AS one of the world’s best selling cars, Toyota’s Corolla and been around a while and seen quite a few changes over the years.

And the latest incarnation is a far cry from my first acquaintance with this Japanese legend in the depths of Norway over 40 years ago.
Back then, the roads were, shall we say, challenging. Twisting routes with 400 foot drops into the dark fjords below. Chalk and cheese compared to the test route enjoyed with the latest Corolla GR Sport here in the UK.

Which in itself was a blessing. Back then the Corolla had an engine that pushed out around 69bhp. Today? We’re looking at at a hybrid boosted193bhp, so unless you possess skills akin to Sebastian Ogier it’s better to stick to more user friendly roads.

And the Corolla GR Sport is a car for that environment. Pin sharp steering with no hint of vagueness, tyres that feel glued to the road and which accept swift changes of direction without complaining, it can at times feel livelier than a terrier’s tail at teatime. 

Certainly a car that’s been honed and improved over the decades into something you can happily use for everyday driving duties, with adults travelling in reasonable comfort in the back as well as there being enough space for a child seat.

It’s perfectly capable of just ambling around town, running purely on electric power at low speed and returning north of 50mpg in the process.That’s the beauty of Toyota’s full hybrid system – when you spot the EV symbol light up on the dash, you’re quids in, saving fuel and exhaust emissions at the same time. And it’ll do it as often as it can.

The CVT transmission picks up fairly well when you feel the need for a bit of speed – and if you switch to sport mode things become a bit more interesting. 

In the past you used to get the sense that what the engine was doing was not altogether related to what your right foot was telling it to do when you wanted to get up a head of speed, but it’s been improved. Fine, though, at town speeds or gentle cruising which is probably its best trick.Externally the first thing you’ll notice is its smart muscular little body, with a big grille and there’s a distinctive bumper at the rear.

It’s extra sporty inside too, with figure-hugging seats, lots of neat stitching and part-Alcantara, part-leather upholstery. The steering wheel is also wrapped in soft Alcantara, one of various GR-specific parts that range from the gear knob to the pedals.

While the efficiency on offer is a big plus point, it rates highly for that comfortable ride, handling that won’t catch you out and what appears to be pretty decent build quality. Well done the team in Derby who put it all together.

An everyday car with sporting aspirations for when the situation allows.

Toyota Corolla GR Sport hybrid hatchback

Price: £33,405 (£34,360 as tested)
Engine: 1.8 litre, four cylinder petrol hybrid
Power: 138bhp
Torque: 105lb/ft
Transmission: CVT
Top speed: 112mph
0-62mph: 9.1 seconds
Economy: 60.1mpg
CO2 emissions: 105g/km

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