Toyota COROLLA 1.4 VVT-i RANGE
Toyotas Latest Corolla 1.4 Adds A Splash Of Desirability To The Usual Mix. Andy Enright Reports
Being the worlds favourite car takes quite a bit of getting over. After all, nobody likes to be thought of as average. Imagine what a sterile entity youd be if you wore the worlds most popular clothing, listened to the most popular music and ate the most popular food. As you gazed out of McDonalds, listening to bland pop music and wearing your nondescript clobber, you could look forward to a drive home in something utterly unmemorable.
Alternatively you could choose a
Toyota Corolla.
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Dont get too worked up about the Corollas tag. It may have racked up over 28 million sales in its lifetime, but many of the earlier versions were pure automotive vanilla, the sort of personality vacuum that has latterly been reserved solely for Big Brother contestants and Euro MPs. The latest Corolla is most definitely a good thing and as a result will probably get nowhere near its predecessors targets. Not what
Toyota want to hear but great news for those looking for one of the best family hatches about.
Even the entry-level engine, the 1.4-litre VVT-i unit, has a good deal to be said for it. For a start it cranks out a respectable 95bhp. Thats a clear 21bhp more than the
Ford Focus 1.
4-litre 16v engine and 6bhp more than that fitted to the
Honda Civic. The
Citroen C3,
Peugeot 206 and
Vauxhall Astra cant make this sort of power from their 1.4-litre lumps either. The Corolla also contends in terms of price.
With a line up starting at £11,695, its not the cheapest of the mainstream family hatches but get inside and take a moment to appreciate the fit and finish and youll probably agree that its the one that offers the best value.
"The 1.4-litre VVT-i entry-level engine has a good deal to be said for it"
The VVT-i intelligent valve timing system offers a number of benefits. Not only are emissions kept in check (just 159g/km) and fuel economy optimised (a combined figure of 42.2mpg), the driving characteristics are tweaked to offer a reasonable amount of torque low down and a bit of power at the top of the rev range. Do remember that this is just a 1.
4-litre engine hauling along a very well built and rather big boned body. The sprint to 60mph of 11.8 seconds and the top speed of 115mph then seems very creditable. Theres a choice of three, four or five door body bodystyles but no estate models.
The latest car is easy to identify thanks to the sculpted teardrop style headlamps that give the front end a bit more in the way of personality. The grille and bonnet have been subtly changed as well as the tail lamps and rear bumper. Colour keyed side mouldings also feature. Inside, trim and cabin detailing have been improved and all models are fitted with slick Optitron digital instrument displays and telescopic steering wheel adjustment for improved comfort.
Designed in France, the latest Corolla has been designed with European tastes in mind. Like its rival, the
Fiat Stilo, the Toyotas styling does little to betray the parent companys nationality, instead opting for the sort of clean, global village styling that many pundits would pigeonhole as Germanic. Not so. Yes, theres more than a hint of
Audi A3 in the rear three-quarter view of the three-door variant and the interior is Teutonically dark: but then, were getting used to seeing that. Modern car design now transcends national borders, and the Corolla is prima facie evidence. Repair costs are down 50%, six airbags are standard (along with ABS) on every model, theres a new
seat design and special electric power steering, plus the usual three-year warranty. The outgoing Corolla was probably the greatest exposition of the car as an example of white goods: unexciting, utterly reliable and representing the classic low involvement buying decision. Basically, it was a vehicle bought by people who had no interest or affection for cars. Theres little doubt that a fair proportion of old Corolla buyers will suffer the effects of inertia and buy one of the latest models. Just as a number of buyers bought the Ford Puma for its cute good looks and lucked into the fact that it was also a great drivers car, so those automotive grazers who sleepily move from one generation Corolla to the next will unwittingly find themselves at the wheel of something unexpectedly class competitive.
You lucky people. Quality is the first area of improvement. Toyota has quite unashamedly used the
Volkswagen Golf as its quality benchmark and the cabin therefore features silicone-damped grab handles, soft-touch plastics on the fascia, enough rubber-lined recesses to put a twinkle in the eye of a back-bench Tory MP and doors that say thunk rather than ding when they close. Closer inspection shows little evidence of corner cutting.
Although the steering wheel only adjusts for height, its easy to obtain a comfortable driving position and the sheer ease and intuitiveness of all the minor controls is a testament to Toyotas understanding of how we interact with a car. The Verso
mini-MPV variant looks interesting, with the usual five seater slide/tilt/remove capability for the rear seats, although some will doubtless baulk at the rather strange broken back styling last seen on the Alfa 75. It also features a different fascia to the more mainstream models with a dash-mounted gearstick in the style of the Honda Stream. Predictably it also includes a good deal more cubbyhole and stowage space.
Most car advertising campaigns are risible at best. Even if you are packing a mere 1.4-litres under your bonnet, in this instance at least, Toyotas "A Car You Can Be Proud Of" rings true.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Toyota Corolla 1.4 VVT-i range
PRICES: £11,695-£12,895 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-4
CO2 EMISSIONS: 159g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.2s / Max Speed 118mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 42.2mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5dr] length/width/heightmm 4180/1710/1475
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