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Feann Torr30 Apr 2018
REVIEW

Toyota Corolla 2018 Review

The new Toyota Corolla won't just major on sales, but style, performance, dynamics and safety too
Review Type
International Launch
Review Location
San Diego, USA

The word "excitement" is not often used to describe a Toyota Corolla. Supra, Celica, 86 for sure… But Corolla? It's the world's best-selling – and arguably dullest – car. Until now. Boasting sleek new designs inside and out, a punchy new 126kW engine and an engaging chassis, the 2018 Toyota Corolla has made a paradigm shift and should also bring class-leading safety features. The new Corolla could become the new small-car benchmark. No joke.

What happened?!

Cruising along Del Mar Heights, just north of San Diego, it slowly dawns on me just how significant this moment is. I'm one of the first people in the world to drive what could be one of the most significant transformations in the automotive world.

The world's best-selling car has undergone a monumental metamorphosis, proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks. When the new Toyota Corolla arrives in Australia in August 2018, it's going to make life very difficult for major small-car rivals like the Hyundai i30, Mazda3 and Volkswagen Golf.

First launched in 1966, the Toyota Corolla has essentially always been a toaster on wheels. With 45 million Corollas sold globally to date, the car is a basic appliance whose reputation continues to be built on reliability and little else.

The new Toyota Corolla has a big bag of tricks
But now…?

The new Corolla is an altogether different proposition: a stylish, dynamic, engaging and incredibly well-equipped small car. It's like an ugly (but unkillable) pupae that's spawned into an alluringly beautiful moth… with four wheels, seating for five and wireless phone charging. Moths are pretty advanced these days, folks.

Now, even if the 2018 Toyota Corolla drove like a sodden blob of cardboard, it would still be a compelling deal. Here's why: Even the cheapest models in the new Corolla range will be fitted as standard with class-leading advanced safety systems like autonomous emergency braking that detects cars, bicycles and pedestrians, plus adaptive radar cruise control, lane keep assist and automatic high-beam headlights.

The top-shelf Toyota Corolla's body work reflects its new found confidence

No other car in the class – and even some categories above it – offer this level of safety technology as standard across the range.

But here's the kicker, and the bit that flummoxed this author the most… the new Toyota Corolla doesn't drive like soggy cardboard at all. And, to be frank, we uncovered only a handful of concerns during our first drive of pre-production models in the USA.

Apple CarPlay at last! Wait, what's that? Not in Australia?! Surely you jest...
No Apple CarPlay, no deal? 

OK, so the new Toyota Corolla can turn, brake and accelerate by itself, which is quite incredible for a $21,000 car, but Aussie models will miss out on Apple CarPlay. That's not going to sit well with some buyers, especially when most of the Corolla's rivals offer the handy smartphone-mirroring tech.

Worse still, there's no timeline on when Apple CarPlay will become available in our Corolla and Toyota Australia insists more testing is required before will be reliable Down Under. Damn shame, that.

The boot is a bit small too. There's roughly 350 litres of cargo space which is about average for a small hatchback; the Hyundai i30 has 395 litres.

But read the fine print and the Toyota hatchback's cargo space shrinks to about 310 litres when a space-saver spare tyre is added, which is far more likely for Australia than the inflator kits that liberate the full 350 litres.

You can fold the rear seats down for more room but it's still a pretty cosy boot.

The lightly weighted steering works well in traffic and although ride comfort is on par with a Mazda3 or Volkswagen Golf, it's firmer than it used to be, so you will feel more bumps in the road. That said, we blatted around on some pretty poorly-maintained concrete roads and didn't need a kidney belt.

The boot has 350 litres of space, but that's without a spare tyre

Toyota has added a tip-top rev-matching system to all models fitted with the six-speed manual gearbox. Only problem is the manual gearshift is rubbery and the clutch nebulous, which conspires to reduce driver involvement.

Luckily for the Corolla, about 95 per cent of customers will opt for the automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT), which is an unusually well-engineered piece of work.

Continuously variable revelation

Most CVTs available today remain devoid of engagement and response (they're popular because they are fuel-efficient), and the previous Corolla was a case in point. About two weeks prior to this test, I punted a 2017 Toyota Corolla hire car around New Zealand for 10 days and its CVT was a dreadful thing.

But the new one couldn't be more different. The time and effort that's been put into this new-fangled CVT makes it unusually likable.

The Toyota Corolla has a new CVT -- and it's not half bad!

Instead of that 'rubber band' feel when taking off from standstill, the new Corolla's CVT has a conventional first gear that winds up to about 45km/h. It's an elegant solution that makes urban driving less monotonous.

Better yet, all CVT models come with paddle shifters (or you can use the central shifter) to engage a 10-speed manual mode. The shifts are quick and responsive and the new 2.0-litre engine works well in this mode, eagerly revving to redline like a conventional epicyclic automatic.

Shifting by itself, the CVT does drone on like tipsy Aunty Cheryl recounting the infamous trombone fiasco of 1977. And the engine can get a bit loud too, although the cabin is moderately well insulated from outside noise.

The Toyota Corolla is the world's top-selling car -- can it retain the crown?

Left in 'D', the CVT is more efficient too (Toyota execs reckon the new Corolla will be more efficient than its predecessor, which managed around 6.1L/100km).

Along with a trio of 2.0-litre petrol models which we drove on this test, there will also be a troika of petrol-electric Toyota Corolla Hybrids that are tipped to deliver Prius-like economy of under 4.0L/100km.

The reduction in fuel consumption across the range comes despite the increase in size of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine over the 1.8 it replaces, the improved response from its direct fuel-injection advancements (it has port-injection too) and the fact that performance outputs are up by more than 20 per cent – to 126kW/205Nm.

The engine develops 126kW at 6600rpm so this puppy doesn't mind revving, while peak torque of 205Nm hits the front wheels at a lofty 4800rpm. We're already wondering what this engine would be like with a turbocharger.

The engine provides the Corolla with significantly more mumbo than before but tall gearing sees the car sit on 100km/h at just 1500rpm when cruising, meaning low fuel use and low running costs.

Lump in low-cost capped-price servicing, strong retained resale values and competitive pricing, and the new Corolla is likely to maintain its title as Australia's most popular car.

The new 2.0-litre engine (126kW) gives the car more sizzle
Toyota embraces sporty persona

Perhaps one of the most impressive things about the 2018 Toyota Corolla – apart from its boy-racer looks with 18-inch alloy wheels and a roof spoiler – is the way it handles.

Again, driving the previous Corolla through the New Zealand alps a couple weeks prior revealed a lack of, well, everything -- but Toyota's new hatchback couldn’t be more different.

Its body is lower, wider and longer than before and rides 10mm closer to the ground now, so its sits more confidently on the road. MacPherson struts suspend the front axle, but a new multi-link rear suspension set-up with anti-roll bar gives the car a bit of sizzle. Yep, it's a lot more fun in corners than I expected.

Can it be? A Toyota Corolla that's fun to drive?!

It generates decent grip, tracks through bends with a flat attitude and the steering isn't too bad either, which is something I never thought I'd say that about a garden-variety Toyota Corolla! All models get the same suspension tune too, so the fancy blue car with the big wheels and spoiler is matched by the 'boggo' with 16-inch alloys.

Based on the new TNGA or Toyota New Global Architecture, which enables the new sensory technology and semi-autonomous driver aids, it also provides a sporty new persona.

It improves the Corolla's torsional rigidity by 60 per cent, claims Toyota, which together with the all-new suspension gives the sleek hatch the kind of engaging driver dynamics that may attract a different audience – not just risk averse buyers who want a return on their investment.

It's firmer than before, but the new Corolla still rolls over bumps without fuss

Fun, approachable and involving, the new Corolla breaks away from its white-goods predecessors.

Chief engineer Yasushi Ueda told me that Toyota benchmarked the new Corolla against the Volkswagen Golf and it definitely has a more balanced, refined and upmarket feel. There's more resolve when turning into corners at higher speeds and it even gets active cornering assist, which reduces understeer by dabbing individual brakes automatically.

Toyota has brought its A-game to the small-car segment and I reckon it’s going to be a hum-dinger of a showdown comparing this new model to the current class-leaders -- in terms of both sales and dynamics -- such as the Hyundai i30, Mazda3 and Volkswagen Golf.

Ladies and gents, the new Corolla is now a little bit fancy
World's best-selling car grows up

In fact, driving the new Toyota Corolla is quite an odd experience. It's like taking a bite out of an apple and tasting mango. Unexpected is an understatement.

Impressively, the surprises don't end with powertrain, chassis and safety improvements, because the cabin is just as flavoursome.

The windscreen is now bigger and the bonnet lower, which improves vision for the driver, while a simple and minimalistic interior means there aren’t too many distractions either.

All the major controls are located around the larger 8.0-inch touch-screen and beyond that there's only the steering wheel buttons.

It's tied together with a few elegant sweeps and swooshes around the dashboard that inject a much-needed dose of panache to the cabin. The leather steering wheel and gear shifter, which are expected to be standard on Aussie models, look and feel good and the steering wheel buttons contain most of the toggle switches for semi-automated driver assistance.

This is a top-spec leather-appointed interior but even the cloth upholstery is good

There are two USB ports now and an electronic park brake with auto hold has been added, an automatic hand brake that switches on once stopped at traffic lights.

The sports front seats are comfortable and look great, although they seem tailored for bigger bodies, not for slim Jims like me. My torso moved around a bit during intense cornering.

Rear seat room is average in the small car class with not a whole heap of leg room, but head room is fine. As mentioned, boot space could be better and the dashboard juts out a lot on the passenger side, so knees were banged a couple of times while clambering in.

The new Toyota Corolla is quite a clever cat. It can even be hacked (sorry, operated) via smartphone. This allows you to start the engine, lock the doors and even check the fuel level remotely.

It's not yet clear if these systems will be offered in Australia, although the impressive speed limit sign recognition tech will be. This uses front-facing cameras to detect and read, with surprising accuracy, speed signs and display the current limit on the dashboard.

Toyota has covered all bases with the new Corolla. Even the switchgear has an upmarket feel, and the way the indicator stalks click and the electric mirrors adjust is all admirable stuff.

Neat and tidy: The control hub houses all the car's key functions

So the new Toyota Corolla has exceeded all our expectations, even if they weren't very high. More than that, this fancy little hatch has not only jumped over the bar, it's doubled back and attempted to pole vault over its rivals.

It's always dangerous to say "this is the new standard" after driving pre-production cars on the other side of the road in a different country, so I won't. But what I will say is the new Corolla represents a major turning point for Toyota.

After all, the Japanese car company could have trundled out another boring-but-reliable small car and it would still have sold like hotcakes.

Instead, Toyota grabbed the bull by the horns and developed an outstanding new hatch that's both exciting and refreshing.

How much is the 2018 Toyota Corolla hatch:
Price: From $21,000 (estimated)
On sale: August 2018
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 126kW/205Nm
Transmission: 10-speed CVT automatic
Fuel: TBC
CO2: TBC
Safety rating: TBC

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
84/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
17/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
17/20
Safety & Technology
17/20
Behind The Wheel
16/20
X-Factor
17/20
Pros
  • Chassis dynamics
  • Standard features
  • New-found self-respect
Cons
  • Small boot
  • No Apple CarPlay in Oz
  • Rubbery manual gearbox
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