2014 Toyota Corolla: First Drive
Can the new Corolla come back from the brink of mediocrity?
By Imthishan Giado
Of all the automotive journalists in the Middle East, I can safely say that I’m probably the most qualified to review the new Toyota Corolla. No, that’s not hubris talking; it’s cold hard cash.
With our own money, my family has paid for and owned nearly every generation of this venerable commuter dating back to the early ‘80s magnificence of the E70, last of the rear-wheel drive models. They’ve transported my folks on two continents and were my dependable set of wheels in college. Even today, I’ve got two of the darn things! (An ’02 1.8 and ’05 1.3, in case anyone’s curious.)
Note I said nearly. The last generation of Corolla was woefully off the pace, with leaden dynamics, ancient drivetrains and styling so dowdy, you wouldn’t recognise one even if you crashed into it. Sure, it was eminently reliable and cheap as a barber’s buzzcut to run, but compared to newer competition from those formidable Koreans and the much-improved Civic, it stood no chance. This new car’s got a lot to prove then.
Exterior
The unexpectedly lavish launch of the new Corolla was held at the Meydan Tennis Academy, where we got a chance to get a close look at this all-new version. The wheelbase has been stretched by 100mm and the car’s both 80mm longer and 15mm wider than the previous model. The bigger body is entirely in service of increasing boot space and rear legroom, though in the flesh the car does not appear substantially bigger.
What it does appear to be, is a downsized Camry. I first saw this car at the Dubai Motor Show and under the hot gaze of the arc lights, it didn’t impress. On the road, the super-pointy nose and arrowhead headlights are much better resolved; it’s definitely a smart-looking thing which is good because you’ll be seeing millions of the things on the road soon enough.
Wisely, Toyota resisted the temptation to weight the relatively simple design down with unnecessary creases and curves; the styling is anonymous in the manner of all recent Toyotas, but not offensive. God knows, Corolla owners aren’t looking for offensive. Former owner Me gives it a thumbs up!
Interior
Where the exterior is a big leap, the interior is less so, mainly because putting lipstick on a department store mannequin doesn’t turn her into Heidi Klum. Adopting the current Toyota trend for blade-style dashes with a large instrument binnacle, the driver’s portion is a nice place to be with great clear instruments. Everything is exactly where it should be…no scratch that.
Everything is exactly where it was before, because from a muscle memory standpoint, it feels like nothing has changed. The boot release switch is in the same place, the electric mirrors are the same…this is not a bad thing, but you’d really like to see the world’s largest automotive manufacturer take a chance once in a while. And what is up with the all the piano black plastic? Looks good, but it’s going to pick up millions of scratches right from day one, though it lifts the ambience slightly.
Kit-wise don’t expect the moon and the sun. Base S cars get a plasticky urethane steering wheel as standard, fabric seats, simple gauges, manual A/C, manual windows, a 4-speaker stereo (6 for 2.0-litre cars), audio controls on the steering wheel, and skinny 15” steel wheels. Go for the SE and you get central locking (yay), and keyless entry. Range topping SE+ cars get a leather steering wheel, ‘Optitron lighting’, better quality fabrics for the seat and push-button start, a display toggle for the steering wheel and (finally) 16” alloys. Amazingly, you have to go all the way to the range topping Limited model to get cruise control and climate control for the A/C, as well as projector headlamps. Hardly anyone will buy Limited, and so hardly anyone will get the benefit of cruise control, something that should really be standard on a commuter car (the Civic gets it much lower in the model range). And guess what? No matter what Corolla you buy, you can’t get Bluetooth audio – which you can get on a Yaris.
Considering that owners of these cars tend to cover huge mileages both in city traffic jams and the highway, comfort is crucial. The seats are now height adjustable and the steering wheel adjusts telescopically – finally. It’s pretty easy to get comfortable quickly and visibility is predictably excellent. The boot is massive – great for all those airport runs! – whilst the rear seat legroom is enormous.
Driving Impressions
At the launch I only got the chance to sample the mid-spec SE+ 2.0-litre version. Did I say 2-litre? Yes, the Corolla’s finally got a big-block motor! The 121bhp 1.6.bhp is still around but it’s now joined by a 143bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder, both mated to four-speed autos.
