Toyota Corolla

By Bill McCarthy

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Estate cars or tourers have evolved from large barges to the sleek and stylish.

They marry coupe-like styling, with little compromise on interior space, with eye-catching profiles.

Recently upgraded, it seems hard to believe Corolla, in one form or another, has been around since 1966 and has been the best-selling car in the world.

So incremental change has been the key to its success.

It now features the new Toyota Smart Connect+ multimedia system, new trims, colours and a special new version of the Corolla Trek Touring Sports, a pumped-up more muscular version of the estate.

It looks good with a swooping, coupe-like profile and large low set grille complemented by slim headlight clusters.

The rear features a more steeply raked rear screen and on this model, twin exhaust pipes.

The interior features the upgraded Toyota Smart Connect+ which provides much faster response and provides new functions and operates 2.4 times faster than the previous system. 

It is operated via the eight-inch central touchscreen to give instant access to a series of smart connected services, including cloud-based navigation with continuous, “always on” traffic information.

The “Hey Toyota” voice control requests can operate the multimedia and navigation.

Software updates are made seamlessly, over the air and easy smartphone integration is provided via Apple CarPlay, with wireless connection, and (with a wired connection) Android Auto.

All specs come with automatic rear camera, LED headlights, heated front seats with this range topper all kinds of bells and whistles like 18-inch alloy wheels Bi-LED headlights and part-leather seat upholstery.

The soft touch finish, satin chrome trim and piano black finish give the car premium feel and is a comfortable place to be.

Boot capacity is 581-litres with the seats in place, which expands dramatically in true estate fashion with the rear seats folded.

The one touch remote lever folds the rear seats to create a fully flat floor, while side wall storage pockets behind the rear wheel housings add extra capacity.

Experts in hybrid technology with the introduction of the Prius, the two litre petrol engine/electric motor hybrid setup delivers good pace and economy delivered via a CVT transmission.

Engine and motor combine to deliver 180bhp, which propels the car to 60mph in around eight seconds with claimed economy of between 50 and 60mpg.

Ride and handling are good for a big car, with the ride firm feeling composed and capable of dealing comfortably with all but the worst surfaces.

Toyota has stuck with self-charging hybrids, which means there is no need to worry over finding charging points. 

They complement other plug-in and full electric models with all offering the benefit of lower taxation and benefit-in-kind taxation.

All Toyotas offers extensive safety kit and the Corolla offers driver and front passenger front and side airbags, driver’s knee airbags and full-length curtain shield airbags.

Other features include Pre-Collision System, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and Road Sign Assist, which recognises road signs and commands and displays them on the central display.

Factfile

Toyota Corolla Sports Tourer Excel 2.0 hybrid

Price: £36,260

Mechanical: 180bhp, 1,987cc, 4cyl petrol engine and electric motor driving front wheels via a CVT automatic gearbox

Max speed: 112mph

0-62mph: 8.1 seconds

Combined mpg: 50-53

Insurance group: 18E-21E

CO2 emissions: 118g/km

Warranty: 5yrs/100,000 miles

MG HS

By Bill McCarthy

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Is there a better value SUV on the road than this plug-in hybrid? It’s a serious question, and yes there are some brilliant candidates, but in terms of sheer value for money, HS takes some beating.

Price, well it speaks for itself and starts at just over £31k and still comes with the market leading or matching seven-year warranty and features MG Pilot, a raft of safety measures usually seen as an optional extra on rival brands.

The HS is the largest of the SUVs coming in just above the equally stylish ZS. There are two models, the Excite and the Exclusive, driven here.

MG’s first plug-in hybrid, it combines a 90kW electric motor with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

This delivers a combined power output of 258PS and an electric-only range of 32 miles.

The power unit is mated with a 10-speed auto transmission to deliver rapid pace, allowing it to hit the 60mph mark in 6.9 seconds. Economy is a theoretical 155.8mpg, but I found it to be quite thirsty when the electric range was exhausted, with an estimated mid-40s mpg.

At just over £33k for the range-topper, it has thrown down the gauntlet to more established and much more expensive competitors.

The eye-catching design features the iconic MG badge dominating the deep grille, flanked by LED headlight clusters and large air scoop. 

Sitting on smart, 18-inch alloys, the muscular lines slope to the rear where the twin tailpipes and an aluminium lower bumper give it a sporty finish.

The large interior has good head and legroom all round and this model has comfortable electrically operated leather seats giving the driver a commanding view of the road.

It features an array of soft-touch finish to dash and sports seats, with fewer of the harsher solid plastics.

Standard kit includes keyless entry with push button start, a 10.1 inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and electric folding and heated door mirrors and 360-degree camera.

There is also a leather finish to the multi-function steering wheel, while the central touchscreen infotainment system controls with sat nav, DAB radio/CD/aux and phone connectivity.

The goodies get better as you move up the range and this range-topper adds front and rear LED sequential indicators, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting and panoramic sunroof and electronic opening tailgate. 

Rear seat passengers are catered for too with the reclining seats.

On the road the ride is comfortable while handling is decent enough apart from the occasional wallow on corners.

It delivers plenty of pace for a car of the size, while emissions of 43g/km make it cheap to tax and put in a low category for benefit-in-kind taxation.

The size of the car is matched by the boot space with an impressive 448 litres of luggage space. Folding the rear seats flat extends the total capacity to 1,375 litres. There’s also a dual height boot floor.

Safety kit is impressive with the MG Pilot set up offering safety aids, including Active Emergency Braking, Lane Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Detection, Lane Departure Warning System and Rear Cross Traffic alert.

Using a Type 2 fast charger, the MG HS Plug-in Hybrid can be charged from zero to 100 per cent in just 4.5 hours.

Factfile

MG HS Exclusive PHEV

Price: £33.595

Mechanical: Combined 258PS 1,498cc, 4cyl petrol engine and electric motor driving front wheels via 10-speed auto gearbox

Max speed: 118mph

0-62mph: 6.9 seconds

Combined mpg: 155.8

CO2 emissions: 43g/km

BiK rating: 12% (2022)

Warranty: 7yrs/80,000 miles