We compared Toyota Corolla engines, and the efficiency crown goes to…

Efficiency king

From a small-displacement turbo engine to two larger, naturally-aspirated units, along with a choice between a 6-speed manual gearbox or two constantly variable transmissions (CVTs), the latest Corolla range will offer a drivetrain to suit most tastes. Output levels obviously vary quite widely, but all offerings are petrol-fuelled with a hybrid version in teh offing but costing considerably more.

Everything you need to know about the Toyota Corolla Hatch

1. Toyota Corolla Hatch 1.2T manual

As indicated by the “T” in its name, this engine is the one with a turbocharger. This downsized 4-cylinder displaces 1.2-litres, and delivers 85 kW and 185 Nm to the front wheels. The 1.2T is only available in hatchback format, and enables a 0 – 100 km/h sprint in 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h when fitted with a manual gearbox. It is claimed to consume an average of 6.1 ℓ/100 km, but mixed-cycle driving will more likely return an average figure around 7 ℓ/100 km.

We love the new Corolla Hatchback’s 1.2T engine, finding it enjoyable both in town and on the freeway.

2. Toyota Corolla Hatch 1.2T CVT

The same engine is used in the automatic hatchback, where it is hooked up to a CVT instead of actual gear. Output figures are unchanged, but performance does take a knock: its top speed is down 10 km/h, and it takes almost a second longer to reach 100 km/h from a standstill. Fuel consumption apparently doesn’t suffer a similar penalty, though, because the CVT’s claimed average consumption of 6.1 ℓ/100 km is identical to that of the manual.

Everything that you need to know about the Toyota Corolla

3. Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.8 auto (CVT)

Moving over to the sedans sees the older-generation 1.8-litre non-turbo engine doing duty in the least-expensive variant. While it has reasonable outputs of 104 kW and 171 Nm, it’s exclusively mated to a CVT, so performance isn’t its strongest suit. It takes 10.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h (0.1 second longer than the automatic turbo hatchback), likely due to its torque deficit compared to the smaller, boosted engine. Fuel efficiency isn’t bad, though, with a claimed average consumption of 6.2 ℓ/100 km. 

4. Toyota Corolla Sedan 2.0 manual

This is the top-dog engine in the Corolla range: a new-generation 2.0-litre 4-cylinder with very high compression and optimised thermal efficiency. Power jumps to 125 kW and 200 Nm, which drops the 0 – 100 km/h sprint time to a claimed 8.0 seconds and bumps the top speed to 200 km/h when mated to the manual gearbox. This combination is claimed to drink an average of 6.5 ℓ/100 km, so its increased thirst (over the 1.2T manual hatch) is moderate in relation to the sharper performance on offer.

When we reviewed the new Toyota Corolla sedan, the manual gearbox stole our affection. 

5. Toyota Corolla Sedan 2.0 auto (CVT)

The new 2.0-litre engine is also combined with a CVT to provide an automatic alternative. While its power output is the same as with the manual transmission, the CVT stretches the 0 – 100 km/h sprint to 8.6 seconds and drops 5 km/h at the top. The performance compromise would appear to be worthwhile, however, because the 2.0/CVT combination delivers a claimed average consumption of 6.0 ℓ/100 km – the lowest in its model range.

Let’s compare the numbers

* According to the manufacturer’s official figures.

The Efficiency Champ

Arguably the least-desirable combination of the range is the 1.8-litre automatic variant: it has the worst performance combined with unexceptional fuel economy. And, because it has the least torque in today’s Corolla range, it will most likely also suffer the most when laden to capacity. 

Check out our launch report of the new Toyota Corolla sedan for more details.

The 1.2-litre hatchbacks make a strong case for themselves, with decent performance in the manual and good fuel efficiency regardless of the transmission choice. However, for such a nice-to-drive hatchback, the optimal choice would probably be the manual gearbox, simply because it’s much livelier to operate than the CVT – without using any extra fuel.

This leaves us with the two 2.0-litre variants. If this comparison revolved around performance or driving fun, the manual gearbox would have been our choice. But, because we’re considering efficiency, it just has to be the 2.0 auto that gets the nod: it uses the least fuel, has the most potent engine, and doesn’t lose too much on performance compared to its manual sibling.

The hybrid model may be the most efficient but cost more initially and was rather shortlived.