Right there is the new Corolla’s problem – that ancient four-speed. For the life of me, I can’t understand why you would choose to fit a box with so few ratios to a brand new car. Not when other rivals are offering five speeds (Civic) or even six (Kia Cerato). Other global markets get a CVT – which the regional office has held on bringing for the time being because they think customers aren’t ready for it yet.
On the road, the Corolla definitely represents a significant improvement over the previous model, if not redefining the class. Steering is as fingertip-light as ever at parking speeds but now at speed, there’s a smidgen of feel from the electric steering. That’s matched by a noticeably stiffer chassis. The ride is slightly harder over sharp bumps and a tad more firm in general but the payoff is that the new Corolla hangs on quite gamely in tighter corners and even feels like it’s having a bit of fun. No sportscar for certain but more fun than you would expect in a car bearing the Corolla badge.
What about that new 2.0-litre? Sorry to be a broken record, but the gearbox lets it down. It just wants to get into top gear as quickly as possible and stay there; and with so few ratios on tap, kickdown sends you into the lowest possible gear so you’re revving the nuts off of it constantly. With this box, the 2.0-litre feels as wheezy as a 1.6, no midrange whatsoever. Really, the best way to sample this new Corolla is to drive it at five tenths, mild acceleration and smooth inputs. Driving it harder just exposes the drivetrain’s inherent weaknesses.
Verdict
With 35% share of the segment, any new Corolla is undoubtedly big news. This latest model is far improved and brings it back up to parity, though the 2.0-litre doesn’t feel hugely better than the 1.8 it replaces. Looks, cabin, drive – everything’s much better than before and Toyota’s done a good job of making this car feel like something you’d actually want to be, rather than a rental special.
But is it the right direction to challenge the segment leaders? The ultra-conservative Civic has more equipment and feels more Corolla-like than ever before. The Elantra/Cerato twins are cheaper and in higher trims, deliver ludicrous amounts of kit that the Limited Corolla can’t even dream of – heated and cooled seats anyone? And then there’s new Tiida….bottom line, the Corolla is a better appliance but there could be rough seas ahead for this toaster.
What do you think of the new Corolla? Revolution, or evolution? Let us know in the comments below!
Still having a 4 speed auto is shameful. What about the device intervals,still 5k?
Who cares? It’s still going to be taxi cab here in Kuwait.
It’s a disappointment to see Toyota do the least effort for their most important car. C-segment has cut-throat competition and when all the manufacturers have upped their game, It’s a shame for the ‘segment leader’ car to just change cloths and pretend to be “all new”
Besides transmission from flinstones car, exterior and interior is massively disappointing. Interior quality is also questionable. Then there is the lack of equipment and even the basic feature of Bluetooth. 50K Renault Duster comes with Bluetooth, C’MON!
Nevertheless, it would sell like KFC being sold in any food court. It’s closest rival is not the Tiida, but the Sentra, which is a much..much better car, exterior, interior and options. Then is there is the Ford Focus, which I think, Toyota should take some clues from, at least in the future!
[Imthishan] I reckon the Focus is definitely good competition, but a Sentra? Umm no.
If you drive a corolla you want reliability, you don’t care about, innovation, you want tested drive trains and motors, reliable electronics, cheep services, and now apparently stilling of the old Honda Civic.
And agreed the Sentra is so ugly and out classed by all the others c class cars.
Go Toyota
at 1st look, the new model resembles the 2004-6 model, only the cuts & curves are new.
The corolla has not made Toyota a market leader in C segment, rather its the overall market strategy of Toyota i-e local vendors upgradation, availability of cheap spares in all cities, engineered for bad road etc
so, whatever corolla is offered by Toyota, people will buy it ( customer satisfaction 🙂 )
Thought we were getting the US Spec? It looks better, IMO.
Why the guys at Toyota would leave out Bluetooth or Cruise Control from mid-range options is beyond me. I can understand if the starter machines don’t do this for want of cost, although even the new entry level Renault Logan (sub-40k) has bluetooth as standard. These technologies are both useful and necessity for improved driving safety and convenience.
I look at both these pieces while picking a car and will weigh down heavily in my selection… which is why the Cruze or even the 2nd option Saffrane would be my pick…