2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid: First Look Review

The 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid represents the entry point in the brand’s electrified vehicle line-up in the U.S. It is one of the cheapest hybrid cars in America and among the top five most efficient hybrids for the 2024 model year. Earlier this week, I had a chance to experience a Ruby Red Pearl-painted 2024 Corolla Hybrid in the sporty SE trim and its updates in detail. Here are my first impressions:

Design

Toyota has rolled out one update for the Corolla Hybrid for the 2024 model year, and that’s the introduction of the Nightshade Edition, which is based on the mid-range SE grade. The 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Nightshade Edition combines efficiency with style for an attractive price.

The Nightshade Edition gets blacked-out badging, a gloss black front grille with a mesh pattern, black mirrors, black sport side rocker panels and trunk lid spoiler, and a black shark-fin antenna for a stealth-like look. My favorite part of the special trim is the 18-inch wheels, which feature a seven-double-spoke design and a bronze finish.

Overall, the 2024 Corolla Hybrid features a sporty exterior that particularly attracts young customers buying their first car. The sleek headlights, sporty bumpers, and elegant roofline make it feel more expensive than it is. Though not extremely tight, the panel gaps are consistent, and the paint quality is also impressive for a car of its segment.

Interior

The 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid features a simplistic and functional interior that, while not a contender for beauty contests, doesn’t disappoint. I think its dashboard, which features soft padding, exudes more than enough elegance for this segment. I like the stylish outer-end AC vents, the free-standing touchscreen infotainment system, and the fancy V-shaped climate control panel housing.

The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system of the 2024 Corolla Hybrid has clear graphics and features a simple menu structure. I found the regular buttons and knobs for the climate control system easy to use. Even the steering wheel has no fiddly capacitive controls, just push buttons.

The 7-inch digital driver information display features clear graphics and shows hybrid-specific details like EV Driving Ratio and Eco Score. The center console has a small storage space under the armrest, and I think I could only fit my phone and wallet in there. It comes with a charging port for the device as well.

Toyota has used soft-touch materials on the surfaces of elements like the passenger side dashboard and front door cards. The dashboard’s lower part, the center console’s sides, and the rear door cards feature the usual hard plastic. The quality of switchgear is what you usually find in a car of this price.

Moving to the comfort aspect, as a six-foot-tall person, I found the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid’s ingress alright. When I sat in the manually adjustable driver seat, the lumbar support felt adequate, but under-thigh support could have been better.

I had good headroom in the front. The all-round visibility was particularly good, thanks the practically designed greenhouse. The three-spoke steering wheel offered manual tilt/telescopic adjustment and felt normal to grip. The egress, though not comparable to a crossover, was made easy by its large front doors and flatter door frame.

The entry into the back of the 2024 Corolla Hybrid took the same effort as the driver’s seat. The backrest wasn’t reclinable, and its fixed angle made sitting here feel a bit upright. The legroom and knee room at the back were cramped when the driver seat was in my usual position. The shoulder room is fine for two adults to sit comfortably for long distances. My head was a couple of inches from the headliner.

The 2024 Corolla Hybrid has a wide-opening trunk, so loading big objects wouldn’t be difficult. Its trunk lid can be opened conveniently using the key fob. However, with just 13.1 cu.-ft., there is only that much you can carry in this space. The rear seat backrest can be folded down to make room for long items.

Driving impressions

The Toyota Corolla Hybrid hasn’t seen any changes to its powertrain with the 2024 model year update. I’d assume that it feels the same to drive and offers the same ride quality as the 2023 model. As before, 138 horsepower is available at its disposal, along with optional rear electric motor-enabled all-wheel drive capability. The hybrid compact sedan delivers an EPA-est. fuel economy of up to 50 MPG (FWD)/48 MPG (AWD).

From what we know about the 2023 model year, the Corolla Hybrid is a comfy commuter. It feels sprightly during urban duties, but at higher speeds, it gets noisy. The sluggishness of the powertrain is apparent at higher speeds, especially when overtaking or climbing a hill.

On the plus side, the Corolla Hybrid has a nice steering that feels naturally solid and accurate. It feels quite dynamic to drive and manages good stability as well. The suspension is set up to tackle bumps and broken surfaces effortlessly, so the ride quality is decent, too. The regenerative braking system and friction brakes have a good synchronization between them. Together, they offer good stopping power without much drama.

Price

The prices of the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid start at USD 23,500 (excl. USD 1,095 DPH fee) and go up to USD 27,250 (excl. USD 1,095 DPH fee).

2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid FAQs

An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 16 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading CEOs and vehicle developers from around the world.