Toyota COROLLA RANGE
Toyota Have Kept The Corolla Fresh With A Bunch Of Revisions. Andy Enright Reports
Toyota make great play of the fact that the latest Corolla is a car you can be proud of. Speak to Corolla owners and they seem a universally satisfied bunch and the revisions visited upon this, the ninth generation Corolla, do indeed give it the glossy sheen of a far pricier product. Having happy owners is one thing. Persuading potential customers to become owners is quite something else and Toyota have taken steps to give the Corolla a good deal more polish.
Is desirability now fitted as standard?
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Try for a moment to put your finger on what a
Toyota Corolla does excellently. Previously youd have probably nominated the cars practicality and its reliability, not the sexiest set of attributes to tackle rivals that are becoming quicker, prettier and effortlessly cooler. Against cars like the Mazda3, the
Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhalls latest Astra, the Corolla was beginning to look a bit anonymous. Recognising that remedial action was necessary to keep the Corolla current, Toyota have revised the styling, safety features and equipment levels of all Corolla hatchbacks, saloons and estates.
Prices start at £11,695. 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. Equipment levels have been boosted across the board with big car features like rain sensing wipers, electrochromic dipping rear-view mirrors and options like full-map satellite navigation and full leather interiors available. In order to differentiate what were (T Sport model excepted) a rather samey looking bunch of trim levels, the T3 three and five-door models are given a more sporting look replete with side and rear body skirts, a carbon fibre fascia finish and leather trim for the steering wheel and gear knob.
"The Corolla is more than just a middleweight makeweight"
The T Sport model itself has been given the once over too, Toyota being particularly dissatisfied with UK sales in comparison to Hondas popular Civic Type-R. Most would never have recognised the T Sport as being at the dynamic end of the Corolla range, so low key was its styling, and the latest version makes greater play of its sporting intent and 189bhp powerplant. More supportive sports seats are fitted and the suspension has been beefed up to improve the old cars body control at speed. Performance dampers and coil springs are fitted to firm things up and rebound springs are introduced at the rear to further improve handling.
The steering has been retuned to give a more direct feel. Designed in France, this current Corolla is tightly priced and, having been designed with European tastes in mind, delivers on both these fronts. 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. Certainly, the Corolla is more than just a middleweight makeweight and it can play the patriotic card, since the best selling three and five-door hatch variants in the range are built in Britain. Toyota is staking a lot on this car and has launched an all-out assault on the hearts, minds and wallets of the world with a line-up that includes three and five door hatches, an estate, a saloon and a redesigned five-door Verso
mini-MPV.
There are four trim options T2, T3, T Spirit and T Sport with four petrol engines and a diesel unit. Although it cant deliver the aggressive handling of a
Ford Focus, it nevertheless cosies up to the
Honda Civic and the Fiat Stilo in the go/stop/steer department. A 97bhp 1.4-litre opens negotiations, followed by a 110bhp 1.
6 and a 135bhp 1.8. For the first time in years, performance enthusiasts have a Corolla worthy of their wedge with the 189bhp 1.8-litre flagship T Sport version.
Those looking for a decent diesel will appreciate the 89bhp 1.4-litre D-4D unit that replaces the 89bhp 2.0-litre unit. Its the first diesel to be offered with the option of Toyotas Multi-mode Manual Transmission (MMT), a system that allows the car to be driven with automatic gearchanges or alternatively with manual selection of up and downshifts.
The 114bhp 2.0-litre D4-D continues at the top of the diesel range. The Toyota Corolla is at a crossroads in its existence. Previous models merely needed to be there in order to sell.
In todays more competitive global marketplace, the Corolla needs to earn its corn. Heres where it starts working.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Toyota Corolla range
PRICES: £11,695-£16,000 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 3E-14A
CO2 EMISSIONS: 156-198g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.6] 0-60mph 10.2s / Max Speed 118mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6] (combined) 40.3mpg / (extra urban) 47.8mpg / (urban) 31.4mpg
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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