By Sala Masindane

Having launched early in 2019, the Toyota Corolla hatch has been quietly making its way into the hearts of South Africans. A mere year later after launch, Toyota is improving on its D-segment hatch offering. The slight enhancements include additions to the exterior and interior as well as the safety department.

What’s new?

The bulk of the exterior remains the same with eye-catching angular design and high-quality interior. What will the enhance the street cred of the Corolla Hatch Xr are new 18-inch alloy wheels that promote a sportier look and the ride quality thanks to the TNGA-platform. In addition to this, a space saver spare wheel will be fitted for the Xr models and the Xs models will get a full-size spare wheel. The latter will retain with its 16-inch alloy wheels.

More Colours

Graphite Grey and Caribbean Blue have been added to the colour list with Red (Fierce Red) replacing Scarlet metallic. The Toyota Corolla Hatch is also available in bi-tone configuration as well. These include four bi-tone colours on offer, which are Satin Silver, Fierce red, Caribbean Blue and the new Platinum White Pearl. They are all combined with a black-metallic roof.

Future buyers of the enhanced Toyota Corolla Hatch will now enjoy a new-generation infotainment system across the entire range that incorporates Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Standard Specification & Safety

Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) has been added to the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) system on offer in the Xr model. RCTA provides audible warnings to the driver in an alley-docking scenario where passing vehicles or obstacles may be out of visual range.

Engine

The Corolla Hatch range is powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine with 85kW of power and 185Nm of torque. This is paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or ten-speed Shift CVT.

Pricing

• Corolla 1.2T Xs                                  R369,100
• Corolla 1.2T Xs Bi-Tone                    R379,800
• Corolla 1.2T Xs CVT                          R380,600
• Corolla 1.2T Xs CVT Bi-Tone            R391,300
• Corolla 1.2T XR CVT                        R425,200
• Corolla 1.2T XR CVT Bi-Tone          R435,900