Tag Archives: Toyota

Toyota Studies Crashes. . .

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. . .so maybe you won’t have to experience the consequences

By Gary S. Vasilash

An adult human head weighs an average 4.5 kg.

A child, 3.5 kg.

Clearly something that you’re unlikely to know.

But some of the researchers at the Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) in Saline, Michigan know that and a whole lot more about the human body, particularly the human body in relation to motor vehicles, whether that body is on the outside of a vehicle at speed or inside one.

Yes, the CSRC researchers are all about determining the consequences of accidents as well as doing research on preventing accidents, be it by assuring that drivers pay attention to their task or by creating infrastructure that can alert drivers to potential hazards ahead.

Toyota established CSRC in 2011 and through FY 2027 will have invested $115 million in the operation.

Inside the Toyota CSRC. (Image: Toyota)

One interesting aspect of the approach taken is found in the first word of the name of the outfit: Collaborative.

CSRC works hand-in-hand with universities and research institutions to carry out the investigations, some of which it has long-term relationships with (e.g., it has been working with the University of Virginia (UVA) for 15 years).

As Jeff Makarewicz, Toyota Motor North America Group Vice President, R&D, put it: “CSRC was built on the idea that the best safety research happens when you invest in relationships over time, with the best institutions, the best researchers, and a shared commitment to publishing what you find.”

Yesterday (June 2) it announced 10 new research projects—including three with UVA:

  • “Virtual testing sensitivity to human model body updates”
  • “Foot posture and implication for ankle injury risk prediction”
  • “Lumbar spine injury prediction with crash test dummies”

The other seven range from “Adapative interfaces for increasing ADAS adoption” with MIT to “Naturalistic vulnerable road user detection with Micro-Doppler Radar” with Purdue.

One of the things that Toyota researchers have developed for this research is THUMS—the Total Human Model for Safety. This is a virtual crash-test dummy. It recently released version 7 of THUMS, which includes greater fidelity to things including the spine and the small intestine.

(Let’s face it: thinking about a motor vehicle accident in relation to the small intestine may be more disturbing than the average weight of a head.)

Not only does Toyota make THUMS freely available to whoever wants to use it, the research performed by CSRC and its research partners is also open.

There is an interesting knock-on effect of CSRC.

Dr. Zhaonan Sun did his Ph.D. work at UVA: he was a graduate research assistant at its Center for Applied Biomechanics, supervised by Dr. Jason R. Kerrigan. That center is the largest injury biomechanics research center in the world.

Sun is now a principal scientist at CSRC. Consequently, given the collaborative research model he is working with Kerrigan and other former UVA colleagues on safety-focused research.

So not only does CSRC contribute to the knowledge base that can lead to safer vehicles, but also to helping develop more people who can carry on that work.

You spend some time learning about lap belt interaction with the pelvis in frontal crashes (work Sun performed) and the effect of subcutaneous adipose tissue (a.k.a., “fat”) and you quickly know that safe driving isn’t just something to think about, but something to do.

And when you see a demonstration of a head model being propelled into the hood of a Toyota Sienna minivan by a large electrohydraulic device you also know that being a watchful pedestrian is a good thing to be.

Should You Need to Run the Nürburgring. . .

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. . .Toyota has a car for you

By Gary S. Vasilash

The just-introduced Toyota GRMN Corolla can, according to the company, handle hot laps at the Nürburgring.

It has two seats.

So given where it can run and given the limitation in the number of passengers it can handle, odds are it won’t become a daily driver to take the kids to school or make Costco runs. As it is going to be available in an unspecified low quantity, that may not be an issue.

(Image: Toyota)

One interesting aspect of the GRMN Corolla is that its 300-hp, three-cylinder 1.6-liter engine was tuned taking cues from the hydrogen-powered engine that Toyota runs in a GR Corolla in the Super Taikyu Series.

To make it light, not only was the rear seat eliminated, but extensive use of carbon fiber was used. As in:

  • Hood
  • Front fenders
  • Front side spoilers
  • Rear wing

And the Carbon Section at the Toyota Motomachi Plant produced carbon fiber ornamentation for the instrument panel.

Speaking of the instrument panel, the pad surface features Morizo’s—a.k.a., Akio Toyoda’s—signature. As the chairman of Toyota Motor Corp.—and Master Driver—he’s the guy who can greenlight vehicles like the GRMN Corolla.

When you like to drive fast and you’re name is on the building that is the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world, why not?*

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*Yes, the company name is spelled “Toyota” and the family name “Toyoda,” but that was a business decision made back in 1936.

2026 Toyota Corolla Hatchback FX Edition

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Retro with a smile

By Gary S. Vasilash

This is a car you will likely never buy. Likely not even see outside of pictures:

Corolla Hatchback FX Edition: There aren’t many of these. (Image: Toyota)

That’s because this model is a limited edition.

Severely limited.

As in 1,600 copies of the car produced for sale in the U.S.

Let’s put it this way: If every one of those FX Editions was parked at the Mall of America, there would still be room for 10,700 more vehicles.

This vehicle is a tribute to the 1987 Corolla FX16.

Let’s put that this way: 1987 was the year Fatal Attraction was released, that “Walk Like an Egyptian” by the Bangles was number one, that Ronald Reagan urged at the Brandenburg Gate, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

In other words, 1987 probably isn’t remembered by a whole lot of people, so perhaps that limited run of the 2026 FX reflects that outside enthusiasts there probably isn’t a huge market for the car.

But I argue that especially in Inferno body color (above) with the 18-inch gloss white-finished alloy wheels, this vehicle would have the same sort of success with a wide range of people like those who buy the Ford Bronco Sport Heritage in Robin’s Egg Blue with 17-inch Oxford white-painted aluminum wheels. (And to be fair: that trim is a tribute to the Bronco of 1966, the year the number-one song was “The Ballad of the Green Berets” and Thunderball topped the box office (it was the fourth James Bond film. There have been 22 more since.)

The Corolla FX simply has a look about it that evokes a smile, which is a good thing when you’re walking out to your driveway on a dreary morning on the way to work. Yes, a daily drive. But in something that seems like fun.

And a characteristic that is about driving and fun is that although there is a continuously variable transmission (CVTs) mated to the 169-hp 2.0-liter engine, and CVTs don’t have gears per se like an automatic transmission, select “Sport” mode and there are simulated shifts that are fairly convincing. You’re not going to go any faster or be thrown back to the Sport Touring seats with metallic accents and suede inserts, but it is good for effect. A fun effect.

While it is a tribute to 1987, on the inside there is a host of contemporary tech available through the 8-inch multimedia screen, including wireless Apple CarPlay (and Android Auto).

It should be noted that the iPod wasn’t released until 2001.

2026 Toyota Crown Platinum

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Yes, electrified. Yes, a hybrid. Yes, the top trim. But no, not amazing mpgs. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

The people who operate the Toyota shopping site know that while EVs may have lost luster, in the context of gas prices that have shot up significantly as of late, there is a bit more interest in not to have to pump so many dollars into one’s tank.

So where they can—and there are a lot of where’s there—they label vehicles as “Hybrid EV.”

Even though Toyota has been offering hybrids in the US for 26 years—yes, the Prius was launched in 2000—there are probably those who are still wondering just what a hybrid is.

So by calling them a “Hybrid EV” there might be some benefit at the moment.

But I would argue that they are actually making the wrong move, just as I thought Toyota did when the infotainment screens in a Prius would focus on the flow of energy from the engine to the wheels and the wheels to the battery: ideally people simply drive and let the propulsion system work behind the scenes. I really don’t care how the computer I am writing this on does what it is doing, and I suspect you don’t care how the website you are looking at right now puts words and images on your screen.

The point is, the Crown Platinum is a hybrid.

Yes, it has a fuel filler neck just like on probably every vehicle you’ve ever driven.

No, it doesn’t have any place to plug it in.

It has an engine, a 264-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter four. But it also has supplemental electric motors in the front and the back and it even has a nickel-metal hydride battery for purposes of propulsion.

