2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Costs Less Forfeits MPG for Power

It appears the 2023 Toyota Corolla hybrid has been hitting the gym. Its fuel-efficient hybrid drivetrain that uses an Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine has been revised to pump out a combined 134 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Those figures are still relatively puny, but they represent an extra 13 horses and a whopping 51 pound-feet more than 2022 hybrid models. Unfortunately for hypermilers, the penalty for the hybrid Coralla's newfound power might be felt at the fuel pump.

Toyota earlier this year announced a bunch of updates to the 2023 Corolla family, including subtle visual tweaks and the debut of an optional all-wheel-drive system on hybrid models. However, the company has now revealed the hybrid Corolla's EPA-rated fuel-economy estimates along with its official engine output, which is the same for front- and all-wheel-drive variants. What's not the same are their mpg ratings. Let's discuss this.

Previously, the front-drive-only Corolla hybrid earned 53 mpg in the city and 52 mpg on the highway, netting an impressive combined EPA rating of 52 mpg. For 2023, the front-drive model now sees its combined EPA rating drop by 5 mpg to 47 mpg; its city and highway estimates also drop to 50 and 43, respectively. The new all-wheel-drive hybrid has even lower fuel-economy figures of 47 mpg city, 41 highway, and 44 combined. This means that the hybrid Corolla is expected to get between 5–7 mpg less in combined driving, per the EPA.

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