The new Corolla comes with three levels of specification, E, Terra and Luna. The E has wind-up windows and a minimal specification, and a base price.
The version under review, the D4D turbodiesel came with the mid-spec Terra label. It has ABS and electronic brake force distribution (EBD), electric windows and a CD player.
However, it doesn’t have air conditioning, which should really be a standard feature on all new cars today. Air is standard, though, on the Luna version.
But this smart 5-door hatchback is thoughtfully designed and streets ahead of what it replaced. It can easily cater for a busy family or for those with an active lifestyle. It has a good, solid feel to it.
Being 5’ 4” in height, I really appreciated the high seating position in the car, which improves visibility. Most women will tell you they feel a lot safer driving a car from this vantage point.
Adjusting the driver’s seat took a little time to work out, because the system is different to what we’re used to. But once you get the hang of it, you can get a very good driving position. Instead of having to turn a wheel to adjust the seatback backwards or forwards, you rachet it up. To put it back, rachet it down. Doing this also changes the height of the rear of the seat part.
Because of the high seating position, it’s also easier to get in and out of the car. The seats were extremely comfy too.
Radio controls are very user friendly. There’s no excuse for them not to be, and colleague Brian Byrne is threatening to launch a campaign to force car distributors to stop using fiddly and - he says - deadly dangerous radio units in their vehicles.
The other controls are just like I’d expect from a Toyota: a gearshift that’s baulk-free and precise to use, brakes that you don’t think about, and a clutch that didn’t remind you you were driving a diesel.
The new Corolla comes with a number of interesting features, a lovely simple style to the dash (knock it, it’s solid). And the instruments, which use the same Optitron system that was introduced in the Lexus only a few years ago - just goes to show how quickly features once the preserve of very expensive cars now come very fast in more ordinary ones. Very bright and clear, the Optitron dials are a great way to keep tabs on your speed and avoid a £50 fine.
Johannes Thammer, Toyota’s director of product and research in Europe, talked with me at the Frankfurt launch of the car about the ‘real build feel’ in its quality, something very important for Europeans. It seems we like to tap the dash, and it is reassuring for us to hear a solid sound. For the Pacific Rim people, that’s apparently not such an important factor. Anyway, there is a good solid sound when I tap the dash of the new Corolla.
And you’ve probably already noticed how Toyota are using the solid sound of the door closing in TV advertisements concentrating on this feature.
That the car was a diesel didn’t matter at all after the first few moments of getting used to a relatively muted clatter at startup. And all through the week of driving, the 1.8-litre unit proved to be as pleasant and easy to drive as any petrol car I’ve driven, even ones in a larger class. And I averaged 43.1 mpg for the week of mixed driving, which reflected the fact that it was mainly short runs. On longer trips, I’m sure much greater economy would be achieved.
