UK Drive: The Toyota Corolla Touring Sports is an efficient and practical family estate

What is it?

The estate car is dead, right? Well, not quite as there are still plenty of models on the market having a crack at this somewhat forgotten sector.

The latest Toyota Corolla has been on sale since 2019, and the Touring Sports estate variant has become a firm favourite with taxi drivers and families, due to its impressive boot space, efficient hybrid powertrains and bulletproof reliability.

It takes on the Volkswagen Golf Estate and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer, and with a recent facelift, Toyota has aimed to make this safe and sensible estate car even better.

What’s new?

The Corolla has received some very minor cosmetic tweaks to give it a more modern touch.

The exterior is almost unchanged, with the exception of new headlights and some fresh alloy wheels designs.

Under the bonnet, there is a redesigned and lighter lithium-ion battery, which should help improve efficiency and performance, and the interior features a new and improved 10.5-inch infotainment screen, which is slicker and more intuitive to use.

But apart from that, the recipe remains the same as in the old car, which means the Corolla still sits on Toyota’s TNGA platform and is available with a choice of two hybrid powertrains.

What’s under the bonnet?

We’re driving the more powerful 2.0-litre petrol model which is mated to an electric motor to produce a total of 175bhp and 190Nm of torque. This setup will go from 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds and the car will go onto a top speed of 111mph.

In terms of economy, Toyota claims that the car can achieve 58.8mpg on the combined cycle and it only emits 108g/km of CO2.

There is the choice of a lower-powered 1.8-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor which produces a total of 138bhp and 142Nm of torque, and its economy improves to a claimed combined 62.7mpg.

What’s it like to drive?

The first thing you’ll notice is how good the Corolla handles the twisty bits, with its accurate and responsive steering. There is virtually no body lean too, and the car has plenty of traction.

Our test car’s 2.0-litre engine provides plenty of low-down grunt and on a couple of long journeys, it averaged an impressive 57mpg, which is not far off the manufacturer’s claimed figures.

Around town, the hybrid system is very smooth and cuts into electric mode seamlessly and thanks to the ‘EV Mode’ setting, it allows you to cruise around on electric power when gently touching the accelerator.

The bits we don’t like are the noisy CVT transmission which screams up and down the rev range when you accelerate and the cabin is a little noisy at speed, with a fair bit of wind noise and tyre roar. Plus, the reversing camera feels as though it came from a car 15 years ago, with a very pixelated and low-definition display.

How does it look?

Estates always tend to have a sleeker and more stylish appearance than their hatchback and saloon counterparts and this Corolla is no different.

The Touring Sports at the front looks like any other Corolla hatchback with its wraparound slim front headlights and curved bonnet.

It’s further back where the changes have been made with roof rails, longer rear overhangs and a more bulbous tailgate.

The Corolla isn’t the most dynamic-looking car in this sector, but we think it’s much more appealing than a Volkswagen Golf Estate.

What’s it like inside?

Not much has changed inside compared with the old car, with the exception of a new and improved 10.5-inch touchscreen display, which is more responsive and modern than the outgoing unit.

Aside from that, everything remains the same with our test car featuring a curved leatherette dashboard finish, physical climate control buttons and a digital instrument cluster.

Storage is good too, with the Touring Sports featuring large door bins, a decent-sized glovebox, a wireless phone charge, two cupholders and an underneath centre armrest storage area.

In the back, there is plenty of head and legroom for rear-seat occupants and there are USB-C charging ports and a centre armrest that folds down to reveal two more cupholders.

Estates are all about their luggage capacity, and this Toyota doesn’t disappoint with a low load lip and 600 litres or 1,606 litres of space with the rear bench folded down, which is slightly more than a Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer, but less than what you’d get in a Volkswagen Golf Estate.

What’s the spec like?

Toyota always offers a generous amount of standard equipment and the Touring Sports come with plenty of toys as standard.

Entry-level Icon cars start at £32,145 and include 16-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control and a leather steering wheel.

We’re driving the flagship Excel model, which comes in at £36,545 with the 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain and boasts extras such as 18-inch alloy wheels, a premium JBL sound system, heated front seats, LED headlights and a head-up display.

Compared to its rivals, the Corolla is more expensive than a Volkswagen Golf Estate and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer; however, this Toyota does come as standard with a hybrid powertrain.

Verdict

The Toyota Corolla Touring Sports isn’t the most exciting car in the world, and it certainly isn’t the cheapest.

However, despite its six-year production life, we still think it’s a great alternative to the competition due to its excellent driving dynamics, impressive interior space, ultra-efficient hybrid powertrains and decent standard equipment levels.

For families that are looking at a practical estate and don’t want an SUV, the Corolla Touring Sports is certainly a strong contender.