The Toyota Corolla is the best selling car in the history of the world. The simple and straightforward hatchback has been the source of much pride for the Japanese company. The T Sport version is a hot hatch and it will give its competitors some real competition. Hot hatches may have seen better days, due to the price of such cars. It makes sense that if people are going to pay an arm and a leg for a hot hatch they might as well buy a real sports car. Manufacturers seem to have a different theory about the hot hatch market though. Honda has given us the Civic Type-R, Ford continues to release new versions of its trusty Focus and, of course, there is the Golf GTi. The Corolla has met this competition and marketing challenges head on. The car is very much still in the game and Toyota’s reputation for delivering solid build quality will help buyers make up their minds in a hurry. Reliability and durability shouldn’t be an issue with the Corolla. Whether it’s produced in Japan or Turkey, Corollas seem to have always finish near the top in tests, surveys, and customer satisfaction.
Practicality
The Corolla is an inexpensive car both to buy and run. The car boasts low insurance rates, inexpensive asking price, and good fuel economy. The car will also maintain a high resale value. The cabin is spacious and will accommodate four adult passengers, though the rear passengers will have less legroom than the front. Three children will be able to fit in the rear seat easily. The boot is a decent size and is able to accommodate a few large items. The gauges are large and easy to read, though they may seem a bit annoying to some. The fascia is uncluttered but still, the designers opted for streering wheel mounted controls. The Sat-nav system is intuitive and easy to read. The seats are comfortable for short periods, but will tend to become uncomfortable during lomg trecks. The seat bottoms are wide and supportive, but flat. The cabin is quiet with the exception of engine noise when traveling at motorway speeds. Getting into the front of the cabin is easy as the large door aperture allows for unrestricted access. The rear door boasts the same wide door aperture, but getting into the middle of the bench seat will be a bit difficult to access. Parking the Corolla is easy as the boot and bonnet are both easy to see over. The light, precise steering helps to manuver the car even at low speeds.
Life Style
For a sporty appeal the T Sport flagship models are the only cars in the Corolla line that provides a speedy appeal. Good handling and an peppy engine make for a reasonably sporty ride. The smaller 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrols and 1.4 and 2.0-litre D-4D diesel engines are provide excellent fuel economy. The Corolla would make an excellent family car. Its large boot can accommodate a good deal of family clutter, and there’s plenty of head and legroom available for both front and back passengers. Adjustable front seats coupled with a rake and reach adjustable steering wheel means that most drivers can be accommodated comfortably. The T Sport model in particular will appeal to young enthusiastic drivers. The car’s insurance grouping is decent for the performance on offer, but to offset the higher insurance costs is the car’s reasonable fuel consumption and Toyota’s reputation for reliability. Toyota has a fantastic reputation for reliability and customer service. . The name is a byword for reliability and sound engineering. Toyota still struggles with the image of a bargain basement producer. Toyota has been trying very hard in recent years to attract a younger generation of buyers.
Security and Safety
The t-Sport Corolla is a key target to joyriders, so its no wonder why the Toyota company included remote centrallocking, a transponder key engine immobiliser, alarm, security etched windows and VIN traceable body parts. Standard safety features include numerous airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, seatbelt reminders, ISOFIX child seat anchors, a de-coupling brake pedal, side impact beams, ABS, EBD and vehicle stability control and a passenger airbag switch now comes standard allowing smaller children to safely sit up front.
The Finishing Touches
A single disc CD player with six speakers and an RDS radio comes as standard across the range. Steering wheel-mounted controls offer some safety and eisier accsess satelite navigation is available on T3 models and other higher models, which comes with a large clear LCD display screen and easy to fathom controls. The sporty look that Toyota was obviously going for with the alluminum pedals, white dials, and carbon-fiber trim, was not quite reached, as they look somewhat like they were thrown on late. The inside of the car is exceptionaly dark other than red sections on the base opf the seats which lighten it up a bit.
Summary
Corolla T Sport looks attractive and will be desirable among younger buyers but doesn’t offer the kind of performance that buyers may expect. Toyota is trying to jungle appealing to a younger generation of buyers without losing the older generation who have been so loyal to the company.
