The 2021 Toyota Corolla was the second model year of the twelfth-generation car, known internally as the E210 series. The sedan had been redesigned for 2020, so 2021 was a carryover year: the same two gasoline four-cylinders, the same hybrid option and the same platform, with only a short list of equipment changes. Toyota’s U.S.-market Corolla sedan was assembled at the company’s plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi, while the five-door hatchback came from Japan. According to Wikipedia’s entry on the E210 Corolla, the generation covers the sedan, hatchback and a station wagon that was not sold in North America.
That distinction matters, because a search for “2021 Corolla” can return three different vehicles: the sedan, the Corolla Hybrid sedan and the Corolla Hatchback. Their engines, dimensions and prices differ. This article sets out the verified specifications, the exterior design and the U.S. launch timeline, using Toyota’s own data and the U.S. EPA fuel-economy figures.
A Carryover Year on a Newer Platform
Toyota introduced the E210 hatchback at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show and put it on sale later that year, then revealed the sedan in November 2018 in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The four-door reached U.S. dealers in February 2019 as a 2020 model. Every E210 Corolla rides on the Toyota New Global Architecture GA-C platform, shared with the C-HR and the fourth-generation Prius, and it uses a multi-link rear suspension in place of the torsion beam of the older car.
For 2021 the changes were modest. Toyota added Android Auto compatibility across the range, introduced an SE Nightshade Edition with black exterior trim, and offered the limited Apex Edition. There was no new body, no new engine and no change to the chassis, so the 2021 car drove and measured almost identically to the 2020 model. That consistency is what the Car Review archive at toyotasuggestions.com has covered across this generation of the car.
Exterior Design and Dimensions
The twelfth-generation sedan measures 182.3 inches long, 70.1 inches wide and 56.5 to 57.3 inches tall, on a 106.3-inch wheelbase. The hatchback is much shorter at 172.0 inches overall with a 103.9-inch wheelbase. Styling details include a lowered hood, standard LED headlights and 16-inch steel wheels on the base trim, rising to 18-inch alloys on sportier grades. The sedan’s trunk holds 13.1 cubic feet, and rear-seat legroom is 34.8 inches.
Engines and Transmissions
Toyota offered three powertrains in the 2021 Corolla. The base 1.8-liter four-cylinder, coded 2ZR-FE, produces 139 horsepower and 126 lb-ft of torque and is fitted to the L, LE and XLE. The 2.0-liter Dynamic Force engine, coded M20A-FKS, makes 169 horsepower and 151 lb-ft in the SE and XSE. The Corolla Hybrid pairs a 1.8-liter 2ZR-FXE with electric motor-generators for a combined 121 horsepower.
| Engine | Output | Torque | Trims |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L I4 (2ZR-FE) | 139 hp | 126 lb-ft | L, LE, XLE |
| 2.0L I4 (M20A-FKS) | 169 hp | 151 lb-ft | SE, XSE |
| 1.8L hybrid | 121 hp (combined) | not published | Hybrid LE |
A continuously variable transmission with a physical “first” gear drives the front wheels, and a six-speed manual was available on the SE for a $275 premium. The 2.0-liter is the more efficient of the two gasoline engines despite its extra power.
The Corolla Hatchback and Market Position
The five-door Corolla Hatchback was a separate body style sold alongside the sedan. It used the same 2.0-liter M20A-FKS engine making 168 horsepower and offered a six-speed manual transmission as standard, with a CVT optional. Toyota rated the manual hatchback at 31 mpg combined. Its cargo area held 17.8 cubic feet with the rear seats up, noticeably more than the sedan’s trunk, and it was assembled in Japan rather than Mississippi.
The 2021 Corolla competed in a shrinking compact-sedan class. Chevrolet had discontinued the Cruze, and Ford had dropped the Focus sedan, leaving the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte and Nissan Sentra as the main alternatives, as noted in the CarsDirect review. The Corolla remained one of the few nameplates in the segment to offer a sedan, a hatchback and a hybrid under the same badge.
Fuel Economy
EPA ratings depend on the engine and transmission. The 1.8-liter with the CVT returns 30 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 33 mpg combined, per fueleconomy.gov. The 2.0-liter with the CVT is rated 31/40/34 mpg, and the same engine with the manual is rated 29/36/32 mpg. The hybrid is the frugal choice at 53 mpg city, 52 mpg highway and 52 mpg combined.
Trims, Pricing and the Apex Edition
Prices for the 2021 Corolla sedan, including a $955 destination fee, were $20,780 for the L; $21,230 for the LE; $23,230 for the SE; $23,930 for the SE Nightshade; $24,355 for the Hybrid LE; $25,180 for the XLE; and $26,680 for the XSE, according to CarsDirect. Toyota built just 6,000 Apex Editions for 2021, based on the SE and XSE. The Apex added lowering springs, a sport-tuned exhaust, track-tuned dampers and 18-inch wheels, and its starting MSRP was $25,070.
Safety
Every 2021 Corolla included Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 as standard: automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was optional on the LE and SE and standard on the XLE and XSE. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the 2021 Corolla sedan a Top Safety Pick, though that award applied only to cars with specific headlights, per IIHS.
Release and Availability
The 2021 Corolla went on sale in the United States in 2020, and Toyota announced the Apex Edition in July 2020. Because it was a carryover, there was no all-new model to wait for. The E210 generation remained in production worldwide afterward, so used 2021 Corollas are widely available on the secondhand market.
Buyers comparing the compact sedans of that year could also look at the larger 2021 Toyota Avalon TRD, which used a different platform and a V6.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Corolla_(E210)
- https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2021_Toyota_Corolla.shtml
- https://pressroom.toyota.com/vehicle/2021-toyota-corolla/
- https://pressroom.toyota.com/2021-toyota-corolla-apex-edition-aims-for-the-curves-in-bold-style/
- https://www.carsdirect.com/toyota/corolla/2021
- https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2021-toyota-corolla-model-overview-pricing-tech-specs/
- https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/Toyota/corolla-4-door-sedan/2021
