Toyota COROLLA D4-D RANGE
Toyotas High-Tech D4-D Diesel Engines Have Found Their Way Into The Latest Corolla. Andy Enright Reports
Toyota are hoping that a curious variant of Murphys Law isnt about to apply to their Corolla. Its predecessors were largely underwhelming offerings, noteworthy only in their almost obscenely successful global sales. The latest model has had plaudits showered upon it, even picking up the odd award along the way. Its a very good car.
Logic would therefore dictate that its doomed to fail. Toyota view the D4-D engines as their belt and braces safeguard.
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When the current generation
Toyota Corolla emerged it utilised two versions of the same 2.0-litre D4-D diesel. The 89bhp version was carried over largely unchanged from the outgoing car and an intercooled 109bhp version that had previously seen service in the Avensis was also included. Its a mark of just how far diesel engine technology has progressed and how quickly, that the D4-D line-up in the latest facelifted Corolla has moved on again.
The more powerful 2.0-litre D4-D continues, though now it has 114bhp to spirit the Corolla along. The entry level diesel is probably of more interest because, the 2.0-litre 89bhp engine is now a 1.
4-litre 89bhp. This smaller Euro IV compliant engine has the same power but delivers improvements in terms of fuel economy and emissions, while also being the first diesel to be offered with Toyotas MMT gearbox (a £500 option). Unlike the overwhelming majority of diesel engines finding their way into family hatches, Toyota have resisted the temptation to laud the D4-Ds as engines that usher in a new generation of sports diesel driving, which is refreshing because they dont. What the engines do offer is the sort of thing that diesels do best, namely providing superb economy allied to the predictably satisfying mid-range shove.
Both D4-D units have a deliciously gravelly feel to them that could almost be described as a husky wallop were it not for the fact that this sounds like something that could get you permanently ostracised in Inuit communities.
"The D4-D engine stood out like a beacon in the old Corolla range, effectively being a great engine in a lousy package. Its now got the gift wrap it deserves."
The smaller D4-D engine is available in the now familiar T2, and T3 trim levels, whereas the 114bhp unit is offered in T2, T3 and upspec T-Spirit trim. Three doors is on the agenda but only if you go for the 1.4-litre option in sporty T3 trim. At the other end of the scale, if you feel that the Corollas spacious cabin is somewhat too compact and bijou for you, the additional feline-swinging capability of the Corolla Verso
mini-MPV is an option worth considering.
Plus, more traditional saloon and estate versions are also offered with the ubiquitous in T2 and T3 trim. Prices shape up competitively, the entry level 1.4-litre T2 weighing in at £12,695 with the T3 relieving you of an additional £1,200. Opt for the 2.
0-litre T-Spirit and £15,895 will be spirited from the savings account. Thats not a huge price to pay for a car thats been designed in France specifically around European tastes. 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. The latest post facelift Corolla can be identified predominantly through the sculpted teardrop style headlamps but changes to bonnet, grille and rear light clusters are also in evidence.
Trim levels are up across the board and the T3 trim level has been given a more dynamic edge by side skirts and interior upgrades. The five-door hatch versions of the Corolla D4-D are built in Britain, the domestic build quality apparently being a key factor in the decision to award the contract. 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 2.0-litre D4-D engine suits the Verso mini-MPV well (the 1.4-litre is not offered) and it looks set to make inroads into the market domination enjoyed by the bigger
Citroen Xsara Picasso.
It opts for the usual five-seater slide/tilt/remove capability for the rear seats and has benefited from the same front end alterations seen on the current Corolla. The Verso 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. The D4-D engine stood out like a beacon in the old Corolla range, effectively being a great engine in a lousy package.
Its now got the gift wrap it deserves and the more advanced 1.4-litre version makes the entry-level even more cost-effective. Such is the perversity of the British buyer, we fully expect this excellent package to bomb without trace. You can do your bit to buck the stereotype by giving it a try.
Not every Brit loves a loser. Do you?
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Toyota Corolla D4-D range
PRICES: £12,695-£15,895
INSURANCE GROUPS: 3E-6
CO2 EMISSIONS: 127-156g/km
PERFORMANCE: [114bhp] 0-60mph 10.6s / Max Speed 116mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [114bhp] (combined) 50mpg
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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