Corollas have long had a reputation for being sensible, logical buys that are on the boring side — until now. Toyota’s new chief, Akio Toyoda, didn’t like the ‘boring but sensible’ tag being given to his company’s products, so he suggested to designers and engineers that more character might be nice.
From a styling point of view, the 11th generation Corolla is right up to date, with a clean front where the lights and grille blend neatly and in the side view which has a real Euro look.
Australians are showing a strong preference for small passenger vehicles rather than the large family sixes they used to love with a passion.
The Mazda3 has been at the top of the sales tree for the past two years but is getting on in years and Toyota wouldn’t mind a tilt at the crown. Nissan Australia is also in the race with its all-new Pulsar. Toyota and Nissan have both priced their entry-level models at $19,990.
When the big three car makers start to get really serious about maximising sales, buyers are the real winners. These cars are all very well priced, but you may still be able to squeeze another few dollars out of the transaction.
New Toyota Corolla is powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine that’s based on the one used in the outgoing model. It has significant changes to improve power and torque characteristics and reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.
The car wasn’t as economical as we anticipated, typically using nine to 11 litres per hundred kilometres in heavy-duty driving around town.
Handling of the new Corolla is excellent, all the more so when you remember it’s a family hatchback with no pretensions to sportiness.
The electrically assisted power steering is nicely weighted and gives good feedback.
Comfort on poor roads isn’t as good as on previous Corollas due to the sporting revisions to the car’s character.
Toyota’s Corolla has been a favourite in Australia for almost five decades. We see no reason why our love affair with this car shouldn’t be every bit as strong as in the previous 10 generations.
