With a starting price $1,250 less than last year, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid arrives with more power, available AWD, new styling touches inside and out, exciting new trim grades and colors, and an improved array of standard infotainment technologies.
The more affordable and more mainstream alternative to the Toyota Prius has been given a substantial freshening up for 2023 to keep it in the game with new price conscious market competitors coming from all directions.
New styling touches include a new front fascia and freshly designed LED headlights. The sport styled SE trim grade joins the fray for 2023 with a more aggressive front end design with gloss black grille and an air diffuser style element at the rear all tied together with 18-inch dark graphite alloy wheels.
To commemorate the new SE trim offered for the 2023 Corolla Hybrid they are also offering a special SE Infrared Edition. With red trim accents inside and out and an exclusive palette of colors it features unique a red-stitched shift handle and red-accents on floor mats and door trim. Most importantly, it gets a more aggressive sport suspension and a firmer tune to its power steering.
At the top of the line for Corolla Hybrid is added the XLE trim grade which now is the only 2023 Corolla XLE you can get.
Inside, the big news is the new standard next-generation 8-inch infotainment system. Toyota is touting a vast array of new connected cloud based service and features that sound great but will require a subscription to keep.
Aside all the pay for services the system has dual Bluetooth device connectivity and has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. On Corolla Hybrid SE and XLE available is a JBL Premium Audio system with 9 speakers, an 800-watt amplifier and 10-inch subwoofer.
The big news for 2023 is that Corolla Hybrid gets more powerful. The latest generation of its 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gas engine and two motor hybrid system gets revised electric motor hardware netting better performance. Power is now up at 134 horsepower from 121. Torque increases to 156 pound-feet from 146. Power increases fractional yes, but EPA combined fuel economy now increases to 47 mpg.
Add this to the fact that you can now option the Corolla Hybrid with AWD and it seems Toyota is going all-in to really win over new customers. Similar to other Toyota Hybrid AWD vehicles, it features an additional motor drive unit at the rear axle that seamlessly adds power when needed. The EPA combined fuel economy rating for the AWD Corolla Hybrid is still an impressive 44 mpg.
New colors for 2023 include Midnight Black Metallic and Underground. Colors carrying over from 2022 include Ice Cap which was previously called Super White, Classic Silver Metallic, Celestite and Blueprint. Optional remain Wind Chill Pearl and Ruby Flare Pearl.
The 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid continues to be built at Toyota’s Blue Springs Mississippi assembly plant. Now is the time to talk to your dealer about getting in line for one.
