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2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid earns 52 mpg combined from EPA

That's even better than Toyota's own estimates.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
2 min read
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The new Corolla sedan borrows much of its looks from the Corolla Hatchback that launched about a year prior.

Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow

When the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid debuted at the 2018 LA Auto Show , the automaker said it hoped that the EPA would rate its new hybrid at about 50 miles per gallon combined. Well, the EPA numbers are out, and the news is even better than Toyota had hoped.

According to the EPA's estimates, as spotted on Monday by Car and Driver, the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid will achieve 53 mpg city and 52 mpg highway, for a combined rating of 52. That's a fair bit higher than any other trim of Corolla, although those are pretty efficient, too, topping out between 36 and 40 mpg highway, depending on trim and body style.

All that thrift comes from a 1.8-liter, Atkinson-cycle I4 gas engine mated to two electric motors. It produces a net 121 horsepower, all of which is sent to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission. Its nickel-metal hydride battery pack lives under the rear seat, to avoid eating into cargo space. Like previous Toyota hybrids , it has an EV mode for electric-only operation, but since it isn't a plug-in hybrid, don't expect more than a few miles of silent operation in this mode.

The 2020 Corolla Hybrid is pretty well equipped, too, sporting an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay , in addition to a unique 7-inch cluster screen that can provide tips for more efficient driving. Toyota's suite of active and passive safety systems, including autobrake and adaptive cruise control, is standard on every Corolla, not just the hybrid.

We still don't know how much the 2020 Corolla Hybrid will cost, but considering it goes on sale this spring, it shouldn't be too much longer before we find out. It wouldn't be obscene to assume a starting price at or just below $25,000, just to give you an idea of what to expect.

2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid aims for 50 mpg combined

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