Overview

Few cars have made their mark in the motoring world like the Toyota Corolla. After more than 50 years and 50 million units, the Corolla remains one of the best-selling vehicles on the planet. The Corolla Hatchback is a close sibling to the Corolla Sedan, but it stands apart with its edgier looks and increased cargo capacity. It also gets a more powerful standard engine than the sedan and an optimized suspension that keeps it hugging the curves. Driving purists also appreciate that the Corolla remains one of the few cars still available with a manual transmission. Add in its exceptional fuel economy, and you have an undeniable winner in the compact segment. This overview focuses solely on the Corolla Hatchback; the regular Corolla and Corolla Hybrid sedans are covered separately.

Trims and Performance

The 2022 Corolla Hatchback is made in a simple lineup of three trims: SE, SE Nightshade Edition, and XSE. Power for the lineup comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 168 horsepower and 151 lb.-ft. of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the SE and XSE. An automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) is standard on the SE Nightshade and available on the other trims. EPA-estimated fuel economy for the Corolla Hatchback with the manual transmission is 28 mpg around town and 36 mpg on the highway. With the CVT, that changes to 31 city/41 highway (and 30 city/38 highway for the XSE).

Amenities of Note

The standard equipment for the base SE includes LED exterior lighting with auto on/off, automatic high beams, automatic climate control, a 4.2-inch driver information display, a leather-trimmed tilt/telescopic steering wheel, 16-inch alloy wheels, heated power side mirrors, keyless entry with push-button start, and a 60/40-split folding rear seat, plus a suite of advanced driver aids (you’ll find details on this in the next section). Black exterior accents, including 18-inch alloy wheels and a rear spoiler, are added to the SE Nightshade Edition.

The XSE is equipped similarly to the SE but with LED fog lights, unique 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 7-inch driver information display, a blend of leather and fabric upholstery, heated front sport seats, an eight-way power driver’s seat, and additional safety aids. An adaptive lighting system for improved nighttime visibility is available.

Advanced Safety Technology

All 2022 Corolla Hatchbacks include Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.0, consisting of collision mitigation with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert is available on the SE (but not the SE Nightshade Edition) and standard on the XSE.

Infotainment and Connectivity

The Corolla Hatchback’s infotainment system has an 8-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker sound system, smartphone integration (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), Amazon Alexa, Bluetooth (phone calls and audio streaming), SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to a Wi-Fi hotspot and Toyota telematics. The XSE is the only trim eligible for an upgrade package with navigation and an eight-speaker JBL sound system.