The fastest Corolla in the range
The quickest Toyota Corolla is the recently enhanced, naturally aspirated Corolla hatch, now with a 2.0-litre engine and in XR trim, at R518 600. It has a top speed of 210 km, and sprints from 0 to 100 km per hour in just under 8.6 seconds. (Pricing is correct as of January 2023.)
The Corolla hatchback's 2.0-litre engine powers the front wheels via a smooth and relatively quiet CVT transmission. Despite being rather swift, Toyota claims it will give you around 833 kilometres on a single tank, thanks to average fuel consumption of 6 litres per 100 km. In our experience, the manufacturer's number is usually off by a litre or two, and we reckon a figure of 7-9 l/100 km will be more realistic.
Buying used?
Back in 2019, I drove the 85kW, 1.2-litre, turbocharged hatchback and you can read my review below - consumption came to about 7.8 - 8.2 litres per 100km.
Toyota Corolla Hatch (2019), Dynamite in a Downsized Package
This model is no longer available new, but you can Search AutoTrader for used Toyota Corolla Hatchbacks here.
You can have a fast Corolla sedan too
If you're in need of a bit more boot space, the Toyota Corolla 2.0 XR sedan (priced at R517 100) will be more to your liking. It's slightly more fuel efficient on paper but has exactly the same power figures as the hatchback.
The Corolla hatch and sedan now also benefit from hybrid technology, just like the Corolla Cross range:
Prompted by Toyota's expanding NEV focus and European regulatory changes, the previously employed 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine has been discontinued. Taking up residence in the engine bay is either the latest 5th generation 1.8-litre Petrol-Electric Hybrid powertrain or proven 2.0-litre Dynamic Force petrol powerplant. The 'new gen' hybrid engine offers a 14% increase in Total System Output - up from 90 to 103 kW (+13 kW) while the 2.0-litre gains an extra 1kW and 3 Nm for peak outputs of 126 kW and 203 Nm. Fuel consumption checks in at a modest 3.5 litres per 100 km for the Hybrid and an equally impressive 6.0 for the 2.0-litre. CO2 emissions register at 81 and 137 g/km, respectively. - Toyota SA
Here is the current line-up of the Toyota Corolla in SA:
| Toyota Corolla hatch 1.8 Hybrid XS | R 490 900 |
| Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid XS | R 502 600 |
| Toyota Corolla 2.0 XR | R517 100 |
| Toyota Corolla hatch 2.0 XR (fastest) | R518 600 |
| Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid XR | R521 800 |
| Toyota Corolla hatch 1.8 Hybrid XR | R528 400 |
Search AutoTrader for used Toyota Corolla sedan models, here.