So the Crown Platinum—yes, the top-of-the-line—produces, with the engine and the motors, 340 hp and 400.4 lb-ft of torque. What’s more, it has full-time electronic all-wheel drive (which basically means that the vehicle figures out when all the wheels need to be powered and when they don’t).

Yes, that is the Toyota Crown Platinum in front of appropriately swanky digs. (Image: Toyota)

But here’s something that is somewhat non-hybridesque in the minds of those who think about hybrids: the Crown Platinum is not exactly the sort of thing that is going to keep you from visiting gas stations with some frequency: It doesn’t provide the sort of fuel efficiency that a “hybrid” brings to mind.

It has an estimated fuel economy of 29/32/30 mpg (city/highway/combined).

By way of comparison, a 2026 Toyota Camry XSE AWD—the least fuel-efficient Camry (all Camrys are hybrids)—returns 44/43/44 mpg.

And know that all of the other Crown trims–XLE and Limited—have estimated fuel economies of 42/41/41 mpg.

But they aren’t as powerful as the Platinum, having a combined system horsepower of 236, not 340, in large part because the internal combustion engine is different, as is the transmission (the Platinum has a six-speed automatic and the others an electronically controlled CVT).

The MSRP difference is notable, too, as the entry XLE starting at $41,440 and the Platinum $54,990.

But the Platinum brings with it more stuff than just a more powerful powertrain.

Like an Adaptive Variable Suspension that uses variable oil pressure in the shock absorbers to minimize pitch when going into a turn at speed as well as (and this is probably more important for people who are going to buy a hybrid sedan) attenuate some of the bumps on bumpy surfaces. There is also Active Cornering Assist, again to help when making turns by reducing understeer.

While this is a feature that was once talked about more, it has an Advanced Park system that can perform hands-off parking, parallel or perpendicular.

There is a 10-inch head-up display. There are standard 21-inch wheels. A hands-free power trunk (yes, a regular trunk with 15.2-cubic feet of cargo space).

The Crown is an interesting sedan, one that replaced the Avalon in the U.S. market.

In the Japanese market the Crown badge was the flagship model (there is one above it: Century, which was a niche model compared to the Crown; Century is now being established as a brand above Lexus). As the flagship, it has nice materials and tech, so know the Crown Platinum ticks the boxes in that space.

Still, there’s the 27% reduction in fuel efficiency between the Platinum and its other trim mates, which makes me wonder.

Toyota 2026 bZ XLE

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Something to know about some numbers. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Some people spend a lot of time searching out stats before buying a vehicle, which is certainly a good thing to do because there is that very big stat, which is the MSRP, which then comes along with plenty of additions that make what might have started out as a reasonable number a whole lot higher.

When it comes to electric vehicles, one of the stats that is highly significant is range: how many miles the vehicle is expected to go on a full charge of its battery.

(It has occurred to me that there are few vehicles powered by gasoline that ever even talked about range. Miles per gallon, which is more about efficiency than anything else, yes, but range? The only ad I can remember touting range was in the mid-teens, pre-Dieselgate, when two guys were driving a VW Golf TDI across country and refueling wasn’t an issue because the vehicle had a combined range of nearly 500 miles.)

So if someone looks at the range stat for a 2023 Toyota bZ4X XLE FWD they’re going to see a range of 252 miles. Since that 2023 model Toyota has dropped the last two alphanumerics on the name and made some other changes.

Like the range of the 2026 bZ XLE FWD being 235 miles.

Toyota bZ. Charged up. (Images: Toyota)

Clearly a move in the wrong direction, right?

What’s more (or less) is that the power output of the 2023 model is 201 hp. It is 168 hp in the 2026 model.

But then we get to the really important number, the base MSRP for each of the vehicles.

For the 2023 XLE FWD it was $42,000.

For the 2026 XLE FWD it is $34,600.

Toyota did something else for the 2026 model.

It added the XLE FWD Plus model.

It provides 314 miles of range. It generates 221 hp. And it has a starting price of $39,100.

