The 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Gets a Nip Here, a Tuck There

This should help keep the Corolla fresh for a little while

written by Nick Yekikian^{Senior News Editor
Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.}
5/31/2022
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Four trims for the hybrid model
A more powerful hybrid system
Available all-wheel drive
Part of the 12th Corolla generation for 2023

What is the Corolla Hybrid?

The Corolla is a mainstay in Toyota's lineup, and it's one of the best-selling cars on the planet. For 2023, the Corolla Hybrid variant gets a raft of changes that should help it weather the onslaught of excellent challengers from brands including Honda, Hyundai and Mazda.

Notable changes are everywhere, but we'll start with what's outside. The looks have been massaged, and it now features squintier, meaner-looking headlights and reworked front and rear fascias. The Corolla Hybrid used to come in just one trim (the LE), but for 2023 there are three more trims to pick from beyond the entry-level LE: the SE, XSE and XLE.

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2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid.

Hybrids are typically derided for their lack of power for the sake of efficiency, but Toyota has gone and upped the ante here. Like before, the Corolla Hybrid uses a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motor-generators, but Toyota says the updated powertrain makes, well, more power than before. It didn't give specific numbers, however. We know power doesn't mean everything to hybrid buyers, but we'd like to know just how much more powerful this system is, Toyota.

In big news, the 2023 Corolla Hybrid can now be had with an all-wheel-drive system powered by 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.

2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid.

Changes were made inside, too. All models feature a new 8-inch infotainment screen with software that's now capable of over-the-air updates. XLE and XSE models also gain a redesigned 7-inch information display in the instrument cluster, while lower trims will have to settle for a smaller — albeit updated — 4.2-inch display in the instrument panel.

Last but certainly not least, all 2023 models have a raft of new safety features on board courtesy of Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. They include pre-collision warning, lane departure warning, dynamic cruise control, automatic high beams and road sign recognition.

Expect the updated Corolla Hybrid to hit dealerships in the middle of this year, with pricing that will come very close to the current car's $24,000 MSRP.

Edmunds says

All in all, Toyota has brought a very healthy set of updates to the 2023 Corolla Hybrid in the hopes of keeping it fresh. Will it be enough? We'll find out once we get behind the wheel.

by Nick Yekikian

Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.