The Corolla

The new Corolla is dynamic, larger than its predecessor and has a sporty exterior styling. Paolo Rossetti is sure Toyota has yet another winner.

The ever-growing Wikipedia says that over the past 40 years, one Toyota Corolla car has been sold on average every 40 seconds ... wow! Let's think about that for a minute ... it's quite close to the figure that is oft-quoted when speaking about the population – that a child is born every 8 seconds!

The Corolla is currently manufactured in Japan, the United States (Fremont, California), the United Kingdom (Derbyshire), Canada (Cambridge, Ontario), Malaysia, China (Tianjin), Taiwan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Brazil, Turkey, Philippines, Thailand, Venezuela and India.

Introduced in 1966, this model is now in its tenth generation, and it still stands for affordable, reliable transportation. Its value, fuel economy, utility, reliability and longevity indeed characterise the entire Toyota company and its products – it's their most successful car and their ambassador.

Visit any little town – from an isolated Australian cattle station to a mining outpost in Namibia, from a bustling village market town in China to a university campus in Peru – and you will find a fully functional Corolla going about its daily charge of transporting people and their things from one place to another ... no fuss, no primadonna dramas, no delicate handling issues. Just add a little petrol, turn the ignition and off you go. Change of oil every once in a while and you're set for years of trouble-free service.

In the UAE, the new Corolla is available with a choice of 1.6 litre VVT-i or 1.8 litre VVT-i petrol engines, coupled with a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission. As you would imagine, these engines have been developed to deliver the optimum combination of smooth acceleration, driving pleasure, fuel economy and low emissions, whether around town or on the highway.

All that is good, right? But the guys in Toyota wanted to take it further. So we now have the new Corolla.

For design improvements, it has been leaked that a Toyota team spent four months in Turin, Italy, working on inspiration on how to crack the 'boring' code. Whether it was the fresh air of the Piedmont or the football games they also attended, we'll never know – but the new Corolla definitely has grown dynamic, with a modern and even sporty exterior styling that sets it apart from other economy compact sedans, and conveys a feeling of quality.

I liked the styling changes; especially when I found a ninth generation in the same colour as my testdrive and parked right next to it– impressive when compared side-by-side! That's what the showrooms should do, except that would be dissing their last-year's darling!

The Corolla is now much bigger, both longer and wider, but also somehow sleeker and more aggressive-looking. Personally, I think the new computer-designed light clusters are what make the biggest difference, but also the entire body lines have changed, so really it is a synergy of small changes that combine in an overall look.

Really quite pleasing, I thought. Inside we also find the new-age philosophy of flowing design, which very nicely complements the quality feel of the exterior. The longer and wider body provides more space for its occupants, which translates into more comfort.

The rear seats provide ample leg room, and a flat design has been adopted for the rear floor, for the added comfort of the centre passenger. Five adults sit perfectly fine, even for a long journey.

It is no doubt a spacious and refined driving environment. From the steering wheel to the audio controls, every feature has been carefully designed to blend intuitive operation with functionality, and it all works seamlessly and with familiarity, like a well-worn pair of jeans. The interior has several useful storage spaces, including a two-tier glove box, bottle storage in the front and rear doors, and seat-back pockets. Both the front console and the rear armrest have cup-holders for added convenience. And the fully-adjustable tilt and telescopic steering wheel is available with integral audio controls.

As for safety, it is excellent; the new Corolla continues the Toyota promise of providing an exceptionally safe driving environment. Its high-strength body is designed to provide impact absorption and Antilock Brakes with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) provide added stability and control in slippery road conditions, and more efficient braking performance.

Passenger protection is provided by SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) side airbags, front airbags for the driver and passenger, curtain shield airbags, and whiplash injury lessening seats.

What about the drive?

Well, it may not be the fastest car on the road, but it gives a feeling of solidity, reliability and even-temperedness. It's the Toyota workhorse, it's the mule that carries loads over the mountain passes – surefooted in all circumstances, and requiring just a few stalks of hay and a pat on the back to provide years of trouble-free service.

But to be fair, we need to relate to the competition in the same auto market segment. You can't compare it to a sporty crossover!

I'll say right here that the drive was very good in both acceleration and high speed when compared within its class. It will take you to 100kph from a standstill in 9.something seconds and it will cruise smoothly down the highway at the legal speed limits, smoothly and quietly.

The new Toyota Corolla is again a sure winner, and set to further lift Toyota sales figures to new record-breaking heights. And on a personal budgetary level, although costs have risen somewhat, when the time comes to sell your trusty Corolla steed, you will be happy that the price it will fetch is in direct relation to its gold-plated reputation for reliability and build-quality.

Corolla is and remains the King of Cars in my books.