And it—and the other bZ trims—has the NACS charging port (a.k.a., the Tesla port) so the bZ can use Tesla Superchargers. (It also comes with an adapter so it can use the non-Tesla CCS stations, too.).

A most interesting feature of the bZ is it offers support for Apple Maps EV Routing via Apple CarPlay. What this means is that Apple Maps has access to real-time vehicle information so that drivers can get routed to chargers on their way to wherever they’re going. Not only does it take into account the battery performance and charge, but any elevation changes along the way (which, again, is something that drivers of ICE vehicles pay little attention to unless they are traversing the Alps or something). This is displayed on the bZ’s 14-inch multimedia screen.

Know that Toyota has developed its own operating system (Arene) so it is not wholly relying on third parties like Apple.

Apple Maps connect to the system to help drivers find charging stations along their routes.

But it clearly recognizes lots of customers—including customers of EVs—are part of the Apple ecosystem and want to use it, something that General Motors thinks isn’t particularly important.

The 2026 bZ is a competent car crossover. (It looks like an enlarged hatch, not like any of the other Toyota crossovers, with the exception of the Crown, which also seems very car-like to me.)

Going back to the spreadsheet, there are a total five variants of the bZ, the two mentioned, as well as the XLE AWD (288 miles; 338 hp), Limited FWD (299 miles; 221 hp), and Limited AWD (278 miles, 338 hp).

2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

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Even if you have no intention of taking on trying conditions, this truck has got to make you smile just looking at it

By Gary S. Vasilash

If there is any television segment that is more popular than “Saturday Night Live’s” “More cowbell!” it has to be that of Jeremy Clarkson in the early days of Top Gear—series 3, episode 5—when he takes a beat-up Toyota Hilux pickup truck and beats the you-know-what out of it.

If you haven’t seen it, here you go.

It is amazing what that midsize truck can take.

Now the Toyota Hilux and the Toyota Tacoma are relatives, but they are not the same vehicle.

While the Hilux is engineered for an array of global markets—including places on the globe where demanding circumstances are just the order of the day—the Tacoma is engineered for the North American market where, let’s face it, there is a desire for comfort, the latest tech, and the like.

But let’s face it: when you have the Hilux in your bloodline, the engineers who put together the Tacoma aren’t oblivious of what can be accomplished.

The 4th generation Tacoma, which debuted in model year 2024, is available in eight different trim packages–SR, SR5, TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter—each providing its own packages and available options.

Arguably because of the variety there was the possibility to tailor the Tacomas to their likely use, from daily driving to, well, traveling in extreme conditions.

Some times you just want to get out there. (Images: Toyota)

Which brings me to the TRD Pro.

The thing about this truck is that it is a toy dream-come-true for grownups. Grownups who can look at the base MSRP of $64,450 and see it as nothing unsurmountable, just as the truck seems as though there’s little it can’t overcome.

There’s cool stuff galore on the TRD Pro.

Like TRD-tuned FOX Quick Switch 3 adjustable internal bypass shocks with rear remote reservoirs. External FOX Internal Floating Piston (IFP) rear bump stops. An ARB steel rear bumper with recovery hook. Rigid Industries LED fog lights.

And a plethora of Toyota tech, too.

One of the elements that indicates just how serious this all is: the IsoDynamic Performance front seats.

You know when the seat is engineered to this extent, this truck is built to take it.

Yes, there are those clever shocks to deal with the structure of the truck, but in the case of this seat, there is an air-over-oil shock absorber system that accommodates lateral and vertical seat movement so that the head and neck stay better aligned with the spine.

Yes, under some driving conditions that isn’t a quick run for some milk, the head, neck and spine are certainly considerations.

And here’s another feature that just seems incredible: This model is a hybrid.

It has the i-FORCE MAX 2.4-liter turbocharged four that is integrated with a Toyota hybrid setup. It produces 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The vehicle—and note it is a double-cab 4×4—is EPA stickered at 22 city, 24 highway, 23 mpg combined.

