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By
EWAN KENNEDY
5 November 2007
One of Australia's all-time favourite cars, the Corolla from Toyota
celebrated its millionth sale in this country late in September this
year. That’s a staggering number of cars for anyone, all the more so
from a country that was still regarded with deep suspicion when the
first Toyotas arrived here almost 50 years ago.
The secret to Corolla's success is simple. The car is well-built,
reliable and durable. As a result it retains its value and has long been
a major player on the used-car market to complement its sales on the
new-car scene.
For its 10th generation, Toyota introduced a sporty new version
of the Corolla called the Auris. Indeed, it’s not called the
Corolla at all, simply the Toyota Auris and is sold purely in
hatchback format. However, the local importer was nervous about
using the new name and ‘Corolla’ is retained for all models in
this country, be they hatchback or sedan.
New Corolla shape for 2007 is stylish without going over the
top. The sedan is relatively conservative but the hatch, our test
car for the past week, has a fair bit of flair both inside and
out.
The exterior we really like, the stubby nose and positive tail
work well, but the interior may be an acquired taste – and we
haven’t yet acquired it. In particular the ‘flying buttress’
between the two front seats. It certainly gives the car an
individual appearance, but it segregates the two front occupants,
pushes the gear lever rather too high for our tastes and forces an
awkward handbrake installation. (The Corolla sedan has a
conventional gearlever/handbrake setup.)
These days the Corolla has grown larger than ever before and it
can seat four adults in comfort, with legroom and headroom for all
but the tallest of basketball players. The rear floor is virtually
flat all the way across so foot room is much better than average
for the occupant, preferably a child, confined to the centre-rear
seat.
Interior stowage is excellent, with an additional, albeit
small, glovebox above the standard one, a large centre-console
box, even a special spot for sunglasses above the interior mirror.
The Corolla hatchback’s boot has a volume of only 283 litres,
as it misses out on depth because there's a full-size spare wheel,
rather than a space saver, under it. The 60/40 split rear seat
permits extra space should you not be carrying five people.
Toyota Corolla is as simple to drive as ever. While the
windscreen slopes a long way forward in the modern manner,
visibility to the front isn’t too bad. However, the extra window
in the split A-pillar is all but invisible on the driver’s side.
Some drivers may find there's a serious blind spot there.
Handling is positive, with good turn in and only moderate
understeer unless you push the car pretty hard. There's good
feedback through the steering wheel and all but the most
enthusiastic of drivers will appreciate the way the compromise
between ride and handling has been reached. Bad bumps can catch
the Corolla out from time to time but on the whole it’s capable
of handling even harsh country roads.
Tyre noise is generally well subdued, though not to the
excellent extent of that in the Australian-made Toyota Camry and
Aurion.
The body has a taut feel that’s almost European and this
promises even more long-term durability than we have become
accustomed to in the Corolla for decades.
Power comes from a four-cylinder 1.8-litre engine with fully
variable valve timing on both camshafts. The result is 100 kW and
175 Nm from an engine that’s smooth and quiet under just about
all circumstances. It’s happy to putter along at anything over
1500 rpm, and only needs 2000 revs to really come into its torque
band. The engine revs to its redline with ease, but few will ever
drive a Corolla in that manner.
The engine on our test car was complemented by a six-speed
manual gearbox that’s slick and easy to use. With six ratios to
choose from a thinking driver will be able to ‘skip shift’ to
have the engine in the right gear for their choice between economy
and performance at any time.
Fuel consumption on our six-speed manual Corolla was
impressively low. Most drivers will be able to keep in under nine
litres per hundred kilometres in suburban running and figures
under seven litres per hundred are there on gentle country runs.
Expect the four-speed automatic transmission to use five to ten
per cent more petrol than the manual.
New Corolla's combination of interior space and comfort, good
engine performance and a solid body seem set to guarantee the
continued success of one of the world’s longest running
nameplates in Australia.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Corolla Ascent 1.8-litre four-door sedan - $20,990
Corolla Ascent 1.8-litre five-door hatch - $20,990
Corolla Conquest 1.8-litre four-door sedan - $25,500
Corolla Conquest 1.8-litre five-door hatch - $25,500
Corolla Levin SX 1.8-litre five-door hatch - $25,500
Corolla Levin ZR 1.8-litre five-door hatch - $29,500
Corolla Ultima 1.8-litre four-door sedan - $31,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in Ultima sedan, $2000 option in
all other models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Package option in Ascent, standard in all other
models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in Conquest and Ultima, package
option in Ascent and Levin
Stability Control: Not offered
Traction Control: Not offered
SPECIFICATIONS (Toyota Corolla Ultima 1.8-litre four-door
sedan)
ENGINE
Capacity: 1.798 litres
Configuration: Transverse, four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 80.5 x 88.3 mm
Maximum Power: 100 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 175 Nm @ 4400 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Four-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 4.529:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4540 mm
Wheelbase: 2600 mm
Width: 1760 mm
Height: 1475 mm
Turning Circle: 10.4 metres
Kerb Mass: 1250 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 55 litres
Towing Ability: 450kg (1300kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, McPherson struts, L-shaped lower
arms, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Semi-independent trailing torsion beam, coil
springs, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 9.1 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 16.5 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION/EMISSION RATINGS:
Type: Petrol 91RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.3 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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