The Corolla Concept from Toyota was one of the surprise hits of this year’s Japan Mobility Show. No one was expecting such a far-out design concept for the next generation of Toyota’s most popular vehicle of all time. While most were focused on the car’s futuristic exterior, Car and Driver spoke with the man at Toyota responsible for powertrains, Takashi Uehara, about the next Corolla’s hybrid system.
Uehara revealed the hybrid system will use Toyota’s new 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which is lighter and smaller than the current Corolla Hybrid’s 1.8-liter engine. The new system’s electric motor, meanwhile, will bring total power output to just under the prior system’s. Though power will be down slightly, the system will improve fuel efficiency by 10 to 20 percent.
Everything We Know About The Next Corolla Hybrid
Because the new 1.5-liter engine is both lighter and more compact than the one it will replace, it should just fit under the next Corolla’s sharply sloped hood. According to Uehara, it will make 94 horsepower, which is actually less powerful than the prior 1.8-liter engine that currently holds the record for the least powerful gas engine sold in the U.S. Fortunately, the new hybrid system’s 30-kW electric motor will add 40 hp to bring the system’s total output up to 134 hp, or 4 hp fewer than the current system.
The trade-off for slightly less power is a lot more fuel efficiency. Uehara says the Corolla Hybrid’s new powertrain will improve the car’s fuel economy by 10 to 20 percent. Optimistically, it could jump from its current EPA-rated 44 mpg combined to a Prius-rivaling 53 mpg. That would also put it ahead of the much-lauded Honda Civic Hybrid, which, in four-door form, achieves 49 mpg combined.
Don’t Forget About The GR Corolla’s New Turbo Four
Uehara didn’t stop at spilling specs for just the Corolla Hybrid. He also revealed Toyota’s new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is being developed specifically for the company’s Gazoo Racing division. As such, it will likely fit in the GR Corolla.
- Base Trim Engine
-
1.6L Inline 3 Gas
- Base Trim Transmission
-
6-Speed Manual
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
All-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
300 hp
- Base Trim Torque
-
295 lb-ft
- Make
-
Toyota
- Model
-
GR Corolla
- 0-60 MPH
-
4.99 seconds
- Segment
-
Compact Sedan
The current GR Corolla produces 300 horsepower from a 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine. The new 2.0-liter four-cylinder, however, is capable of making up to 395 horsepower. That amount of power would make the already ridiculously fun GR Corolla a new legend in the hot hatch scene. As a bonus, the four-cylinder engine will also be considerably smoother than the current three-cylinder. Toyota is also planning on pairing two of these engines together to create the V-8 for its new rear-wheel-drive supercar that it will share with Lexus.
TopSpeed’s Take
These two new engines from Toyota are the real stars of the show from this year’s Japan Mobility Show. Though they flew under the radar, Toyota has revealed just how significant they are to its future product plans.
The next-generation Corolla will likely be sold with several powertrain choices that include all-electric, hybrid, and gas options. These two new engines, however, prove the automaker has no plans to abandon the internal combustion engine (ICE) anytime soon. In fact, Toyota’s chief technology officer Hiroki Nakajima said to reporters, “Toyota should be a company that makes ICE to the very end.” If it continues making engines like these, then yes, it should.
Source: Car and Driver