Yes it has a solid 10-speaker JBL audio system (and one of the speakers, the one on the top of the IP, can be removed for listening outside the truck. It has a 14-inch infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A moonroof. And, of course, the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 system with pre-collision.

One can only think that the engineers who put this truck together—especially this TRD Pro truck—had one hell of a good time.

2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid MAX Platinum

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Impressive, capable and even fuel-efficient. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

The word “grand” isn’t used as much today as it once was.

Way back in the day, the Latin word was grandis, meaning “full-grown,” “big,” “great.”

Then that was picked up the French (grant, grand) and then moved over to Middle English, which added some meanings, including “important” and “magnificent.”

We use “grand” to designate $1,000.

We watch the Grand Prix races.

We sometimes eat a 1000 Grand candy bar.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee was launched in model year 1993.

The Pontiac Grand Prix went out of production with model year 2008.

The Dodge Grand Caravan—evidently the folks in Auburn Hills like the adjective—ended its decades-long run in 2020.

Toyota took up the mantle in model year 2024 with the Grand Highlander.

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One of the things that some people were concerned about who liked the Jeep Grand Cherokee was that grandis notwithstanding, it was a two-row SUV from its beginning in 1993.

Toyota rolled out with its Highlander SUV in 2001 and offered a third-row as an option. It wasn’t much of a third row if a row is supposed to accommodate people above the age of 5. The Highlander offers 28 inches of legroom.

In model year 2021 Jeep put a third row into the Grand Cherokee, creating the Jeep Grand Cherokee L. That “L,” presumably indicating “long,” put a row back there with 30.3 inches of legroom.

For model year 2024 Toyota decided that it wanted to up its game, so it brought out the Grand Highlander.

And one of the most notably grand things about it is the third row. It is designed to accommodate people who are “full-grown,” thereby getting back to that Latin etymology.

The legroom is 33.5 inches.

Grand, indeed.

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The name of this trim—one of 10 trims available—is certainly big: Grand Highlander Hybrid MAX Platinum.

2026 Toyota Grand Highlander: yes, it truly is grand. (Image: Toyota)

To dissect that, the “hybrid” part goes to the 2.4-liter turbo-charged four cylinder engine that’s supplemented by a front-mounted hybrid motor and a rear-mounted eAxle electric motor, all of which means total systems output of 362-hp and 332 lb-ft of torque and full-time electronic AWD (you don’t have to do anything; the system will figure out the demand).

Now here’s an impressive thing to know, also to the point of the hybrid: even though this model has a curb weight of 4,905 pounds, the estimated fuel economy is 26 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, 27 mpg combined.

That in a vehicle that can accommodate seven people in—dare I say?—grand comfort.

And it takes regular fuel.

Consider: this is a vehicle that’s 201.4 inches long, 78.3 inches wide, 70.1 inches high, and features an 8-inch ground clearance. This is a large vehicle with lots of visual presence. A large vehicle that is accommodating of the aforementioned seven adults. A large vehicle with plenty of technical amenities. A large vehicle that features a well-appointed cabin that is both quiet and immensely comfortable.

Yet it gets a combined 27 mpg.

And let’s take that number a bit further.

The fuel tank on this Grand Highlander has a 17.17-gallon capacity.

So let’s say that you’re a bit heavy-footed and are getting 25 mpg. And let’s round that capacity to 17 gallons.

This means that there is a possible range of 425 miles. You could drive from Memphis to St. Louis and still have some gas in the tank.

Of course, if you’re towing that number is going to be reduced. But the tow capacity is a notable number, too: 5,000 pounds.

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Inside, where it really matters, the Toyota Grand Highlander must make the product planners who work on the Lexus TX look over their cubicle walls. This Platinum trim is very nicely done.

The seats from front to rear are trimmed with leather. There are Ultrasuede insets. The front seats are heated and ventilated; the second row heated; the third row. . .well, they’re in the third row.

There is three-zone automatic climate control, so that’s a benefit throughout.

There is a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. There is an 11-speaker JBL audio system. There is a panoramic moonroof. There is a 10-inch color head-up display.

