It looks magnificent; we’re convinced it’s the bestproportioned car of its sort on sale today.

of luggage space. Could it be any more in order? ’Course not, it’s a Corolla.

That’s not to say Toyota has overlooked the important emotive stuff, because it looks magnificent; we’re convinced it’s the best-proportioned car of its sort on sale today. The interior is a study in timeless design and familiar materials, just like those found in the Corolla Hatch. It’s a great place to be today and will remain so for many years to come. To keep with the times, Toyota has also shoehorned a lot of worthwhile semiautonomous tech into the XR test unit we drove, including adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitoring and lanedeparture assistance.

Under the skin, there’s a new double-wishbone rear suspension, which gives a wonderfully smooth ride and keeps the tail nicely connected