The new 2009 Toyota Corolla and 2009 Toyota Matrix were just unveiled here at the SEMA show in Vegas. For some reason the folks from the super number one best awesome automaker from the land of the rising sun decided to show off one set of vehicles, un-pimped ones, to the press at the Hilton across the street. Fear not, the mighty Mike Bumbeck was covering those. But here at the convention center, we were "treated" to some heavily modded versions of the new Corolla and Matrix. That's what you see below. Press release below the jump.

Toyota unveils all-new, 10th generation 2009 Corolla at 2007 SEMA Show

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 31 /CNW/ - The all-new 10th generation Toyota Corolla was

unveiled at a press conference today during the 2007 Specialty Equipment

Market Association (SEMA) Show.

Originally launched in Japan in 1966, the Corolla first arrived in North

America in 1968 to instant success. For nearly four decades, Corolla has been

synonymous with Toyota quality, style and value. Since 1988, the ever-popular

Corolla has been manufactured right here at home at the Toyota Motor

Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) facilities in Cambridge, Ontario. To date, over 2

million Corollas have since been built at TMMC, while more than 1 million have

been sold in Canada.

"Almost 20 years after the first Corolla rolled off the line at TMMC, the

new 2009 Corolla marks the beginning of a new generation of quality and value

for which the brand has long been known," said Tony Wearing, Managing Director

of Toyota Canada Inc. "The strong, new identity of the tenth-generation

Corolla will continue to strike a chord with Canadians."

The 2009 Corolla compact sedan offers an all-new body with a lean,

stylish shape, and it delivers increased interior and luggage room, more

power, two new engines and an all-new chassis and suspension.

The 2009 Corolla will come in four models - CE, LE, the sporty S, and the

performance-driven XRS.

The Corolla's wide, low profile was developed by Toyota Design in

collaboration with styling studios in Turin, Italy. Its foundation was set by

the search for a lower, sportier shape than that of the previous Corolla. That

search drove the decision to move the bottom of the A-pillar forward and the

bottom of the C-pillar back to increase the angle of the window glass and to

improve the Corolla's aerodynamic performance.

The standard body kit on S and XRS models helps to modify aerodynamics

and enhance the Corolla's sporty look - these include a front underbody

spoiler, fog lamps, rocker moldings, upper and lower rear spoilers, and for

improved air management under the car, sound insulating engine covers.

The 2009 Corolla's interior is sporty and distinctive - with

roomy-feeling comfort. While Corolla maintains the same headroom, legroom and

shoulder room as the previous model, it feels larger, thanks to a design that

enhances comfort and improves utility, usability and storage.

A variety of easy-to-reach storage spaces add convenience and usability

to the 2009 Corolla's interior. These include centre console side pockets, an

upper and lower glove box, front and rear door pockets that can hold water

bottles, and a console box with a large-capacity main tray and a smaller

accessory tray.

Available map lights that illuminate independently are supplied for both

driver and front passenger. And to aid ingress and egress, retractable

handgrips are supplied above each door opening.

The CE, LE and S models will be equipped with an all-new 1.8-litre

engine. The 16-valve, DOHC four-cylinder engine with Dual VVT-i (Variable

Valve Timing with intelligence), produces 132 hp at 6,000 rpm and 128 lb-ft of

torque at 4,400 rpm. A five-speed manual transmission is standard with the

1.8-litre engine, and a four-speed automatic Electronically Controlled

Transmission (ECT) will also be available.

For those who crave even more horsepower and torque, there is the

2.4-litre engine. This engine is completely redesigned for use in the new

Corolla XRS model. The 16-valve DOHC engine with VVT-i produces 158 hp at

6,000 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. The 2.4-litre engine will be

paired with standard five-speed manual and optional five-speed automatic

transmissions.

Safety features on the all-new Corolla include standard driver and front

passenger airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags and two-row side curtain

airbags. Front seats employ active headrests as standard equipment. When the

vehicle is struck from the rear, a cable-actuated mechanism in the active

headrest moves the headrest upward and forward to limit the movement of the

seat occupant's head. Toyota's Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is standard on

all models of the Corolla, and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) is standard on

the XRS.

The all-new Corolla will be loaded with a comprehensive list of standard

performance and convenience features. All models will be equipped with a heavy

duty rear window defogger, a satellite-ready AM/FM/CD audio system with

MP3/WMA capability, auxiliary audio input jack, tilt and telescopic steering

wheel, 60/40 split folding rear seats, and much more.

The sporty S model will feature standard P205/55R16 tires with alloy

wheels and covers, colour-keyed front and rear underbody spoilers, fog lamps,

leather-wrapped steering wheel, coloured rear spoiler, tinted headlamp

housing, and a satellite-ready AM/FM/CD audio system with MP3/WMA capability

and six speakers and steering wheel audio controls.

In addition to S model features, the XRS model adds P215/45R17 tires with

alloy wheels, VSC, stainless steel scuff plates, leather-trimmed shift lever

and knob, cruise control, front sport seats, a chrome exhaust tip and metallic

dash accents.

The all-new Corolla will reach Toyota dealerships in February 2008.

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2009 COROLLA PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS

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POWERTRAINS

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1.8-litre four-cylinder engine

132 hp @ 6,000 rpm

128 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,400 rpm

Five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions

2.4-litre four-cylinder engine

158 hp @ 6,000 rpm

162 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,000 rpm

Five-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmissions

DIMENSIONS (inches)

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Overall Length: 4,540mm (178.7 inches)

Overall Width: 1,760mm (69.3 inches)

Overall Height: 1,465mm (57.7 inches)

Wheelbase: 2,600mm (102.4 inches)

Ground clearance: 135mm (5.3 inches) (XRS model)

147mm (5.8 inches) (Standard, S, LE, and XLE models)