Driven: The Refreshed 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Makes a Noisy Debut

• Expanded trim lineup
• A more powerful hybrid system
• Available all-wheel drive
• Part of the 12th Corolla generation for 2023

What's under the Corolla Hybrid's hood?

Toyota has upped the ante for the hybrid powertrain. Like before, the Corolla Hybrid uses a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motor-generators, but power is bumped up to 134 horsepower (up from 121 hp) and 156 lb-ft of torque (up from 146 lb-ft).

The 2023 Corolla Hybrid can also be had with an all-wheel-drive system that adds a separate rear-mounted electric motor. This should prove to be a boon for those who live in temperamental climates. Toyota notes that this is the only compact hybrid on sale that offers all-wheel drive. The only other changes to the way the Corolla Hybrid drives will be felt on SE models, which get the heftier power steering tuning from the Corolla's sporty Apex model.

Fuel economy has dipped slightly: Front-wheel-drive models get 47 mpg combined (50 city/43 highway), while AWD versions check in at 44 mpg combined (47 city/41 highway). Those numbers fall behind the 2022 Corolla Hybrid's 52 mpg combined (53 city/52 highway) by a decent margin.

How does the Corolla Hybrid drive?

We took a quick spin in a Corolla Hybrid LE AWD to see how the new system performs and if the added power pays off in any way. A warm day on dry roads outside of Nashville unfortunately didn't provide a good opportunity to see the AWD system in action. That rear electric motor only applies power when traction is lost at the front wheels.

But it did give us a good chance to evaluate the additional power that the hybrid system makes across the board, the extra grunt that makes the Corolla Hybrid the best Corolla (upcoming GR Corolla excepted) for day-to-day driving. Continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) can be annoying, with sluggish acceleration from a stop and engine drone at cruising speeds. The boost that you get from the battery and electric motor, especially at low speeds, makes the accelerator pedal feel more responsive and gets the Corolla Hybrid off the line quicker.

The drone, however, isn't entirely fixed. The Corolla Hybrid prefers to get going on electric power, but if you're accelerating at even mid-pedal the gas engine is bound to kick on. And when it does, it jumps straight into the 3,000-4,000 rpm range and an obnoxious buzz fills the cabin. Fortunately, the operation of the system is seamless and the sedan moves forward at a consistent pace when the engine starts. But the noise gets in your bones, and after about 30 minutes behind the wheel, you might look for ways to keep the engine off as much as possible.

Handling is tidy, though the steering is a bit numb. The suspension feels well composed over good roads, and though you'll never confuse the Corolla Hybrid for a sports car, it gets the job done for something in this class with enough competency.

How's the Corolla Hybrid's interior?

Changes were made inside, too. All models feature a new 8-inch center touchscreen. The top-of-the-line XLE also gains a redesigned 7-inch information display in the instrument cluster, while lower trim levels have to settle for a smaller — albeit updated — 4.2-inch display in the instrument panel. The new touchscreen also features a new software interface that comes with standard wireless connectivity for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, as well as the capability to receive over-the-air updates from Toyota.

The back seat will be a touch small for taller passengers, but it's on par with most of the class, though it feels tighter than the back seat in the Honda Civic. There are two standard USB Type-C ports on the back of the center console to offer charging all around the cabin.

Last but certainly not least, all 2023 models receive Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 standard. This update makes enhancements to several of the existing safety systems, such as pre-collision warning, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control. For example, the forward-facing cameras and radar sensors have been upgraded with wider detection angles and higher resolution, which means that the pre-collision warning system can now detect motorcycles and pedestrians. And the lane detection has been improved so the lane departure warning is more accurate and the steering assistance that turns on when the adaptive cruise control is engaged works more smoothly.

Edmunds says

The 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid feels like a very complete package, especially with the safety upgrades that come standard on all of its models. But you may have to get used to shouting messages to passengers to make sure they can hear you.