The 2019 Toyota Corolla Se marks a significant redesign in the Corolla hatchback series, replacing the Corolla iM. For those prioritizing safety, understanding vehicle crashworthiness is paramount. This article delves into the safety performance of the 2019 Toyota Corolla SE hatchback, drawing upon evaluations from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). We provide a detailed breakdown of crash test results, safety features, and overall safety ratings, ensuring you have a complete picture of this vehicle’s safety capabilities.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Driver-Side
The small overlap front test simulates a collision where only a small portion of the vehicle’s front end impacts an object, like a tree or pole. This is a particularly challenging test, and the 2019 Toyota Corolla SE hatchback demonstrated excellent performance.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | G |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Hip/thigh | G |
| Lower leg/foot | G |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | G |
Technical Measurements – Driver-Side Small Overlap Front Test
| Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 5 |
| Footrest (cm) | 2 |
| Left toepan (cm) | 2 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 5 |
| Parking brake (cm) | |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 1 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Steering column | 4 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 2 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 4 |
| Lower instrument panel (cm) | 4 |
| Driver injury measures | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 203 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 6 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.17 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 25 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.9 |
| Right | 0.5 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 1 |
| Right | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.54 |
| Right | 0.46 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 1.6 |
| Right | 2.0 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 78 |
| Right | 60 |
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Passenger-Side
The passenger-side small overlap test mirrors the driver-side test but evaluates protection for the front passenger. The 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback also earned a “Good” rating in this critical assessment.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | G |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Hip/thigh | G |
| Lower leg/foot | G |
| Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics | G |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Hip/thigh | G |
| Lower leg/foot | G |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | G |
Technical Measurements – Passenger-Side Small Overlap Front Test
| Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 5 |
| Footrest (cm) | 1 |
| Right toepan (cm) | 4 |
| Center toepan (cm) | 4 |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 1 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Center dash (cm) | 2 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 4 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 4 |
| Right lower dash (cm) | 3 |
| Passenger injury measures | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 151 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 44 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.44 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 22 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.4 |
| Right | 1.6 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 2 |
| Right | 4 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.56 |
| Right | 0.64 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 2.7 |
| Right | 2.0 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 52 |
| Right | 46 |
| Driver injury measures | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 95 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.0 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 8 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.19 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 29 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.6 |
| Right | 0.8 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 1 |
| Right | 2 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.31 |
| Right | 0.28 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 0.0 |
| Right | 0.8 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 35 |
| Right | 56 |
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test
In the moderate overlap front test, a larger portion of the vehicle’s front end impacts a deformable barrier. The 2019 Toyota Corolla SE hatchback once again received the highest possible rating of “Good”.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | G |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Leg/foot, left | G |
| Leg/foot, right | G |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | G |
Technical Measurements – Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test
| Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 1 |
| Left (cm) | 4 |
| Center (cm) | 2 |
| Right (cm) | 4 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 5 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | -1 |
| Right (cm) | -3 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | 0 |
| Rearward (cm) | -3 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 1 |
| Driver injury measures | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 204 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.1 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 15 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.20 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 28 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force – left (kN) | 0.8 |
| Femur force – right (kN) | 0.7 |
| Knee displacement – left (mm) | 1 |
| Knee displacement – right (mm) | 1 |
| Maximum tibia index – left | 0.72 |
| Maximum tibia index – right | 0.62 |
| Tibia axial force – left (kN) | 2.2 |
| Tibia axial force – right (kN) | 2.4 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 69 |
| Right | 75 |
Side Impact Crash Test: Original and Updated
The side impact test assesses occupant protection in side collisions. The 2019 Toyota Corolla SE hatchback was subjected to both the original and updated side impact tests. It achieved “Good” in the original test and “Acceptable” in the more rigorous updated test, reflecting continuous improvements in safety standards.
Side: Original Test
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | G |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | G |
| Torso | G |
| Pelvis/leg | G |
| Driver head protection | G |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | G |
| Torso | G |
| Pelvis/leg | G |
| Rear passenger head protection | G |
Image: Side impact crash test of the 2019 Toyota Corolla SE, illustrating the moment of impact with the barrier.
Image: Occupant compartment integrity and side airbag deployment in the 2019 Toyota Corolla SE after a side impact collision.
Image: Driver-side head protection demonstrated by greasepaint markings on the side curtain airbag of the 2019 Toyota Corolla SE during a side impact test.
Image: Rear passenger head protection during a side impact, as indicated by greasepaint on the side airbag of the 2019 Toyota Corolla SE.
