CLASSY COROLLA

LONG gone are the days when family motorists wanting an estate car had few choices available with diesel engines predominant and the majority of those being noisy, smelly, emitting horrible blue exhaust smoke and lacking in any kind of performance.

- BY DAVID WARD

The surge forward though to all-electric powered cars or petrol/ electric hybrid models is now the key with tighter emission laws and it's become a dilemma over whether motorists should go for either plug-in hybrids or self-charging hybrids.

The trouble with plug-ins is that drivers are still having to find somewhere to actually charge their batteries up and charging takes time and then the realistic driving range is often never as long as manufacturers claim - although in fairness battery technology continues to improve the situation.

Self-charging hybrids generally in my view are currently the best solution as Toyota/Lexus has shown with their new car ranges and the real benefits of such were highlighted in a week driving their Corolla Design 1.8 Hybrid Touring Sports.

Also available with a 2.0-litre engine the latest upgrades include an efficient Toyota Smart Connect+ multimedia system along with a 12.3-inch digital screen plus safety improvements that provide more active safety and driver assistance systems.