OUR GARAGE
CAN THE COROLLA BOUNCE BACK FROM ITS EARLY COTY EXIT?
T’S a strange sensation, knowing something you’re about to take delivery of is going to be put through its COTY paces.
Imagine buying a new mattress, for example, and then discovering the store staff would be spending the week before delivery jumping on it.
But so it was with my new Corolla, which had something of a brutal introduction to the Wheels garage.
After picking it up, I had it on regular duties for just three days before it was whisked away for COTY 2019, where it was subjected to our gruelling testing process alongside its Ascent Sport manual and ZR hybrid siblings.
It was odd watching what was to be ‘my’ Corolla subjected to such enthusiastic judging. Needless to say, 026-YGM was in desperate need of a good scrub after seven runs through the dirt loop.
You’ve no doubt already read how the Corolla fared earlier in this issue, but there can be more to a car’s life than a COTY examination, and if any vehicle deserves a shot at redemption as a long-termer, it’s what will surely be Australia’s best-selling passenger car.
So, what’s new? Firstly, the dimensions have changed, growing in length by 45mm, with 40mm added to the wheelbase. It’s also wider (+30mm), and lower (-40mm), giving the car a more hunkered-down appearance.
The model grades have also been revised, with Toyota’s shift away from its longstanding fleet-sales focus meaning there is no base model equivalent to the outgoing generation. This leaves the Ascent Sport, SX, and ZR variants in the three-strong line-up.
The SX petrol, which is what I’ll be driving for the next few months, is expected to do much of the heavy lifting in terms of sales for this new 12th-generation Corolla. If current trends continue, Toyota’s stalwart hatch will continue to sit atop the best-selling passenger-car throne, albeit looking up at the dual-cab interlopers that now rule outright.
Some back-of-napkin math dictates that, by virtue of being the most popular variant of the most popular car, the SX petrol will be the best-selling individual spec for passenger cars in Oz.
While undecided on the paint choice, I’m an unapologetic fan of the new Corolla’s styling. While polarising (with the division, anecdotally drawn, across generational lines), I’d go as far as saying this is the best-looking Corolla Toyota has made to date.
One of Wheels’ major gripes with the new ’Rolla from our recent comparison was the boot space, which is one of the poorest in the class at a mere 217 litres. While disappointing to read on the spec sheet, this oversight hasn’t proven to be a major pain yet.
One of the Corolla’s first duties as a long-termer was to transport enough food to feed the 21-person COTY team for three days at Ford’s You Yangs proving ground. Three cartons of water and four large bags of groceries fit neatly in the boot without having to first remove the parcel shelf.
That’s all for my brief jaunt with 026- YGM. As I write this, the methanolguzzling crew at Street Machine have borrowed the keys in order to use it as a support vehicle for their five-day Drag Challenge road trip. And you thought COTY testing was tough...
BLAME the dog. No, seriously, blame Tess the golden retriever for my doubts over the capabilities of the Mazda 6 wagon.
Allow me to elaborate. Over the Christmas break we scored a house-sitting gig right next to the coast for four weeks. Simply looking after a dog and a cat, with the beach just down the road, it was more like winning a free holiday.
The only downer was that I could only take the first two weeks off, and would have to commute to work for the second part of our stay. This meant that two cars would be needed. Not an issue, given we’d have plenty of space in our own 2009 Mazda 6 hatch and the trusty Atenza wagon long-termer to carry our gear down.
Surprisingly, though, we managed to fill both cars very quickly. Clothes for four, a pram, beach gear, Christmas presents, toys, food, plus a bloody Thermomix – all the space we had disappeared very quickly. Taking the PS4 with the wheel and pedal stand probably didn’t help, but I’m on holiday, so screw it.
I’m sure we could have cut the pile down and stuffed it all into the wagon if need be. The 506 litres of cargo capacity, measured to the tonneau cover, is more than what is available in many mid-sized SUVS.
But having now spent a month with Tess, we’ve suddenly realised we want a golden retriever. Unfortunately, something like the 6 wagon just wouldn’t cut it as our primary family hauler with a canine added to the mix. Not unless we bought a chihuahua.
A spirited drive was needed, and tackling Arthurs Seat on the Mornington Peninsula helped me ponder the 6’s overall position.
The 170kw turbo engine had little issue on the way up the winding mountain road, but the suspension isn’t tuned for outright performance, and so the wagon can feel like it’s leaning through corners. Powering out also incites wheelspin and electronic intervention when all 420Nm kicks in.
The 6 is great as a tourer, though, and is a good size for a family of four, but anything more than that and you really should be looking at something larger. Well, unless you’re a family of nudists.
LIKE a Tony Greig pitch examination, which verged on forensic in its investigation of firmness, springiness and surface moisture, I tend to pay careful attention to where I place my bottom.
Hard-earned experience tells me this is an undervalued life skill, and one that is particularly useful when it comes to cars. Not because my derriere is especially sensitive, but because proper seat comfort is one of those things you never truly appreciate until it’s gone, like having a full head of hair, or a healthy set of chompers.
And Volvos; well, Volvos have always had great seats.
The pews in the XC60 long-termer I ran last year were especially praiseworthy, and the plush, electrically adjustable, leather-clad seats in the XC90 T6 Inscription I drove over the Christmas break were, if anything, even better. Both major on comfort with brilliant lateral and lumbar support.
All of this serves to explain the niggling disappointment I’ve felt with the seats in our XC40 T5. They aren’t bad exactly, they’re just a little … flat. And narrow. And short in the base.
T5s use ‘sportier’ seats than other XC40S, and both rows have issues with my 6ft frame. The fronts lack lateral shoulder support and are too narrow in the base, so the outside of your thighs can feel pinched. And while there’s oodles of space in the rear, the bottom cushion is too short and minors on under-thigh support.
Fickle complaints, you might suggest, considering the XC40 has just been handed our highest honour, but hey, no car is perfect, right?