2023 Toyota Corolla

Corollas have plenty of seat and wheel adjustments, to suit all occupant sizes. The analogue gauges flank two trip computer options, and ZR grades get a projecting head-up display.

The touchscreen and infotainment systems offer nothing cutting-edge, and you need to option sat-nav and DAB in base models. But all have phone mirroring and reversing cameras.

In terms of build quality the Corolla is always excellent, and all controls are functional and simple to use. There's nothing overly flash – stitch-work, and the ZR's ambient lighting aside – but function trumps form.

Back seat space is not best-in-class, but two average-sized adults can fit back there, and there are outboard ISOFIX child-seat anchors, and top tether points.

The sedan has 470L of luggage space, while the hatchback has between 217L and 333L. The larger of the two volumes is for models without a spare wheel. This is pretty pokey by class standards.

The ZR hatch in particular looks quite sharp with its 18-inch wheels, but all have nice light signature and curvaceous, inoffensive styling.

The edgier five-door hatch is definitely skewed towards younger buyers than the more safe and staid four-door sedan.

For the MY23, the Toyota Corolla's cosmetic tweaks are minor. There’s a new grille, as well as new 16-inch wheels for Ascent Sport and SX models, and new Sunstone Orange and Lunar Blue exterior finishes.

There continue to be some unusual differences between hatch and sedan models. In addition to a slightly different colour palette, there’s a slightly different equipment list between the two body styles.

The 2023 Toyota Corolla range has two engine choices, starting with a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 126kW of power and 202Nm of torque (203Nm in the sedan).

The hybrid pairs a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated petrol four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, for a combined power output of 103kW.

The 2.0-litre engine comes with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with 10 virtual gears. The hybrid is only available with an e-CVT.

All Corollas are front-wheel drive. Hybrid models get Toyota’s new fifth-generation hybrid powertrain with an extra 13kW of power, for a total output of 103kW.

There’s a new front drive motor and power control unit, while a newly developed lithium-ion battery is said to reduce weight by 14 per cent. You can now also get a ZR sedan with the hybrid powertrain. Previously, the ZR hybrid was hatch-only.

The TNGA platform and all-round independent suspension (trailing wishbone rear) look good on paper, and indeed this Corolla is way sharper on turn-in and flatter through corners than older models.

It's actually quite a sporty car in handling terms.

However, the suppression of noise, vibration and harshness could be better, the ride quality on 18-inch wheels degrades over the 16s, and the hybrid – while extremely efficient – is a sluggish under hard acceleration.

All new models get Toyota’s latest-generation infotainment system, though they retain an 8.0-inch touch display. No mention has been made of the new 10.5-inch display revealed in Japan and Europe.

DAB+ digital radio is standard across the range, and there’s now a USB-C port below the screen.

The Ascent Sport gains a 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen, replacing the old 4.2-inch information display, while the flagship ZR debuts a new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.