2020 Toyota Corolla XSE Hatchback Interior Review: Can Small Still Be Premium?

Hard and soft-touch truths about the cabin of Toyota’s compact king.

When the latest-gen Toyota Corolla was evaluated at our 2019 Car of the Year program, we lauded it as the best-driving Corolla in a long time, and we gave it high marks for its premium-feeling interior. Have our feelings about the latter changed a year later? Find out as we go inside, literally and figuratively, the 2020 Toyota Corolla.

Our fully loaded 2020 Corolla XSE hatchback tester came equipped with the 169-horsepower, 2.0-liter inline-four cylinder engine and CVT transmission. Resplendent in a color Toyota calls Blue Flame, with a mostly grey/black interior, our Corolla tester was sharp enough to garner appreciative nods from a couple young dudes in a Honda Civic Si while we were out on a test drive.

Stitched And Soft Touch Surroundings Say Quality

We know the feeling, as we've been mostly nodding our heads while inside the 2020 Corolla. As you get in, there is a strong sense of quality from the first pull of the door handle. It's the soft, little things, like the sturdy, yet "soft return" grab handles above and soft-touch gauge cluster surround and dash pad. Handsome white stitching runs all around the cabin, across the dash, the center console and seats, and contrasts nicely against the pebble-grained surfaces. The only obvious place without the contrast stitching is the XSE's leather-wrapped steering wheel, which makes sense as it is an upgrade that needs to work with a variety of interior combinations. That said, the look is very put together, particularly the gray, tweed-ish cloth inserts in the front seats. For a vehicle that costs $25,295, the Corolla XSE feels quite premium.

Although the slidable armrest between the front two seats has enough storage beneath it for a couple of water bottles and has both a 12V socket and 2.5amp USB port, there aren't any other places for your gear, aside from traditional door pockets, cupholders, and glovebox. Toyota put tons of additional trays and cubbies in the Highlander and RAV4, so it would have been nice to see some of that here. The XSE model we tested did have the optional Qi wireless charging mat ahead of the shifter, but it's a bit shallow. Not much else will fit there—your phone might not either, if it has a bulky case—or stay put while driving.

Sharp, Full Color Graphics Display And Apple/Android Connectivity

On the tech front, our Corolla XSE has nearly all the bells and whistles Toyota offers on the Corolla, including Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which includes features like lane departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beams, and radar-guided cruise control. These features are well integrated into the driver's cockpit, with a well-considered layout to the matte finish button array. Screens are large and bright; the 7-inch TFT display in the instrument cluster is particularly punchy and nice to look at, but its crispness does highlight the comparitively dull, lower-res quality of the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment screen (both standard on the XSE trim). The icons on the central display are a bit gray and drab, but if Apple Carplay is your jam, you're in luck because it looks big and bold in the Corolla. Android Auto is also available, if you're so inclined.

What About The Back Seats? Is Second Row, Second Class?

One of our comments from the notes at Car of the Year 2019 was that new Corolla is a bit space-limited, particularly in the rear seat. It's fine as small cars go; your author stands 5-feet 11-inches tall, and can sit behind from driver's seat (set for himself) with his knees not quite touching the seat back. There others in the class that boast more capacious rear sets.

There is a distinct lack of features in the rear seat. There no HVAC vents or power outlets of any kind—neither 12V nor USB—just a little cubby carved into the back of the frontseat armest, suitable for a tin of Altoids. The rear seats are single position only; rake is non-adjustable.  A small win: there is a flip down armest, with two cupholders, and the rear window switches are lit, which isn't always the case in this price range.

Corolla Cargo Capacity: Constrained But Well Appointed

The 2020 Corolla Hatchback's rear cargo is on the small side, but there are some handy features, including some stealth hooks (for securing grocery bags) and an orange loop under the cargo cover. This is to hook and hold up the panel that covers the full-size spare and tool kit—both of which are nice to see at this price point. We had some rain during our test session with the Corolla and are happy to report that front and rear wipers work well, but that the rear wiper motor is quite noisy. Either that or that we only noticed it because the Corolla is very quiet inside.

A year after its debut, the interior of the 2020 Toyota Corolla still holds up as one of the better cabins in the segment. It definitely feels premium for the price point, especially for the driver and front passenger. Others in the class (especially the Korean competition), provide more features for the rear seat passengers, but if that isn't your concern, consider the Corolla.