Toyota Corolla Hybrid interior & comfort

The Corolla boasts cleanly designed and well put-together interior, although unsurprisingly for a Toyota, it's not the last word in luxurious sophistication inside.

Toyota Corolla Hybrid dashboard

An instrument panel 24mm slimmer than that of the Auris, combined with a wider and higher centre console, gives the driver a 'cocooned' feel in the Corolla. There's a seven-inch screen built into the driver's instruments (4.2 inches on the entry-level car), as well as a large, eight-inch touchscreen mounted prominently in the centre of the dashboard, giving access to the Toyota Touch 2 multimedia infotainment system.

Equipment, options & accessories

The Corolla Hybrid is available in four trim levels in the UK: Icon, Icon Tech, Design and Excel. However, the Icon and Icon Tech are only available with the 1.8-litre hybrid drivetrain (as well as a non-hybrid 1.2-litre petrol). Design is available with both of those engines as well as the more powerful 2.0-litre hybrid, while the range-topping Excel is hybrid-only, available with either the 1.8- or 2.0-litre setups.

Standard features on the entry-level Icon include 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, heated front seats, the Toyota Touch 2 touchscreen multimedia infotainment system with an eight-inch dashboard screen and a 4.2-inch screen in front of the driver. A reversing camera, DAB digital radio and dual-zone air-conditioning are included, too.

The Icon Tech adds sat nav and voice control, and increases the driver's screen size to seven inches, as well as adding parking sensors and a parking assistance system. We think these useful extras are worth paying more for.

Design makes the Corolla more stylish with the addition of 17-inch alloy wheels, along with rain-sensing wipers, power-adjustable heated door mirrors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rear privacy glass, LED front foglights and an optional opening panoramic roof.

The Excel is the best-equipped Corolla in the range, offering 18-inch alloys, bi-LED headlights, smart entry, sports seats, part-leather upholstery, an optional eight-speaker premium stereo and optional bi-tone paint finish.

Infotainment, apps & sat nav

Toyota's Touch 2 touchscreen multimedia infotainment system is standard across the Corolla range, however the entry-level Icon does without the sat-nav function, so it's definitely worth upgrading to Icon Tech for that, as well as the larger driver's screen behind the steering wheel.

A reversing camera is also standard on all models, along with six-speaker stereo, DAB and FM radio receivers, an auxiliary socket, a USB port and Bluetooth connectivity. However, in common with the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the Corolla doesn't yet offer Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connectivity; this will be seen as a serious omission by many buyers.