The color and material combinations in the cabin are absolutely well done.

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The base MSRP is $59,575.

Certainly not humble, but certainly not grand.

Arguably for all that it provides, it very well may be a bargain, which is certainly not something that you’d expect for something so grand.

2026 Toyota RAV4 Limited AWD

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Toyota’s continuous improvement ethos means that it does mess with success—it makes it better

By Gary S. Vasilash

The first Toyota hybrid, the Prius, was introduced in the US market in 2000.

In terms of chronological time, that’s a quarter century of putting electrified vehicles on the road.

Initially that road was somewhat bumpy as while that first-gen model had some serious fans, as is the case with anything with fans, there were those who weren’t supporters. There was all sorts of grumbling about how inefficient it is to have two propulsion systems and how that was something that Toyota simply could not do. (Many of these people were the same ones who grumbled about a decade before, when Lexus was introduced: it was impossible for the LS 400 to exist with a starting price of about $35,000—Detroit had years and years of Cadillacs and Lincolns so they knew that was the case.)

But Toyota continued with the Prius, generation after generation, and in addition it began putting hybrids into other models in the Toyota showroom (as well as the Lexus facilities).

2026 Toyota RAV4 Limited. (Images: Toyota)

And it made a tremendous statement with the model year 2025 Camry, offering it only as a hybrid. Consider: it has been the best-selling car in the US for decades (with 2025 sales it has held the crown for 24 consecutive years) and Toyota had sufficient confidence in not only the hybrid tech but the market acceptance to make that switch.

Although Toyota sells a lot of Camrys—through the third quarter of 2025, 234,426—it sells a tremendous number of RAV4 crossovers:

Through Q3 2025: 358,134.

To put that in perspective, the combined sales through Q3 of the Ford Bronco Sport (103,261), Escape (114,728), and Bronco (109,921) are fewer than the RAV4 sales: 327,910.

Or the number of Chevy Equinoxes sold through Q3 (203,583) can be added to the Ford Escape sales during the same period (114,728), and that sum, 318,311, is 39,823 units shy of the RAV4 sales.

All of which is to say that the RAV4 is an awfully popular vehicle.

So what did Toyota do for the sixth-generation, all-new 2026 RAV4?

It decided every model on offer—LE, XLE Premium, Limited, Woodland, SE, XSE, GR SPORT—is powered by a hybrid system: a 183-hp four that is supplemented by electric motor(s) such that in front-drive setups there is a total 226 hp and for AWD 236 hp.*

Those models fit in three categories: “Core,” “Rugged” and “Sport.” The Woodland is the “Rugged,” the SE, XSE and GR SPORT are the “Sport,” and the remaining are “Core.”

While it might be imagined that the “Core” models, like the Limited driven for this, would be less visually rugged than, say, the Woodland, on a macro view, the exterior design of the RAV4 is more truck-like than, say, the fourth-generation RAV4—which was the first to offer a hybrid (model year 2016).

All of the 2026 models have a chiseled look.

A purposeful interior.

And that chiseled approach carries into the cabin. While there is an extensive use of polymer-based materials (e.g., while the heated steering wheel is leather-trimmed and the armrests are, too, the front seats are heated and ventilated SofTex, a synthetic leather), the execution is such that it doesn’t look “plasticky,” but the materials are used to their advantage so they look and feel (i.e., there are soft-touch surfaces were one is likely to touch) appropriate.

One nice touch is a slot in the instrument panel that contains two Qi-compatible wireless charging surfaces so the driver and the passenger each have one. (There are also two 45-W USB C ports in the front, as well as a center console media USB-C port, and two 15-W USB-C charging ports in the rear.)

There is a 12.9-inch infotainment screen that runs the Toyota Audio Multimedia system developed by Toyota’s Plano, Texas-based Connected Technology team.

There is also a 12.3-inch LCD-based digital gauge cluster. (The Limited trim comes with a head-up display, too.)

Yes, there are buttons for a variety of functions, like for the front defroster (something necessary to get to quickly on a Michigan winter morning), and a (smallish) knob for the audio.

