Corolla hybrid pricing starts from around £24,000 - which gets you the hatch version we tried; Saloon and Touring Sports estate body styles are also available. The 1.8-litre Hybrid engine is the only unit in the range to be available with all trim levels - 'Icon', 'Icon Tech', 'Design' and top 'Excel'). As an alternative to the 122hp 1.8-litre unit, Toyota also offers a 180ho 2.0-litre hybrid unit, but it's only available with pricier trim levels and consequently, is priced from around £27,500.
Equipment levels are pretty generous, with all models getting LED headlights, heated front seats and a reversing camera. And base 'Icon' trim also includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED tail lamps, front fog lamps, a shark fin antenna, an alarm and dusk-sensing and manual levelling features for the headlamps. On the inside, there's dual-zone air conditioning and leather trim for the steering wheel and gear knob, plus the front seats feature powered lumbar support.
Infotainment's taken care of by an eight-inch 'Toyota Touch 2' multimedia centre-dash display that lets you Bluetooth-in your smartphone and provides access to a six speaker DAB stereo system. There's also a 'Drive Mode Select' driving modes system and an 'eCall emergency assistance set-up, part of an extensive rosta of standard safety kit.