FROM STEADY TO THRILLING
Toyota Corolla Hatchback
Toyota is setting out to transform the public’s perception of its bestselling Corolla models — from steady and reliable to stylish and fun to drive.
The 12th generation of the Corolla hatchback is officially launched on October 1 and marks the biggest upgrade of the model that in many ways symbolises Toyota.
The Corolla has been New Zealand’s biggest-selling individual model for the past decade, although it is under challenge now from utes.
Kiwis are not alone in buying the car in droves — Toyota says a new Corolla is sold somewhere in the world every 15 seconds.
Corollas went on sale in 1966 and since then about 220 million have been bought, making it the world’s best-selling model.
The new Corolla is longer, lower and wider than its predecessors, and it sits on the Japanese giant’s new Toyota New Global Architecture platform.
That has allowed the company to incorporate a range of new active and passive safety features, while delivering a car that handles much better than earlier Corollas.
The new models have a lower centre of gravity, trailing wishbone independent rear suspension and other features such as an active pre-crash safety system that incorporates autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, radar cruise control, and active cornering assist.
The new model range is priced from $29,990 for the baseline Corolla petrol 2-litre GX model, through to $38,490 for the top of
the range Corolla ZR 1.8-litre petrol hybrid model. There are three Corolla models available now: the GX (petrol and hybrid), a mid-range SX petrol model, and petrol and hybrid ZR models.
The petrol models are powered by a new 2-litre four-cylinder engine with a direct-shift CV transmission, while a 1.8-litre petrol electric hybrid engine on the hybrid models is linked to an electronically controlled CV transmission.
The new models are not only better equipped and safer than their predecessors, they are also a more dynamic drive.
The steering has more feel and direction, and the cars handled the twists and turns of the road over the Saddle Track from Palmerston North to Woodville, then down through secondary roads through the Wairarapa to Martinborough, and back via the Pahiatua Track, during the press drive.
The GX and SX models were
THE NEW MODELS ARE NOT ONLY BETTER EQUIPPED AND SAFER THAN THEIR PREDECESSORS, THEY ARE ALSO A MORE DYNAMIC DRIVE.