2009 Toyota Corolla Conquest Sedan Road Test Review

THE TOYOTA COROLLA. One of the longest-lived model nameplates in automotive history. A sales success everywhere - from ‘day one’ four decades ago - the Corolla has built an enviable reputation as a solidly-built, well-engineered small car.

For most people though, the Corolla doesn’t conjure up much in the way of excitement (or at least not since it dropped the higher performance twin-cam models of the late-1980s).

It has come to represent the archetypical Japanese small car. It has also managed to remain immensely popular, in this market and globally. For years, the Corolla has dominated the small car segment in Australia.

Now there are new market trends at work. As VFACTS monthly sales figures show, more new-car buyers are downsizing from full-sized sedans like the Falcon and Commodore to the Corolla’s small car segment.

So, how worthy is the Corolla? Can Toyota’s trusted small warrior really challenge the dominance of Australia’s large Aussie sedans in this market? And can it match them, if not equal them, for space, drive-ability and utility? Read on.

Styling

Compared to the dynamic Mazda3 and the handsome Holden Cruze, the Corolla sedan is a little underwhelming in the visual department.

Styling is smooth and organic, but there is little in the way of stand-out features or visual flair to catch the eye. The Conquest gains 16-inch alloy wheels, foglights and a bootlid spoiler, but it’s not really enough to jazz up the Toyota’s exterior.

Unlike some other sedan versions of hatchbacks, the Corolla sedan has little in common with its hatch stablemate. Bumpers, headlights, and all bodypanels are different, and the sedan is lower and longer than the hatchback.

It might be visually uninspiring, but there’s a reason for it. Large door apertures, a big glasshouse and the need to accommodate a capacious boot have dictated the Corolla’s lines, and while it’s not as attractive as, say, a Mitsubishi Lancer, its shape works.

Few will find fault with its functional ease and live-ability; especially those with a few passengers in tow – like a small family.

Proportionally, it looks good, if a little plain. It’s an inoffensive design that blends in with the rest of the traffic, but extroverts need not apply.

Interior

Like the exterior, the Corolla’s cabin is no-nonsense in its design, layout and build. A slightly oversized binnacle houses the instrument cluster, a simple centre-stack carries the radio and ventilation controls, and there’s an abundance of storage options.

Build quality is high. Everything is screwed together tightly, and we heard nary a rattle nor squeak from the cabin fittings during the entire time we had the car.

There’s a lot of hard plastic in there, but it’s of high quality and feels – like the rest of the interior – quite rugged.

The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake, is wrapped in leather and carries controls for the audio system on one of its spokes. The control stalk for the cruise control system is mounted low behind the steering wheel however, and can be a pain to operate if you’re not used to the interface.

The seats are comfortable, if a little flat. Black fabric trim is standard-issue for the Conquest, and appears to show up marks and stains rather readily.

The Corolla, despite its small size, boasts a reasonable amount of space for back-seat occupants. Three children can be easily accommodated by the Corolla’s rear bench, although squeezing three full-sized adults in there will be a little cosy. (A bonus though is the absence of a transmission tunnel, allowing more legroom for occupants of the rear centre seat.)

There are generously-sized door pockets in the front and rear (all of which can carry a large drink-bottle), a two-tiered glovebox, a centre console storage bin and four cup-holders.

The boot offers a very generous 450 litres with the rear seats up and there’s a tray to stop small items from flying about (the carpet though fairly cheap fare). Four golf bags can apparently be crammed in there and the loading aperture is wide and low - meaning prams and a family’s weekly shop can be easily lugged in and out.

Equipment and features

Being the middle-of-the-range variant, the Conquest comes with a reasonable amount of standard kit.

There are electric windows all around, electrically-adjusted wing mirrors, cruise control, a trip-computer and Bluetooth phone integration.

The six-speaker audio system is basic, but incorporates an MP3-compatible six-CD stacker, AM/FM tuner and auxiliary input for portable music players. Sound quality is decent, but reflects the price point of the car (don’t go looking for the Bose or Rockford Fosgate badges).

The Corolla received a major safety upgrade at the start of this year with stability control, traction control (VSC) and a full suite of airbags being added to the Conquest and Ultima’s list of standard equipment.

As a result, the Conquest’s safety arsenal now includes ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, traction control, VSC, front and side airbags for the front row, full-length curtain airbags and a knee airbag for the driver.

Traction control, VSC and the side and curtain airbag package are available as a $1500 option on the base model Corolla Ascent sedan and Corolla Levin SX hatch.