Corolla owner drives the Toyota Hyryder strong hybrid: Observations

The 28 km/l fuel efficiency seems to be a tall claim, but 16 - 18 km/l seems achievable in traffic.

BHPian rajshenoy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My Corolla service was due and I thought of using their EM60 service so that I can finally go check out Hyryder (Strong Hybrid)

While I had my share of apprehensions, I came back surprised. let me revisit some of them:

1. Power: Feels adequate for urban usage thanks to the EV assist and is comparable in this segment. On highways too, should be ok for 100-120 km/h usage.
2. Build: Felt better than the usual Maruti Heartect cars, Rear Hatch felt heavy and the doors felt tight than heavy.
3. Ride quality: Short spin was not enough to comment on the handling but the ride felt cushiony and the car could soak most of the urban scenarios.
4. Fuel economy: MID was showing 16.4 on an abused car and my 20-odd kms too were in a similar ballpark, so 28 km/l might be a tall claim but 16-18 km/l seems achievable for Bangalore traffic
5. Boot space: It is not as bad. I travel light and this should be sufficient for 2 adults + 2 kids and weekend luggage.

Other good bits:

Sunroof has this neat trick that moves the rear pane and liberates awesome space. I like this much better than the panoramic sunroof that mostly serves as a moonroof

Not-so-good bits:

Drive modes felt gimmicky as I did not feel any noticeable difference in ECO, Normal or Power mode.

The EV button was pretty useless (the battery was showing full towards the end of my drive, but the EV didn't work. Apparently the EV mode works once you come to stand still and put on the handbrake and then move)

Engine note feels very fake due to this EV assist and somehow could not enjoy it. It is not loud and well-insulated but artificial.

The rear seat is not spacious for 3 adults (also that tunnel in middle) and the black theme does not look airy (the sunroof and that mosquito net roof line perhaps help brighten up) - I have the same problem with Seltos/Creta as well, So again nothing deal breaker for that segment.

Overall, I am happy with this car. Seems like a good choice for a small family which has a need for a single car for both urban and highway runs.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.