The vehicle provides 98.9 cubic feet of passenger room and 70.4 cubic feet (second row folded) for cargo.

Which brings me back to the hybrid powertrain.

In this AWD model the fuel economy numbers are 44 mpg city, 39 mpg highway, and 42 mpg combined. Which is certainly nice. (As electric vehicles are always touting range, here’s something to consider: the RAV4 has a 14.5-gallon gas tank. If you drove it to empty, based on the combined range you’d go 609 miles. Yes, there are emissions involved. But fewer than if you were to drive a non-hybrid to empty.)

But the thing is, the fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System used in the RAV4 is transparent. It just works.

Were I to be working in a dealership I might skip using the word “hybrid” and just say, “This RAV4 gets great gas mileage on regular fuel” and leave it at that.

One of the reasons the original Prius had some problems was because people wanted to know where you plugged it in. (“What do you mean it just uses gas? How do those motor-generator things get power?”)

I suspect there are more than a few people who stay away from hybrids because they can’t figure out how they work. (“Will I be stranded on the side of the road when the battery runs down?”)

So leave it at: this is a powertrain that Toyota has spent 25 years working on and it just works.

With the RAV4 it is wrapped in a nice package. Period.

*There is also a plug-in hybrid RAV4, which has a combined output of 324 hp.

2026 Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE

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It’s got nice looks and the fifth-generation Toyota hybrid system. A competent combo. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

“What kind of car is that?” my brother-in-law asked as we arrived for Thanksgiving.

“A Toyota Corolla.”

“They sure have come a long way,” he responded, shaking his head with a bit of disbelief. “Corollas didn’t look like that before.”

Yes, that’s true. Previously, Corollas had a design that indifference could be an appropriate response to. Not bad. But not the sort of thing that would cause comment like that which took place in this instance.

Now the Corolla is sporty in its styling, which is remarkable for a vehicle that, in all manifestations, has an MSRP of under $30,000 (from the Hatchback SE at $24,180 to the Hybrid XLE at $28,940).

Some people may be surprised to learn that that’s a Toyota Corolla. The style is notable, as is the fact that this model is fitted with a hybrid system that makes stops at gas stations comparatively infrequent. (Image: Toyota)

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And that there is a Corolla Hybrid makes the proposition for getting a highly fuel efficient vehicle that is sporty all the more interesting.

How efficient?

Well, here is the lineup and the EPA estimated fuel economy numbers for each:

  • LE/XLE: 53 / 46 / 50 city/highway/combined mpg
  • LE AWD: 51 / 44 / 48
  • SE: 50 / 43 / 47
  • SE AWD: 47 / 41 / 44

The Corolla Hybrid is powered by Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid system. There is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine as the core element. With the attendant electrification the propulsion system produces 130 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque.

While the styling might make it seem as though the Corolla Hybrid is something that goes really, really fast and gets there really, really fast, the acceleration and overall performance is more conventional compact car.

But again, it allows you to quickly go past gas stations for a longer period of time than is the case of some even bigger vehicles from other OEMs who are still working out their hybrid strategies.

And the available all-wheel drive (there is a rear-mounted electric motor that kicks in when needed, not only when the sensors determine slippery conditions, but when starting from a stop and getting on the throttle) is certainly a good feature.

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The vehicle as driven has the “SE Premium Package,” which means there is a 10.5-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia screen (the standard size is 8 inches), six audio speakers, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and a wireless charger.

While the steering wheel is wrapped with leather, the seats are “Sport Fabric-trimmed), a.k.a. cloth.

A helpful and useful standard feature is Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, with the first part of that being helpful when driving and deciding whether to move from one lane to another and the latter when, say, backing out of a parking space at the grocery store, when you’re likely to have two full-size pickup trucks on either side of you.

After all, the overall height of the Corolla Hybrid is 56.5 inches, so you’re comparatively low.

That’s one of the sacrifices you make for sporty styling.

