New 1.8-litre hybrid powertrain, 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre Dynamic Force engines power Toyota Corolla sedan, Touring, and Sport variants

AICHI, JAPAN

Toyota has released information about the 2023 model year Corolla range for Japan, revealing that an updated 1.8-litre petrol-electric hybrid drive system will feature in the lineup, along with its proven Dynamic Force petrol engines. 

Details are scant for now, and it is still too early to see if the new cars will come to Singapore. 

The series is essentially a facelift of the present-generation Corolla that first went on sale in 2018. The new cars feature a full complement of active safety features, and tantalisingly, promises ongoing software updates.

Toyota states that the hybrid versions of the cars will still use the same 1.8-litre petrol engine found in the current-generation Corolla Hybrid, which is very similar to the Thailand-made Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid previously sold in Singapore. The big news is that the electric side of the equation has been updated with new componentry for even better efficiency and reliability. 

Meanwhile, there are also two petrol engined variants in the form of the 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre Dynamic Force engines, named because they have been designed for better thermal efficiency than conventional internal combustion engines.  The exact power outputs for the engines in the new Corollas have not been revealed, but in standard form the 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplant is good for 169 horsepower. 

The 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine is rated between 118 and 123 horsepower, as fitted to the other cars in the Toyota lineup including the Japanese-edition Yaris Cross and Sienta. This means that if the engine ever finds its way into Singapore-spec Toyota Corollas, it will still keep the car in the Category A COE bracket with the possibility of even better fuel economy than the current Thai-built Toyota Corolla Altis.

The Corolla Altis sedan has been one of the brand’s mainstays for many years here but the inroads made by SUVs like the RAV4 and Yaris Cross means that there are less drivers buying one than before. If we manage to get the Toyota Corolla Sport, which is the hatchback version of the car, this could swing the sales ratios over. 

It’s still early in the new model’s cycle though, and there are many possibilities yet, such as whether or not the facelift design will spill over to the Thai-built Corollas, and whether or not the upgraded hybrid powertrain and 1.5-litre Dynamic Force engine will find its way into the Corollas for Southeast Asia. 

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