5 New Toyota Corolla Hybrid Nightshade Features To Be Excited About

The current generation Corolla launched in 2018, so it's already six years old at this point. We expect Toyota to launch an all-new generation later in 2024, as it ties up with the typical lifecycle of its models. However, Toyota hasn't made any announcements about the new Corolla, and we haven't heard of or seen any leaks.

Nevertheless, even if Toyota is releasing an all-new Corolla soon, it doesn't mean that it will just let the last generation go out with a whimper. That's why we're getting the Toyota Corolla Hybrid Nightshade. Although it's no JDM legend like the AE86, it starts with the sporty Corolla SE trim and adds a few visual flavors that make the Corolla Hybrid more visually appealing.

The Nightshade Edition will make the Corolla Hybrid worth a second look, especially if you want a ride that won't break the bank but also doesn't look like your grandma's car. While Toyota's subcompact sedan, the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid XLE, has always been characterized as slow and boring, the Nightshade Edition adds a few flairs and touchups that excite you—especially as it will likely still fit your budget for a brand-new fuel-efficient car.

A car's rims can make or break its looks. No matter how sporty a vehicle looks, if its wheels are too small or thin, it would look stunted or mismatched. Furthermore, gray or silver alloys are everywhere; a car sporting them would just blend in with all the other blacks and grays.

The entry-level Corolla LE gets 16-inch steel wheels with covers, while the premium XLE gets alloy wheels, but still at 16 inches. The sporty Corolla SE comes with low-profile 18s but only has one color option (graphite). Meanwhile, the Nightshade Edition gets unique 18-inch bronze rims, giving the Corolla Hybrid a sporty look.

This seven-spoke rim is wrapped in P225/40R18 tires, 20 mm wider than the stock tires on the LE and XLE trims. This gives the Corolla Hybrid Nightshade a more aggressive look and better grip. Furthermore, the bronze color perfectly complements the Nightshade's available colors, including Midnight Black Metallic, Classic Silver Metallic, and Ice Cap—which is the best option to make the Nightshade's unique badging and accents stand out.

One way to tell the Nightshade Edition from the other Corolla trims is its blacked-out badges and trims. These accents remove the chrome from all the badges on the car, from the Toyota logo upfront and at the back to the Corolla, SE, and Hybrid markings on the trunk. Unfortunately, the vehicle has no Nightshade Edition badge, so only those in the know will recognize your Corolla; all others will simply see it as a Sport Edition if they know what the Toyota trim level letters mean.

Aside from the badges, the Nightshade Edition also blacks out the exterior accessories on the car, like the side rocker panels, rear spoiler, and roof-mounted shark-fin antenna. Its heated outside mirrors also get the black treatment, making it more visually appealing.

The Nightshade Edition also inherits the sporty mesh grill of the SE trim, giving it an aggressive look. Nevertheless, the powertrain and tuning remain the same, so don't expect to get more power on the Nightshade Edition versus the regular SE.

The Nightshade Edition offers black Sport seats with red inserts as standard. Unfortunately, you don't get leather (or even SofTex) seats, not even as an option. So, you either have to get an upholsterer to fit seat covers or go for the XLE trim if that is a must for you. You also get a black dashboard with chrome fittings to go along with the theme of the red and black seats.

Aside from the dark finish, you also get a 4.2-inch digital display flanked by the tachometer and speedometer as your instrument panel. It doesn't have the all-digital affair of the Corolla XLE, but the two analog dials bring a more sporty vibe to the Nightshade Corolla Hybrid.

You also get the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 on this new trim. This includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control. Toyota also didn't skimp on protection, as the Nightshade Edition comes with ten airbags, including the driver and passenger airbags, side airbags, driver knee airbags, and curtain airbags.

While the Corolla Hybrid Nightshade Edition is already a visually compelling car for its price and pedigree, you might still want to add a few options to make it better suited to your taste. Toyota offers three optional packages, with the third combining the first two.

The SE Convenience Package costs $530 and adds a power tilt/slide sunroof and a Qi wireless charger inside. The latter optional feature is a great add-on, as the car already has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. With the Qi wireless charger, you can just place your phone in the cradle and start driving; no need to fiddle around with a USB cable to fill up your device while in transit. This option also adds Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert to Toyota Safety Sense, helping you avoid oncoming traffic when changing lanes or backing out of a parking spot.

JBL Premium Audio replaces the stock six speakers in the Nightshade Corolla with a top-tier nine-speaker setup. You also get an amplifier and subwoofer, making it the perfect upgrade for audiophile drivers. This is a $600 option, though, so you should be prepared to spend good money to get the best sound.

Lastly, the third option just combines the two we've already mentioned. You also don't get a discount, as it costs $1,130, but you should pick this one if you want the best sound quality, better safety features, and a sunroof in your car.

The best new feature of the Toyota Corolla Hybrid Nightshade Edition is that it just costs $1,000 more than the Hybrid SE it was based on. While the price does not include the destination charge, $26,940 is affordable for a thrifty, reliable car.

Even if you went with the AWD system and selected the most expensive optional package, you're just paying $30,565 for a good-looking daily driver. You can buy a base-model Toyota Prius (starting at $27,950) or Toyota Camry LE (starting at $28,400) for less than this. But even though they have an updated look, you'll miss out on several features with these cheaper trims, like all-wheel drive, the premium JBL sound system, and sunroof.

Although the XLE is the Corolla Hybrid's top trim and has a higher starting price than the Nightshade Edition, the latter offers more value for money in terms of style and look. And if you want to stand out from the thousands of Corollas on the road without spending so much more, you should be excited about the Toyota Corolla Hybrid Nightshade Edition.