2024 Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport sedan v Hyundai i30 sedan: Hybrid spec battle

Toyota and Hyundai are well-established brands in the affordable car market with plenty to offer.

The Corolla and i30 are longstanding nameplates that are cemented in the Australian market, and with hybrid power now the flavour of the month they’re as closely matched as they have ever been.

There are no longer petrol Corollas to compare against Hyundai’s internal combustion i30, and Hyundai doesn’t currently offer the i30 in a hatchback. That leaves few models to compare on paper.

To see which will give you the best value for money upfront and in the long run, we’ve taken the cheapest hybrid sedan in each lineup and compared them on paper with affordability, performance, and practicality in mind.

As there is hardly anything to separate the two across the board, we’ll break each down here to give you a better idea of what you can expect if you’re in the market for a cheap, hybrid sedan.

Pricing

These two cars are the cheapest hybrid options in their respective lineups, and there’s less than $1000 separating them.

The Ascent Sport Hybrid is now the cheapest Corolla sedan you can buy, as Toyota recently axed all petrol-powered non-performance versions of its Corolla and Yaris.

The base i30 Hybrid sedan also opens Hyundai’s hybrid sedan range, and it alone bears the i30 nameplate while its hatch sibling is away on hiatus.

Drivetrains and efficiency

Both cars have naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines mated with a hybrid system, but they differ in displacement and hybrid setup.

Both make very similar power outputs, though the Hyundai’s 1.6-litre engine is slightly more powerful than the Toyota’s 1.8-litre on its own.

Toyota doesn’t quote a combined torque output or battery capacity for its Corolla, though it does specify the inclusion of an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (e-CVT).

In comparison, the i30 uses a six-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Both cars are front-wheel drive and consume a claimed 3.9L/100km on the combined cycle.

Dimensions

The two sedans are closely matched in size, though the Hyundai i30 is slightly longer and wider than the Corolla.

There’s a difference of only 25kg in kerb weight and 40kg in gross vehicle mass (GVM), and the Toyota is slightly heavier in both.

The difference in boot capacity is also negligible, with the Hyundai packing only four more litres of space. Both cars get space-saver spare wheels.

Servicing and warranty

The Toyota Corolla is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty – which extends to seven years on the engine provided the owner adheres to the service schedule within Toyota’s national dealer network.

Toyota hybrid models also get up to 10 years of warranty coverage “as long as you undertake your annual inspection as part of routine maintenance according to the vehicle logbook”.

Maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres – whichever comes first. Toyota caps the first five services at $245 each.

The Hyundai i30 Sedan Hybrid is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

The high-voltage battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty, and Hyundai offers a free complimentary first check-in at six weeks or 1500 kilometres, whichever comes first.

Safety

The Toyota Corolla wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted in 2018.

It received scores of 96 per cent in adult occupant protection, 83 per cent in child occupant protection, 86 per cent in vulnerable road user protection, and 76 per cent in safety assist.

Standard safety equipment on the 2024 Toyota Corolla sedan includes:

• 7 airbags incl. driver’s knee
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
  • Pedestrian, cyclist, motorcycle detection
  • Junction assist
• Emergency steering assist
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane Trace Assist (lane centring)
• Traffic sign recognition
• Reversing camera

The Hyundai i30 Sedan has yet to be tested by either ANCAP or Euro NCAP.

The American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the pre-update i30 Sedan’s US-market Elantra counterpart a 2022 Top Safety Pick rating.

The 2024 Hyundai i30 Sedan comes standard with the following safety equipment:

• Six airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Car, pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle detection
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane Following Assist (lane centring)
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver attention warning
  • Leading Vehicle Departure Alert
• Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Standard features

The base Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid comes standard with the following features:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Spare wheel
• Automatic bi-LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• LED daytime running lights and tail lights
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wired Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Satellite navigation
• Six-speaker sound system
• Rear centre armrest
• 60/40 split-fold rear seats
• Heated, power-folding mirrors
• 12 months of Toyota Connected Services
• Keyless entry and start
• Single-zone climate control

An optional $1000 Convenience Pack adds to the sedan:

• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear-cross traffic alert

MORE: Everything Toyota Corolla

The base Hyundai i30 Hybrid sedan comes standard with the following features:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Full-size spare wheel
• Automatic LED headlights
• 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Six-speaker sound system
• Wireless phone charger
• Front and rear USB-C ports
• Leather-wrapped gear selector
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Rear air vents
• Rear centre fold-down armrest
• 60/40 split-fold rear seats
• Premium cloth seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• Rain-sensing window wipers

MORE: Everything Hyundai i30