Toyota Corolla ZR Hybrid: Hands-on review

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Toyota ZR Hybrid Review Image: Finder

History's bestselling car: The Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is Toyota's bestselling car by a country mile. Having sold over 40 million worldwide, it's nothing short of a commercial success. In fact, it has been so successful that it's the bestselling car in the world of all time.

There are several reasons as to why it has been so successful: it's reliable, small yet practical, relatively inexpensive and safe. There's also another fact about the Toyota Corolla that has been true for quite some time though: it's a little bit boring.

It would appear Toyota has noticed this and has spiced things up. In recent models Toyota has gone with a new approach to styling, which has often been criticised for being mundane. The design team has had a field day and produced a Corolla with, in my opinion, the most personality yet. Priced at $31,870, the Toyota Corolla ZR Hybrid we tested came in "Metallic Opal" which looked great when coupled with the chiselled lines and various black accents.

The interior in our test vehicle was more premium than you would have expected from the Corolla too. Our test vehicle had red and black leather accented trim, with seats resembling more of a racing style seat as opposed to the ones you would usually expect from a Corolla.

Toyota ZR Hybrid Seats Image: Finder

Sharp new looks and a sporty, modern interior while retaining all of the safety and practicality the vehicle is known for? Sounds like a winning formula.

There's more too. You also get a full eight-speaker JBL stereo system which includes an eight-inch touchscreen display. The display itself is reminiscent of the infotainment in other Toyota vehicles, albeit a bit prettier, but it's loaded with all the same software. Still with no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for the youngins, but you'll have good audio quality as you cruise around. This sound quality is amplified by the lack of engine and cabin noise too.

The hybrid combination of a 4-cylinder 1.8-litre petrol engine and electric motor produces 90kWs. It's very quiet and helps save the planet one trip at a time, but unfortunately the vehicle does feel as slow as it sounds. Chances are though, if you're purchasing a hybrid vehicle, you aren't overly concerned by 0–100 times or how many horses are under the bonnet. You care about saving them and the upside is, during our test we saw an average fuel economy of 4.8 litres per 100kms which is sure to reduce your carbon footprint.

Toyota ZR Hybrid Dashboard Image: Finder

Sitting in the back, with the driver's seat in my driving position (just over six-foot tall) it's cosy. There's slightly more leg room than the i30N we tested last week, but my knees are in the back of the driver's seat and were I any taller, my head would be pressed firmly against the roof. The soft-touch plastics used on the dash and doors in the front also make way for identical hard plastics.

Rear passengers will get air conditioning vents and one bottle holder in each door as well as two cup holders in the fold-down armrest in the central seat. With ISOFix mounting mounts located in the outer rear seats, child seat restraints can also be securely fastened.

In the front, along with your sporty, heated seats, you get a wireless phone charging bay, dual-zone climate control, a fast-charging USB port and a 12-volt plug as well.

Steering wheel controls are well laid out and intuitive. There's also an impressive range of safety technology in the ZR, including:

  • AEB with pedestrian detection, which works day or night, as well as cyclist detection which works during the day
  • Blindspot monitors
  • Lane departure alert (Lane keep assist)
  • Parking sensors
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Automatic high-beam
  • Hill start assist

In this suite of safety technology is also speed sign detection which worked well with the clear and easy-to-read heads-up display (HUD). However, it was puzzling how many times the HUD speed reading and the one on the sat-nav were in disagreement.

On more than a few occasions the HUD would say 70km/h and the sat-nav would say 100km/h or vice versa. This resulted in the Corolla constantly telling you to "please obey all road rules". It's a bit like driving with your parents in the car.

On the road the Corolla ZR Hybrid rides really well, chewing up the kms without bouncing you to pieces. The improved suspension package does a great job of keeping driver and passengers comfortable with the addition of the 18-inch wheels.

Toyota Corolla ZR Hybrid Blue Bountains Image: Finder

As mentioned, the HUD is clear and easy to read and there's also a bright seven-inch multi-informational digital cluster. The user interface also gives a summary of how economically you're driving.

Being small and with a turning circle of 11.4m, the Corolla is easy to manoeuvre as you would already expect.

The Toyota ZR Hybrid review verdict

The Corolla is a bestseller for a reason. Regardless of what you may think about it, it does everything it was designed to do and it does it well.

Toyota has given the Corolla some attitude now too with new styling and a more premium cabin.

If you're in the market for a new car and do prefer to make decisions with your head and not your heart, then you should probably go and check out the ZR Hybrid (or any Corolla in the range for that matter) and give it a test drive. You're probably going to like it with its sharp new looks and tech.

Not sure if the Corolla is for you? Read more hatchback reviews here and compare them against their competitors.

