I’ve always had a soft spot for hot hatches and the 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback SE Nightshade has now been included on that list. When I recorded this, it was a couple of days before Texas was hit with a massive snow storm. We were fortunate to have this as a press car for the week because the Corolla performed extremely well in the snow and even the ice.

The styling on the outside is textbook hatchback but more. The aggressive front gives this Toyota Corolla a mean look that isn’t a common thing coming from a Corolla. The aggressive style continues to the rear with sculpted taillights that protrude from the body panel.

Under the hood we have a 2.0L 4-cylinder which is typical in the segment. What’s not typical is how good the CVT transmission it’s connected to. It performed really well by being dynamic during hard launches to avoid wheel spin. It also helped control any wheel spin during the snow and icy conditions that we drove to get much needed groceries.

For being under the $25k price point, the interior was surprisingly impressive. The steering wheel was by far the best feeling piece of the interior. It’s thinner size made it comfortable to wrap your hands around and the feedback of the road was also as impressive. The seats were the next best thing offering a high level of comfort and sportiness. Although they were cloth, they were easy to clean. Where we were left wanting more was the rear seating space. My kid’s seat was able to fit in the back but did not allow him enough leg room. He might have been comfortable if the front passenger seat were all the way up but it didn’t look safe to have a passenger sitting there in case of an airbag deployment.

Overall we were extremely impressed and loving the 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback SE Nightshade. It’s everything a hot hatch should be and more.Toyota successfully accomplished turning the Corolla sedan into a great looking hatchback.