2026 Toyota Corolla Cross XSE

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Considering the Corolla. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Although people who live in places like southeastern Michigan would probably answer the question “What is the best-selling automotive nameplate of all time?” with “Ford F-150” because there are so many of them evident on the roads and in the driveways (in fact, it almost seems as though the “most people” have one), that is not the right answer.

The right answer is “Toyota Corolla,” the compact car that can.

Even though the F-Series has been available since 1948 and the Corolla since 1966, the Corolla has about 20% more sales (~50 million v. ~40 million), even with the 18-year difference in availability.

That’s largely because whereas there is a huge concentration of F-150s (and yes, Chevy SIlverados and Ram 1500s) in places like southeastern Michigan, the Corolla is available on five continents. (There is yet to be a Toyota dealership in Antarctica.)

Even though many people maintain there is waning interest in cars—especially compact cars—because everyone wants trucks or crossovers, there is still immense interest in cars.

Consider: through Q3 2025 Toyota sold 179,983 Corollas. GM’s Buick Div., which offers only crossovers, had sales of 156,835.

But this is not to say that the folks at Toyota don’t recognize a couple of things, like the value of the Corolla badge and the interest in crossovers.

So it has on offer the Corolla Cross which, too, is doing well in the U.S. market. Through Q3 it outsold the F-150’s little brother, the Ranger: 73,341 to 48,278.

Now there’s another aspect to the Toyota approach to the market, which in its case is a global market. (Yes, the Corolla Cross is available around the world, too.)

Toyota has not only maintained its hybrid offerings, but it has expanded them throughout most of its lineup, including to things like the Corolla Cross. While there have been some people who were critical that the company wasn’t going “all-in” on electric vehicles in a way some of its competitors seemed to be, because Toyota does have more of a global view than some of its competitors, it recognizes that EV charging isn’t as everywhere convenient as gasoline, so hybrids are a sensible alternative.

2026 Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE. Note the available Cavalry Blue body color and Jet Black roof. Also the hexagonal pattern of the upper grille is specific to the hybrid trim. (Image: Toyota)

And the U.S. market is certainly interested in the hybrid powertrain offerings. Of the Corollas Crosses sold through the first quarter 24,594 are hybrids, which is more than the Chevy Blazer EV, at 20,825 or the F-150 Lightning, 23,034 (not that anyone is likely to cross-shop a pickup with a compact crossover).

The Corolla Cross is categorized as a crossover. Presumably that has a lot to do with ground clearance. That is, a Corolla sedan has 5.3 inches of ground clearance and the Corolla Cross 8 inches, which is just 0.1 inch less than that of a RAV4, which is clearly a crossover.

But the Corolla Cross and the Corolla sedan are both built on the same platform, TNGA-C, whereas the RAV4 is based on the TNGA-K, which goes to the point that the Corolla Cross really drives, well, like a car, albeit with a higher seating position for better visibility.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid (it is also offered with no electrification of the 2.0-liter engine) provides a system horsepower of 196 net, which is reasonably peppy for the vehicle. What is more to the point of it vs. the standard is its superior fuel economy: 46/39/42 city/highway/combined miles per gallon for the hybrid and 31/33/32 mpg for the standard engine.

It is also worth noting the Hybrid—available in three trim levels—are all all-wheel drive, using Toyota’s 5th Generation Hybrid System. (The whole Toyota “continuous improvement” approach is something it has been applying to its hybrid systems, which can certainly provide consumers with a sense of confidence.)

The 2026 Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE has a base MSRP of $33,330 and with the $1,450 delivery, processing and handling fee (which gets you out the door), it is up to $34,780.

Exterior-wise, the XSE trim brings things like 18-inch black-finished alloy wheels, and black rocker panels, over-fenders and badging. There is a special grille design that has intimations of electrification.

On the inside there are a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.5-inch infotainment setup. There’s a heated steering wheel and heated front seats (good for those in southeastern Michigan this time of year).

There is Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Proactive Driving Assist, Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams, Lane Tracing Assist, and Road Sign Assist)—again, going to the point of continuous improvement.

All in, it is a competent package that, because in large part of its global footprint, has the kind of build quality and amenities that are a consequence of this massive scale.