Compare some options to finance a Toyota Corolla ZR Hybrid

1 - 18 of 18
Name Interest Rate (p.a.) Comp. Rate (p.a.) Application Fee Monthly Fee Monthly Repayment
Simplify New Car Loan
Simplify Finance logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $10,000 - $300,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.19%
to 18%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
6.6%
to 23%
Application Fee
$395
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
loans.com.au - New/Demo - Variable Rate
loans.com.au logo
Variable3 - 7 Years $5,000 - $150,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.24%
to 7.39%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
7.36%
to 8.5%
Application Fee
$400
Monthly Fee
$8
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
IMB New Car Loan
IMB logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $2,000 - $125,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.24%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
6.59%
Application Fee
$274.78
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
You'll receive a fixed rate of 6.24% p.a.
A low minimum borrowing amount of $2,000 that you can use to purchase a new car or one that's up to two years old.
OurMoneyMarket New Car Loan ($5,000-$100,000)
OurMoneyMarket logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $5,000 - $100,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.57%
to 18.99%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
7.19%
to 21.78%
Application Fee
$250
min.
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
Stratton Finance New Car Loan
Stratton Finance logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $10,000 - $300,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.52%
to 18%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
6.95%
to 23%
Application Fee
$395
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
You'll receive a fixed rate from 6.52% p.a. depending on the lender you are approved with.
Apply for up to $300,000 and use cash or trade in a vehicle to use as a deposit. Optional balloon payment available.
RACV New Car Loans
RACV logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $5,000 - $150,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
7.29%
to 16.99%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
8%
to 17.77%
Application Fee
$499
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
You'll receive a fixed rate from 7.29% p.a.
A larger loan of $5,000 or more to help you buy a new or used car. 5-hour pre approval available and no ongoing fees.
OurMoneyMarket Used Car Loan ($5,000-$100,000)
OurMoneyMarket logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $5,000 - $100,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.57%
to 18.99%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
7.19%
to 21.78%
Application Fee
$250
min.
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
Credit Concierge New Car Loan
Credit Concierge logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $10,000 - $100,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.39%
to 16.45%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
7.51%
to 17.91%
Application Fee
$553
Monthly Fee
$10
Monthly Repayment
More Info
Simplify Used Car Loan
Simplify Finance logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $10,000 - $300,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.19%
to 18%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
6.6%
to 23%
Application Fee
$395
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
Stratton Finance Used Car Loan
Stratton Finance logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $10,000 - $300,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.52%
to 18%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
6.95%
to 23%
Application Fee
$395
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
You'll receive a fixed rate loan from 6.52% p.a. with a comparison rate of 6.95% p.a.
A used car loan of up to $300,000 with quick approval times and balloon payment options.
loans.com.au - Variable Rate Used Car < 5 years
loans.com.au logo
Variable3 - 7 Years $5,000 - $150,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
7.39%
to 7.39%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
8.5%
to 8.64%
Application Fee
$400
Monthly Fee
$8
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
Credit Concierge Used Car Loan
Credit Concierge logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $10,000 - $1,000,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.8%
to 17.45%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
7.56%
to 18.91%
Application Fee
$553
Monthly Fee
$10
Monthly Repayment
More Info
RACV Used Car Loans
RACV logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $5,000 - $150,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
8.49%
to 16.99%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
9.21%
to 17.77%
Application Fee
$499
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
You'll receive a fixed rate from 8.49% p.a.
Benefit from no ongoing fees, 5-hour approval and a 21-day satisfaction guarantee. Interest rate discounts for members.
Verified Lending Used Car Loan
Verified Lending logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $10,000 - $200,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
7.1%
to 18.99%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
8.06%
to 22.99%
Application Fee
$395
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
More Info
loans.com.au - Fixed Rate Used Car < 3 years
loans.com.au logo
Fixed3 - 7 Years $5,000 - $150,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
7.59%
to 8.79%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
8.7%
to 10.04%
Application Fee
$400
Monthly Fee
$8
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
ING Personal Loan
ING logo
Fixed2 - 7 Years $5,000 - $60,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
6.89%
to 19.99%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
7.17%
to 20.31%
Application Fee
$199
Monthly Fee
$0
Monthly Repayment
More Info
You'll receive a fixed rate of 6.89% p.a.
Benefit from no ongoing fees, no early repayment fees and flexible loan terms on amounts up to $60,000.
NAB Personal Loan Unsecured Fixed
NAB logo
Fixed1 - 7 Years $5,000 - $55,000
Interest Rate (p.a.)
8.49%
to 20.49%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
9.88%
to 21.78%
Application Fee
$250
Monthly Fee
$15
Monthly Repayment
More Info
You'll receive a fixed rate between 8.49% p.a. and p.a. (9.88% p.a. to p.a. comparison rate) based on your risk profile
Borrow from $5,000 to $55,000, with 1 to 7 year loan terms available. This loan comes with no fees for extra repayments and no early exit fees.
Latitude Variable Rate Personal Loan
Latitude Financial Services logo
Variable2 - 7 Years $5,000 -
Interest Rate (p.a.)
9.49%
to 29.99%
Comp. Rate (p.a.)
10.37%
to 30.69%
Application Fee
$0
Monthly Fee
$13
Monthly Repayment
Go to siteMore Info
Special Finder offer: $395 establishment fee waived for approved personal loan applications submitted through Finder. Latitude may withdraw offer at any time. T&Cs apply.
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