Technical Measurements – Side Impact Crash Test (Original)
| Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side | Test ID | VTS1814 | CES1809 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver’s seat (cm) | -17.0 | -19.5 |
| Driver injury measures | Measurement | Test ID | VTS1814 | CES1809 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 294 | 181 | ||
| Neck Tension (kN) | 1.1 | 0.8 | ||
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.2 | 0.1 | ||
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 23 | 21 | ||
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 1.2 | 1.4 | ||
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 31 | 25 | ||
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 28 | 20 | ||
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 4.20 | 3.52 | ||
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.42 | 0.24 | ||
| Pelvis Iliac force (kN) | 3.1 | 2.5 | ||
| Pelvis Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.8 | 1.2 | ||
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 4.8 | 3.6 | ||
| Left femur L-M force (kN) | 0.8 | 0.7 | ||
| Left femur L-M moment (Nm) | 118 | 112 | ||
| Left femur A-P moment (Nm) | 20 | 35 |
| Passenger injury measures | Measurement | Test ID | VTS1814 | CES1809 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 111 | 127 | ||
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.1 | 0.2 | ||
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.8 | 0.6 | ||
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 24 | 23 | ||
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 0.8 | 1.0 | ||
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 26 | 23 | ||
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 22 | 20 | ||
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.20 | 2.28 | ||
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.31 | 0.23 | ||
| Pelvis Iliac force (kN) | 0.1 | 0.0 | ||
| Pelvis Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.2 | 1.1 | ||
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 1.2 | 1.1 | ||
| Left femur L-M force (kN) | 1.8 | 1.4 | ||
| Left femur L-M moment (Nm) | 236 | 226 | ||
| Left femur A-P moment (Nm) | 79 | -102 |
Side: Updated Test
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | A |
| Structure and safety cage | A |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | G |
| Torso | A |
| Pelvis | M |
| Driver head protection | G |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | G |
| Torso | G |
| Pelvis | A |
| Rear passenger head protection | G |
Image: The 2022 Toyota Corolla LE, similar to the 2019 SE, after undergoing the updated side impact crash test.
Image: Side airbag deployment and structural damage to the occupant compartment of a 2022 Toyota Corolla LE following an updated side impact test.
Image: Driver head protection in the updated side impact test, evident from greasepaint markings on the side airbags of the 2022 Toyota Corolla LE.
Image: Rear passenger head protection in the updated side impact test, as shown by greasepaint on the side airbags of the 2022 Toyota Corolla LE.
Technical Measurements – Side Impact Crash Test (Updated)
| Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side | Measurement |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver’s seat (cm) | -16.0 |
| Driver injury measures | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 99 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.6 |
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 28 |
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 1.2 |
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 41 |
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 33 |
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.32 |
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.75 |
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 6.0 |
| Passenger injury measures | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 150 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.3 |
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.4 |
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 35 |
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 1.4 |
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 28 |
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 21 |
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.16 |
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.38 |
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 4.6 |
Roof Strength Test
The roof strength test evaluates the roof’s ability to withstand forces in a rollover crash. The 2019 Toyota Corolla SE hatchback demonstrated a “Good” roof strength rating.
| Overall evaluation | G |
|---|---|
| Curb weight | 2,998 lbs |
| Peak force | 15,653 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 5.22 |
Head Restraints & Seats
Whiplash protection is crucial in rear-end collisions. The 2019 Toyota Corolla SE’s head restraints and seats earned a “Good” rating for dynamic performance and geometry.
| Overall evaluation | G |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | G |
| Seat/head restraint geometry | G |
Technical Measurements – Head Restraints & Seats
| Seat type | Manual cloth seat |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 24 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 6 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 12.7 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 56 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 0 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 193 |
Headlights
Headlight performance is vital for nighttime safety. The 2019 Toyota Corolla SE offers two headlight variations. The XSE trim with the Preferred package achieves an “Acceptable” rating, while the SE trim and XSE with Manual Transmission package receive a “Marginal” rating.
Headlights: XSE trim equipped with Preferred package
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | Yes |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
| Overall rating | A |
Headlights: SE trim & XSE trim equipped with Manual transmission package
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
| Overall rating | M |
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle
The 2019 Toyota Corolla SE comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, including a Pre-Collision System. This system earned a “Superior” rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention, successfully avoiding collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests.
| Overall evaluation | Superior |
|---|---|
| Forward Collision Warning | Meets requirements |
| 12 mph test | Collision Avoided |
| 25 mph test | Collision Avoided |
Front Crash Prevention: Pedestrian (Day)
The Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection also achieved a “Superior” rating in pedestrian front crash prevention. The system avoided collisions with child and adult pedestrians in various scenarios at speeds up to 25 mph and significantly reduced impact speed at higher speeds.
| Overall evaluation | Superior |
|---|---|
| Crossing child (12 mph & 25 mph) | Collision Avoided |
| Crossing adult (12 mph & 25 mph) | Collision Avoided |
| Parallel adult (25 mph) | Collision Avoided |
| Parallel adult (37 mph) | Impact speed reduced by 26 mph |
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH)
For families, child seat anchor ease of use is essential. The 2019 Toyota Corolla SE hatchback has LATCH systems that are rated “Good +” for ease of use, including extra LATCH positions.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | G + extra LATCH positions |
| Vehicle trim | SE |
| Seat type | cloth |
Child Seat Anchor Details by Seating Position
| Position | Rating | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Good | Tether anchor, easy-to-find location, Lower anchors: not too deep, easy to attach |
| 2 | Good | Tether anchor, easy-to-find location, Lower anchors can be borrowed from 1 and 3 |
| 3 | Good | Tether anchor, easy-to-find location, Lower anchors: not too deep, easy to attach |
Conclusion
The 2019 Toyota Corolla SE hatchback demonstrates robust safety performance across a range of IIHS crash tests and safety evaluations. Achieving top “Good” ratings in most crashworthiness categories and “Superior” ratings for front crash prevention systems, the 2019 Toyota Corolla SE is a strong contender for safety-conscious car buyers. While the updated side impact test resulted in an “Acceptable” rating and headlight ratings vary by trim, the overall safety profile of the 2019 Toyota Corolla SE remains highly commendable, making it a safe and reliable choice in its class.
