The Corolla is the usually best-selling car nameplate on the planet, and Toyota is trying to keep it that way by giving the 11th generation a more expressive body, better materials on the inside, and improved fuel economy. Will they succeed?
Toyota calls what the new design language first seen on the Furia Concept “Iconic Dynamism.” It's amazing what a marketing team can do. What's important is that the wheelbase is 3.93 inches longer, while the wheels got pushed further out toward the corners. Overall, the new Corolla is 3.90 inches longer than the previous car. Here are the numbers:
2014 Corolla
| Basic Exterior Dimensions Compared to Current model (change in parenthesis) | ||
| Overall length | 182.6 in. (+3.90 in.) 183.1 for S-grade | 4639 mm (+99), 4650mm for S-grade |
| Overall width | 69.9 in. (+0.63 in.) | 1776 mm (+16) |
| Overall height | 57.3 in. (-0.39 in.) | 1455 mm (-10) |
| Wheelbase | 106.3 in. (+ 3.93 in.) | 2700 mm (+100) |
| Front Overhang | 37.7 in. (+0.90 in.) | 958 mm (+23) |
| Rear Overhang | 38.6 in. (-0.94 in.) | 981 mm (-24) |
That's all very nice, but while the front is indeed more agressive than before, the rear remains far from being even remotely exciting:
Moving to the interior, there are quite a few pleasant improvements. Depending on interior color theme, blue, black or amber pinstriped accents and ornamental stitching give the cabin a more upscale feel. There's more space both in front and at the rear, with Toyota even re-routing the exhaust pipes for better foot space. The front seats are also longer and come with a larger adjustment range to suit every driver.
It's also supposedly very quiet, thanks to improved floor carpet insulation, an instrument panel seal between the cowl and the windshield, a fender sound insulator, and an inner dash silencer pad.
The dials get blue illumination and a chrome trim, while a 3.5-inch black and white TFT display gives you all other information like average consumption and outside temperature.
There will be four trim levels, but all 2014 Corollas have LED lowbeam headlamps with LED daytime running lights, an in-glass AM/FM antenna, color-keyed outside door handles and outside mirrors, a 60/40 split fold-down rear seat, power door locks with automatic locking feature, power windows with driver-side one-touch up/down, air conditioning with pollen filter, standard Bluetooth connectivity and eight airbags as standard... just like in my van.
The Corolla comes with a choice of two 1.8-liter gas engines:
|
2014 Corolla Engine Specifications | ||
| Engine Type | 2ZR-FE | 2ZR-FAE |
| Number of Cylinders/arrangement | 4 cylinders, in-line | 4 cylinders, in-line |
| Valve Mechanism | 16-valve DOHC with Dual VVT-i | 16-valve DOHC with Valvematic |
| Bore x Stroke mm | 80.5 x 88.3 | 80.5 x 88.3 |
| Displacement c.c. | 1798 | 1798 |
| Compression Ratio | 10.0:1 | 10.6:1 |
| Fuel System | EFI | EFI |
| Max Output | 132 Hp/ 6000 rpm | 140 Hp/6100 rpm |
| Max Torque | 128 lb-ft/ 4400rpm |
126 lb-ft/4000 rpm |
With the CVTi-S automatic, Toyota claims a "40 mpg estimated highway fuel economy" with the Eco trim. The CVTi-S also offers a sport mode, which alters shift points and the power steering. With the S model, you also get flappy paddles for some reason.
Apart from this new CVT, the base model Corolla L is offered with a four-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual transmission, which is also available in the Corolla S in case you also find flappy paddles ridiculous in a Corolla like I do.
You get 17-inch wheels and ventilated disc brakes in all corners with the S, and 15 inchers with rear drums on the base model, but "Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist" comes as standard, just like the Smart Stop Technology brake-override system and the electronic tire pressure monitoring system.
No world on the pricing yet, but I would expect it to be competitive.
Also, here's the first live shot of the car:
So, this is it. What do you think about the newest edition of the world's most popular car?