Australia’s most popular car is about to get some more green credentials in the form of a hybrid petrol-electric drivetrain. The new Toyota Corolla, set to debut in the middle of the year, will use a third less fuel than the already efficient petrol-only hatchback, and marks the fifth vehicle in Toyota’s Aussie line-up to get an electric boost.
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The Corolla has been sold for 50 years continuously in Australia, and from 2012 onwards has well and truly been Australia’s most popular car. The new mid-year update will add the first hybrid drivetrain to the nameplate; previous models in recent years have used a 1.8-litre in-line petrol four cylinder producing 103kW. The new nickel-metal hydride battery system and 60kW electric motor will be mated to a continously variable transmission, and with a lower-powered 73kW 1.8-litre petrol motor will produce 100kW total with significantly lower emissions.
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Don’t think you’ll be able to drive it far on the electric battery alone, though — it’ll discharge after only two kilometres of electric-only travel. The new hybrid Corolla will be offered in a single spec level with in-dash satellite navigation, LED headlights and dual-zone air conditioning. It’s set to become the most popular hybrid in Australia, surpassing Toyota’s own Camry, which sold 5881 units in 2015.