#18 All-New Toyota Corolla – Assertive, practical and appealing

Cumulative worldwide Corolla sales exceed 40 million since the nameplate was launched in 1966. The new saloon is the 11th generation Toyota Corolla. It will be sold in more than 150 countries. Toyota has spent decades refining and improving the Corolla, while staying true to its core values, which is one of the many reasons why it’s still Kenya’s most popular saloon. The Toyota Corolla is the quintessential economy car. It's small, inexpensive, fuel-efficient, and reliable. Put gas in it, give it the occasional oil change and it will provide dependable transportation well past the 100,000-kilometre mark.

11th Generation Toyota Corolla 

Design

Carrying design hints of the Furia concept, the new car is bang on trend and a lot more assertive, especially in its front-end treatment. The end result is an all-new Toyota Corolla that is imposing without being overly aggressive.

New stylish front grill 

Upfront the headlamp and the grille openings form a prominent T-shaped motif. Chrome horizontal trim bars of the upper grille are visually extended into more expressive headlamp clusters to place focus on the width of the saloon.

Headlamp 

Equipped with a halogen low beam lamp for improved visibility, the headlamp design reinforces Toyota’s new design language and lends the all-new Toyota Corolla greater on-road presence while providing a unique visual signature.

Furia Concept 

The all-new Toyota Corolla’s profile is dominated by muscular front and rear wheel arches. A character line linking the top of the front wheel arches and the rear lamp cluster. The wheel arches house a choice of 15-inch steel wheelsor wheel covers and 16-inch alloys. Sculptured door handles are aligned with the character lines on the door.

First generation Corolla 

To the rear, the recurrent trapezoidal look is mirrored by the license plate recession and lower bumper styling. The crisp line of the boot lip is underscored by wide new rear lamp clusters connected by a chrome license plate trim for a cleaner, more prestige appearance.

Best selling name plate of all time 

Performance

The all-new Toyota Corolla is available with a choice of three power units. The entry level power plant is a 1.3-litre Dual VVT-i unit with an output of 73 kW (97 hp) and 128 Nm of torque. Fuel consumption is pegged at 6 l/100 km while 0 to 100km/h is dealt with in 12.6 seconds. The dial will continue to the 180 km/h mark.

Tail lamps 

Paired with the 13-litre engine is a six-speed manual. The mid-spec performance package is a 1.6-litre Dual VVT-i engine that churns out 90 kW (120 hp) and 154 Nm of torque. The 1.6-litre power plant consumes 0.6 litres more compared to the 1.3-litre unit. Acceleration times are 10.5 and 11.1 seconds for the manual and 7-speed Multidrive S automatic transmission respectively.

Efficient power units 

Maximum speed is 195 km/h (manual) and 185 km/h (Multidrive). Top of the range Toyota Corolla’s are fitted with a 1.8-litre unit, which delivers 103 kW (138 hp) and 173 Nm of torque. The 7-Speed Multidrive S automatic transmission is paired with the engine as standard. The 0-to-100 km/h dash comes up in 10.2 seconds and top speed is recorded as 195 km/h.Fuel consumption rate is a reasonable 6.4-litres per 100 km. The all-new Toyota Corolla shares the proven front MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam suspension systems of its predecessor. However, significant revisions to both front and rear systems promote improved ride comfort combined with greater agility.

Side look 

Interior

Taking styling cues from the bold new exterior, the all-new Toyota Corolla’s indoor environment plays up the width of the cabin with a strong horizontal dashboard design.

Cockpit 

Topped by a soft, non-reflective upper surface which flows seamlessly over the driver’s instrument binnacle, the dashboard face combines convex, soft-touch padding with a recessed centre console panel finished in piano black. The operational feel of the pedals and shift lever has also been refined.

Comfortable front seats 

The pedals have been positioned to help prevent unintended operation, and the stroke and firmness of the shift lever have been optimised for a smoother shift feel. The capacity and usability of the all-new Toyota Corolla’s comprehensive range of storage spaces have been improved.

Practical and spacious rear passenger space 

They include a glove box, coin box and lidded compartment in the dashboard, a centre console box and cup holders, overhead sunglasses storage, front door pockets designed to hold a 1.5 litre bottle or a road map and rear door pocket space for a 0.5 litre bottle.

Rear design 

Verdict

The all-new Toyota Corolla boasts significant increases in fuel economy and rear passenger room, and also has more distinctive styling. Although rivals have sportier designs and more entertaining driving dynamics, a Corolla nonetheless makes an excellent choice for those seeking a comfortable, reliable, and economical compact car.