2013 Toyota Corolla First Drive
2013 TOYOTA COROLLA REVIEW
Vehicle style: Small five-door hatch
Price: $19,990
Engine: 1.8 litre petrol inline four. | Power: 103kW/173Nm
Fuel use claimed: 7.1 l/00km man, 6.6 CVT | tested: 6.8l/100km CVT
The Toyota Corolla, the most popular car on the planet, has been renewed.
Now in its eleventh generation, the new Corolla hatch is a big improvement over its predecessor, with substantial gains in driveability and comfort.
Its edgy exterior styling commands attention - it looks sharp in the metal - but, under the skin, the new Corolla is more about steady evolution than boundary-pushing innovation.
And don't go looking for breakthrough technologies, a constantly-variable transmission (CVT) is the most apparent of the engineering uogrades.
The 1.8 litre engine is a mild development of the old 1.8, and although it’s got a few more kilowatts it produces slightly less torque. The platform is also the same, as is the general suspension layout.
But it’s more generously equipped than before, and the price has fallen: the entry-level Corolla Ascent now sneaks in under the $20,000 barrier.
The new model will do well; it is what it needed to be - an improved, better, classier Corolla.
THE INTERIOR
There are big changes inside. Gone is the previous Corolla hatch’s flying buttress-style centre console, replaced by a more conventional centre console and an upright dashboard.
The soft-touch materials on the dash and door trims have a quality look and feel; there is a sense of durability and robustness to the cabin accommodation and - typically Toyota - fit and finish is of a high standard.
We do, however, miss the last generation Corolla’s double-decker glovebox. The way the gearshift was perched up high in the older model was also an endearing feature.
Toyota says the front seating position has been lowered by 40mm, but we still felt like we were perched a little too high. That might be because the roof height has also been lowered by some 55mm, leading to an overall reduction in headroom.
Otherwise, front seat comfort is good (even more so in the thickly-bolstered seats in the Levin models), and the layout of the primary controls is excellent.
There’s plenty of legroom in the back too (more than the last-gen Corolla, and plenty more than the Corolla’s chief rival, the Mazda3), but headroom can be tight for tall occupants and the rear bench could do with a little more under-thigh support.