. This puts it well ahead of the most efficient non-hybrid […] "'Pin It")
Toyota Corolla Hybrid Gets 52 MPG — Will It Affect the Prius?
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has released the final fuel economy numbers for the 2020 Toyota Corolla lineup, revealing that the new Corolla Hybrid will boast an estimated combined fuel efficiency rating of 52 miles per gallon (53 mpg city and 52 mpg highway).
This puts it well ahead of the most efficient non-hybrid Corolla — the base model, which gets 34 mpg combined — and on par with the Toyota Prius. Won’t it steal sales away from the brand’s famous hybrid model? Jack Hollis, Toyota group vice president and general manager, didn’t seem to think so.
“You’re talking about two very significantly different buyers,” he said at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, before going on to explain that some of its multicultural customers would drive a Corolla than a Prius, even if they’d been looking for a hybrid. “There’s a heritage, there’s a legacy, and there’s loyalty, and in many cases the Hispanic buyers do not buy the Prius…they talk about wanting and desiring a hybrid, but not in the Prius.”
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The Prius Eco is still the most efficient option for customers seeking the best fuel economy they can in a Toyota, and the company is confident that the Corolla Hybrid will merely boost its lineup by keeping it relevant in the current market and keep sedans appealing at a time when SUVs are dominating sales.
Hollis also said that a Corolla Hybrid was requested specifically by Toyota dealerships. “This sounds a little Polyannaish, but it’s because we’ve been listening to the consumer, or more specifically our dealers, which have been asking for all-wheel drive on the Prius and the hybrid system on the Corolla,” he said, partly in response to questions about why Toyota had no plans to build an all-electric Prius.
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