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2019 Toyota Corolla vs. compact hatchbacks: How they compare

So you've read what we thought about the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. Oh, you didn't? Well, click to your left, we'll still be here. Just made some coffee, we're good for a while. Welcome back! Wasn't that riveting? The blue paint sure is bright, eh? Well, now you must be wondering how that new 2019 Corolla stacks up with all the other hatchbacks. And, despite long thinking that hatchbacks were doomed, there are actually quite a lot of them these days. So many, in fact, that we couldn't fit them all in our space-limited comparison chart. So, with apologies to the Hyundai Elantra GT, Kia Forte and the dead-man-walking Ford Focus, these were the cars we chose based on sales and competitiveness: the Honda Civic Hatchback, Mazda3 5-Door, Volkswagen Golf, Chevrolet Cruze and Subaru Impreza. We also included the outgoing Corolla iM for reference. If you think we've left something of interest out, you can always create your own comparison. Performance and fuel economy There is but one king here, and its name is Civic. While the sedan and coupe come with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 158-horsepower four-cylinder that's less potent than the Corolla's, the hatchback comes standard with the 1.5-liter turbo that aces the segment in terms of both acceleration and fuel economy. The Golf's acceleration should be comparable, but as you can see, it trails on fuel economy (still not bad, though). The new Corolla ends up being better than the rest with its new 168-hp four-cylinder paired to novel transmissions: a six-speed manual with rev-matched downshifting (!) and a CVT that mimics the actions of a 10-speed automatic. The Corolla does weigh more than everything else, though, so that could hamper its acceleration. Fuel economy data also wasn't announced, but Toyota indicated it would be a bit better than the old Corolla iM. Something akin to the 2.0-liter Mazda 3's numbers seems likely. As for the Mazda, its top two trim levels actually come standard with its bigger engine. In any event, despite its ample power, testing has often showed that the Civic is still the quicker car from 0 to 60 mph. And finally, let's not leave out the two on the end. The Subaru is the only car in the segment that offers all-wheel drive (the Focus RS and Golf R don't count), but is also the segment weakling now that the Corolla iM has been discontinued.

Nissan Leaf sets another monthly sales record, Chevy Volt remains steady

Here we go again. Another month in the books and another month of record sales by the Nissan Leaf in the US. For October, the world's best-selling pure EV sold 2,589 units, which is 29.3 percent more than October 2013. That makes it 20 times in a row that Nissan can say that last month sales were better than the same month a year before. All told, Nissan has sold 24,411 Leafs in the US this year, a new record, reflecting an overall Leaf sales rate that is up 35 percent, year-to-date. Nissan isn't stopping, either. A new TV ad, one that, "encourages consumers to kick gas" by saving money on fuel will start airing today in major markets, according to Toby Perry, director of Nissan's EV marketing. You can watch it below. As for the Chevy Volt, things remained steady last month in the face of a new model that's coming in the second half of 2015. Chevy sold 1,439 Volts last month, which is about the same as September (1,394) but down 28.8 percent from the October 2013 despite GM having its best overall US October sales this year since 2007. So far, 2014 Volt year-to-date sales are down 14.9 percent through the end of October compared to 2013. And that wraps up the flash report on monthly sales for these two long-standing plug-in vehicles in the US market. As always, we'll have our in-depth write-up of US green car sales available soon. For now, we await your comments, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Chevrolet FNR is a sharp vision of the future in Shanghai

The Shanghai Motor Show is about more than just displaying the latest extended-wheelbase luxury sedans to the Chinese populace. Chevrolet is taking advantage of the event to debut its vision of the future of motoring with the FNR concept, and the capsule looks like it could be fresh from off the set of Blade Runner. The FNR imagines what a fully autonomous, electric vehicle might look like many years from now and is meant to appeal to young, Chinese consumers. The concept's design from the minds at GM's Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center does a pretty neat magic trick, too. Most times it's a mass of glass and curving lines that looks very sci-fi, but then the dragonfly doors open upwards to reveal some knife-edged angles in the styling, as well. As a cutting-edge concept, this capsule is also packed with futuristic tech. Power comes from magnetic hubless electric motors in each wheel, and it could charge wirelessly. Crystal lasers generate the headlights and taillights, and radar in the roof would allow scanning the surroundings for autonomous driving. The interior is similarly imaginative as the rest of the styling. Passengers are enveloped in blue light while sitting in mostly mesh chairs with huge bolsters. Keys have been done away with entirely in favor of iris recognition. Once on the road, the front seats even swivel around to more easily talk with rear passengers. Check it all out in the gallery above for a glimpse a Chevy's vision of what might be next. Related Video: Chevrolet-FNR and All-New Chevrolet Malibu Make Global Debut at Shanghai GM Gala Night 2015-04-19 SHANGHAI – Two Chevrolet models, the Chevrolet-FNR and all-new Malibu, made their global debut this evening at Shanghai GM Gala Night. They were joined by the Bolt EV concept and the 2015 Captiva, which made their China debut. The new models were introduced as Shanghai GM celebrates the 10th Anniversary of its Chevrolet brand in China. They will appear alongside 12 other models on the Chevrolet display at Auto Shanghai 2015, this year's leading auto show in China, which starts tomorrow. Chevrolet-FNR The Chevrolet-FNR is an autonomous electric concept vehicle that offers a glimpse at mobility of the future. It was developed in Shanghai by GM's Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) joint venture. Engineering, design and electrification teams drew on their past experience developing electric concept vehicles.