Toyota Corolla
Corolla is back, built in Derbyshire, and now keen on having a little fun
Don’t call it a comeback, because it’s not. The new Corolla’s predecessor, the Auris, which lasted 12 years and two generations, was sold only in Europe. The rest of the world carried on consuming Corollas by the boatload. Yet the name change nearly didn’t happen; at the Geneva show last year, this car wore an Auris badge. The reasons for Toyota’s U-turn seem muddled, but one insider cited the Corolla’s reputation for reliability.
The problem is that Corolla and Auris alike are names synonymous with dullness, and for good reason. There have been some lively versions since its 1996 debut, but generally the Corolla has tended to be the four-wheeled equivalent of a food mixer. The 12th generation certainly looks more modish than a Moulinex, its sculpted lines equal parts Lexus and Bangle BMW. At the front, hawkish headlights flow into swollen wheelarches and a strong shoulder-line. The rear is dominated by slash-cut strakes.
There’s also a Touring Sports estate and – for those with fond memories of the Ford Orion and Vauxhall Belmont – a Corolla saloon built in Turkey, not Derbyshire like its siblings.
For the UK, the Corolla offers three powertrains: 114bhp 1.2-litre petrol, 120bhp 1.8 hybrid and 178bhp 2.0 hybrid. No diesel, but CO2 of 100g/km and 106g/km for the two hybrids (on the tougher WLTP test cycle) suggest scant need for one. The petrol uses a six-speed manual, while hybrids have an updated version of Toyota’s CVT, with shift paddles for the sportier 2.0.
Prices kick off at £21,300, and trim levels span Icon, Icon Tech, Design and Excel, while standard kit includes LED headlights with auto high-beam, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera and heated seats.
Sharing its TNGA platform with the Prius and C-HR, the Corolla boasts a 60 per cent stiffer shell than the outgoing Auris, plus the lowest centre of gravity in class. Unlike some rivals, multi-link rear suspension is standard across the range. It translates to a supple, sophisticated ride and a confidence-inspiring steer. The Toyota turns in keenly, with plenty of on-centre feel and benign balance. There’s little bodyroll and ample grip, and while it can’t match the fluidity of a Focus, it’s engaging to drive.
We tested the 1.8 Touring Sports and 2.0 hatch. Both are near-silent in town – where Toyota says typically you’ll be in electric-only mode for 73 per cent of your time in a Corolla – then perk up with a muted CVT drone on open roads. In fairness, the monotone soundtrack only grates when you accelerate hard, and new drive modes from Eco to Sport+ allow gearbox response to be tailored to your taste. The higher-revving 2.0 is definitely the one, though: smooth, flexible and pleasingly punchy (0-62mph in 7.9sec).
In customer clinics, Auris owners asked for a better cabin. The Corolla’s dash remains disappointingly dull after its exuberant exterior, but piano black, satin chrome and contrast stitching provide a lift. The diddy joystick gear selector has been ditched for a manlier stick-shift, too.
So, it’s not particularly exciting inside, but both to look at and to drive, the Corolla has made amends for decades of tedium. TIM PITT