Toyota reveals pricing for all-new Corolla sedan

UPDATED: 01/11/2019

TOYOTA Australia has released pricing for its all-new Corolla small sedan, which will enter showrooms in late November with a hybrid powertrain option for the first time.

Just like its five-door hatch counterpart, the four-door sedan is available in three grades (entry-level Ascent Sport, mid-range SX and flagship ZR).

A 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine producing 125kW of power and 200Nm of torque is available in all three grades. For reference, it is 22kW/27Nm punchier than its 1.8-litre predecessor.

Conversely – and contrary to the hatch line-up – the hybrid powertrain is only available in Ascent Sport and SX forms, with a Toyota Australia spokesperson telling GoAuto that a ZR version was not available to the company at launch, although it is “studying the possibility of bringing this variant to the Australian market at a later stage”.

The hybrid powertrain combines a 72kW/142Nm 1.8-litre engine running on the Atkinson cycle with a pair of electric motors (53kW/162Nm) for a combined power output of 90kW.

Both powertrains send drive exclusively to the sedan’s front wheels, with the petrol available with a six-speed manual transmission, but only in range-opening Ascent Sport form, which is priced in line with its hatch counterpart, at $23,335 plus on-road costs.

For $1500 extra, buyers can option a ‘10-speed’ continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a mechanical launch gear, while the hybrid can be upgraded to for a further $1500. The latter is mated to an e-CVT.

The SX grade kicks off from $28,235 in petrol guise, while the hybrid version again charges $1500 more. Both prices are identical to the corresponding hatch variants.

The ZR petrol tops the sedan line-up at $33,635, which is strangely the same price as the hatch’s ZR hybrid, but the Toyota Australia spokesperson told GoAuto that the anomaly is due to the former's exclusive fitment of a power-operated sunroof. For reference, the latter’s petrol counterpart costs $32,135.

Standard equipment in the Ascent Sport variant includes dusk-sensing LED headlights, LED daytime running lights and tail-lights, and alloy wheels.

Inside, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, Bluetooth connectivity and USB and auxiliary inputs feature.

The Ascent Sport hybrid also upgrades its petrol sibling’s manual air-conditioning to climate control and gains keyless entry and start.

Advanced driver-assist systems for the grade extend to autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, road-sign recognition, high-beam assist, a reversing camera and seven airbags.

The manual variant comes with high-speed adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane-keep assist, while CVT versions upgrade to all-speed ACC and steering assist.

The SX grade adds satellite navigation with live traffic, DAB+ digital radio, wireless smartphone charging and blind-spot monitoring as well as keyless entry and start for both of its variants, while the petrol version gets paddle-shifters.

The sole ZR variant also picks up 18-inch alloy wheels, a nine-speaker JBL sound system, a head-up display, heated front sports seats, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and leather-accented and Rezatec upholstery.

For the hybrid powertrain, claimed fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test is 3.5 litres per 100 kilometres, while carbon dioxide emissions are 81 grams per kilometre.

Comparatively, the petrol engine drinks 6.0L/100km and 6.5L/100km in its CVT and manual forms respectively. C02 emissions for both are yet to be confirmed.

Capped-price servicing is available for the sedan, with each of its first five visits (every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first) costing $175.

“Like the new Corolla hatch, this new-generation sedan is built on the latest TNGA platform. It is a marked step up from its predecessor with powerful and efficient new drivetrains, a sharper stylish design, crisp handling and superb ride comfort, and a long list of driver-assistance safety features,” Toyota Australia vice-president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley said.

“The addition of hybrid plays a vital role, too, and our ongoing commitment to this technology and the expansion of our offering is all with the aim of assisting consumers to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of just how valuable this technology is to both their hip-pockets and the wellbeing of our planet.

“By offering a similar level of premium features, grade levels and pricing across both Corolla body styles, customers can now simply choose a hatch or sedan, depending on their needs, without any sacrifices.”

Corolla sales have backtracked this year, with 23,345 examples sold to the end of September – a 15.7 per cent decrease over the 27,687 deliveries made during the same period in 2018.

Nonetheless, the Corolla is still the best-selling model in the sub-$40,000 small-car segment, outpacing the Hyundai i30 (21,888 units) and Mazda3 (20,804), among others.

2019 Toyota Corolla sedan pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs