Corolla looks further ahead
Toyota freshens up the Corolla, not so much with a fresh look, but by giving it a battery of new auxiliary systems. Something like this looks nice in equipment lists, but success depends on how it works out in practice. The hybrid powertrain has also been addressed. Both the 1.8 Hybrid and the 2.0 Hybrid get more power.
Is this an interim facelift for the Corolla or is there more to it?
The Toyota Corolla is just over halfway through its planned life cycle, so it’s high time for an interim update. Or well, about time … at Toyota they are actually still quite satisfied with the pre-facelift version. That’s why the exterior changes are limited to a few small retouches that only a connoisseur’s eye can notice. The headlight and rear light units have been given a slightly different layout within the same contours, the grille has been redesigned and there is a redesigned lip at the bottom of the rear bumper. The interior has also been left untouched except for a few small things. The real news is hidden from view; the drive technology has been further refined and the number of assistance and safety systems has been seriously expanded and brought to a higher level. They have also rationalized the range at Toyota. The sedan is no longer available in the Netherlands and the 1.2-liter turbo engine has also been scrapped.
What has been technically modified?
The suspension has been left untouched, which means that the Corolla has stable handling with a nice balance between comfort and dynamics. After the 1.2 four-cylinder with turbo has been discontinued, there is now a choice of two hybrid powertrains, with a 1.8-litre or a 2.0-litre petrol engine. Both powertrains are both more efficient and more potent than before, entirely due to the electrical part of the powertrain. As a result, the version with the two-liter engine now produces 196 hp instead of 184 hp and the 1.8 has increased from 122 to 140 hp. And all this with lower consumption and ditto CO2 emissions. In the flat Dutch landscape you will be fine with 140 hp. The response to the accelerator pedal is slightly smoother and thanks to the extra electrical forces, the speed of the four-cylinder rises slightly less quickly. That brings an extra piece of comfort with it, just like the speed that is lower than before at cruising speed.
The big news with this update is in the electronic assistance and safety systems. The camera and radar now have a greater range. In this video you can see how the improvements turn out.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl