 3.5 mm auxiliary and USB inputs, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, LED headlights, rear fog lamps, a reversing camera, 60/40 split and folding rear seats, remote central locking with proximity key, power adjustable and heated door mirrors, power windows, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, a height adjustable driver’s seat, push-button start, an electronic park brake, a seven-inch multi-information display (MID, in the instrument cluster), a 12 volt accessory socket, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

As a $1000 extra-cost option, the Corolla Hybrid Ascent Sport could be specified with satellite navigation (including SUNA live traffic updates) and privacy glass.

Features: Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid SX

Compared to the Corolla Hybrid Ascent Sport, the Corolla Hybrid SX was further equipped with a digital radio tuner (DAB+), satellite navigation with SUNA live traffic updates, an enhanced touchscreen interface (for pinch, swipe and flick gestures), wireless mobile phone charger, dual-zone climate control, front fog lights, steering wheel gearshift paddles, proximity key (i.e. keyless entry), push-button start, ‘premium’ steering wheel and gearshift lever, privacy glass and rear USB port.

Features: Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid ZR

The range-topping Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid ZR was distinguished by its eight-speaker JBL sound system, leather accented and suede seat trim, sports front seats with adjustable lumbar support for the driver’s seat, bi-LED headlamps, colour head-up display, seven-inch colour multi-information display (instrument cluster), electrochromatic rear-view mirror and ambient lighting.

October 2019 update

In October 2019, standard features for the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid were extended to include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. Furthermore, the Corolla ZR gained an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat. As an extra-cost option, the Corolla ZR could be specified with a two-tone paint finish with a black roof, pillars, and hatch-top spoiler.

As noted under ‘Safety equipment’, the Toyota E210 Corolla Hybrid SX and ZR were equipped with Parking Support Brake (PKSB) and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA) from October 2019.

Related links

• Toyota Pressroom: 2018 Toyota Corolla hatch (August 2018)