Review: Toyota Corolla
Toyota’s Corolla has always been an easy car to own and drive, but difficult to write about because there was so little to say about it. Very good build quality, superb reliability, average performance, average styling, average spec levels, which started looking below average as the opposition improved …
Easy to own for the rest of your life, hard to enthuse about because everything was so — ordinary. Still, South Africans bought 730 000 Corollas in 27 years, so Toyota obviously got things right.
Now the ninth generation Corolla has arrived. It’s bigger inside and even better built than its predecessor. It’s more powerful, safer and offers you more for your money. At the launch there was much PR fanfare about “pure exhilaration”. That was more like pure bullshit — the car is still Toyota conservative, but it’s by far the best Corolla yet, and at a price that makes it very appealing in an increasingly competitive market. And, although not a BMW, it has a lot more soul than ever before.
The Corolla comes with three all-new fuel-injected aluminium-alloy engines displacing 1,4 litres, 1,6 litres and 1,8 litres, and producing 71kW, 81kW and 100kW respectively. Twin overhead camshafts are chain rather than belt-driven, to reduce maintenance. Even the base models — the 140i and 160i — offer disc brakes all round, power steering, a transponder key with immobiliser system and remote central-locking and alarm. The snazzier GLE models add aircon, radio/CD, height-adjustment on the driver’s seat, and a multi-function trip computer. GLS buyers will also get electric windows up front, ABS brakes and a driver’s side airbag. Those who love their partners should go for the full-house GSX specification level that will get them passenger airbags as well. Along with that comes alloy wheels, power windows front and rear, remote electric side mirrors, fog lamps, leather seat inserts, simulated wood panelling and ivory-coloured trim.
We drove manual and auto 1,6-litre Corollas and a 1,4-litre manual Corolla over a 900km loop from Cape Town to George and back, and were particularly surprised by the performance of the 1,4-litre. Cruising at 150kph was easily possible, without the gearbox needing to be stirred much at all, and the cars felt streets ahead of their predecessors in terms of build quality and driver appeal. Braking was outstanding, handling great, and rattles and squeaks non-existent. All in all a classier experience.
There’s some very good news for buyers in terms of pricing and backup. Prices are virtually the same as, or lower than, those of the models they replace. The cheapest of the lot, the Corolla 140i, kicks off at R103 175, while the range-topping 180i GSX will set you back R180 120. For the first time ever the Corolla comes with a five-year/90 000km service plan that covers specified parts and labour items — oil and filters will be replaced free, but brake pad and other wear-and-tear items will have to be paid for by the customer.
Apart from its own considerable merits on the road, the new Corolla is going to have a huge impact upon the South African scene. Because Toyota SA is now controlled by Toyota Motor Corporation they can start building cars in volume for export and Corollas are expected to be rolling out of the Prospecton factory at a rate of 150000 a year within five years. A considerable number of these will be exported, with the credits earned offset against import duties to enable Toyota SA to bring in some really exhilarating models at competitive prices. Toyota SA’s never had a volume export programme, which has allowed competitors that do to gain the edge on pricing of imports.