Test Drive Toyota Corolla 2007 - 2009 Hatchback

Toyota Corolla

At the end of June, the Day of St. Juan was celebrated in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bor in our opinion Ivan Khapov. The whole city had fun on the beaches, the Petardes rushed in the air, having rumbled salute. In combination with the international forum held in the capital of Catalonia, a real large-scale holiday has been a real large-scale holiday, an integral part of which has become for us and the presentation of the updated Toyota Corolla.
 
Rejuvenation
Corolla is definitely a successful car. Already the ninth generation of the Japanese model becomes a bestseller, and Corolla itself personifies the brand in many parts of the world. Conducting that success must be developed, the management of the European division of the company decided on the Facelifting of the popular car. It even testifies to her popularity that since 1966, more than 28 million Corolla all modifications were sold in the world. The story ordered that Corolla became one of the best-selling machines in the history of the automotive industry. Given this fact, as well as the fact that last year 1.2 million cars were sold, to Toyota Europe decided to make changes to the appearance of the car, retaining its concept and target group of buyers.
 
In addition, changes in appearance who added Corolla dynamicity are also designed to attract new buyers who have not been enough in the car and strengthen confidence in their choice from those fans of the model that plan to go to Corolla. The most interesting thing is that the average age of European buyers belonging to this very target audience for the last model was 57 years old! External changes and some technical innovations should reduce this age up to 50 years. In Russia, the average age of Corolla buyers barely approaches 35 years, and it is clearly not necessary to rejuvenate, but the attraction of new customers and the development of last year's success in the Russian market will not be superfluous.
 
The essence of changes was reduced to a more subtle elaboration of exterior details, and above all the front of the car. The bumper has become massive and visually significantly lower, there appeared large air intakes. The grill of the radiator acquired one longitudinal bar with the branded badge, and tears appeared in the headlights, which does not mean that Corolla is saddened, because the impreza wrx is also crying. Changes in the front did not affect the car profile, it is still a fairly high 5-door hatchback with an almost vertical back door. Changes in the back touched only lighting equipment: in the lanterns there appeared fashionable circumference, covered with red glass.
 
In relation to a popularly popular version with the body of the sedan, too, worth saying a few words. Facelifting made adjustments and in its appearance: the front headlights have become more modern, receiving crystal reflectors and transparent glass, and the signals of turns of the rear lights are now white.
 
In the interior of changes, too, a little. The audio control keys appeared on the steering wheel, and the steering column itself is now regulated in two planes.
 
The proposed options for the configuration changed, in particular, the Spartan equipment r1 disappeared, and the configuration themselves received a digital designation. For our basic market, a complete set of 40 was chosen, and the package 41 is offered as a more expensive. The S-Grade sports package appears interesting, which includes lightweight aerodynamic kit and two-colored seat upholstery, but it is not intended for delivery to the Russian market. But our buyers will be available for the whole ten body colors, five of which are absolutely new. The mainly pleasant news for Russian buyers will be that now the hatchbacks and Corolla sedans will be supplied from Japan, and only the universal is still from Turkey.
 
Of course, you should not forget about the engines, but for the Russian market a set of motors former: three gasoline volume 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 liters (for model T Sport). Residents of Europe are lucky. They can acquire an updated car with a new diesel engine with a volume of 1.4 liters and with a capacity of 90 hp, which moved to Corolla from the Yaris model, has undergone significant changes. It can be aggregated with a new automated transmission M-MT, combining the advantages of both mechanical and automatic transmission.
 
Controllability
Drive the dream, advises us the manufacturer in their promotions. Well, we will follow the advice and refreshing in memory of the impression on the driving qualities of Toyota Corolla. To travel on the roads of Spain, we chose a car with the most popular combination: a 1.6-liter engine and a manual transmission.
 
Probably such a car like Corolla, and there is a dream of many motorists, whether it is 50-year-old European or our young compatriot. The car was loyal to the driver and passengers. When Corolla confidently picks up the speed, only the engine will penetrate the salon, even when the tachometer arrow is close to the red zone, and some nonsense when gear shifts looks an annoying oversight against the background of confident overclocking. The motor quite cheerfully responds to the opening of the throttle, although a small failure is fought on the highest transmission in the lower range of revolutions.
It is pleasant to feel the severity on the steering wheel, which helps the electric powerful. The car with barely noticeable delay reacts to the movement of the steering wheel, but it does not affect the quality of control. There is no frightening vitality of a classic American steering, but there is almost German pleasant elasticity and good informativeness.
 
Among the common ergonomic restraint of the driver's seat, a combination of Optitron devices, which, in addition to purely decorative functions, is characterized by perfect readability and informative at any time of the day. Russian buyers, by the way, this useful thing is available now even in the basic configuration.
 
At high speeds, the noise published by tires, published by tires, is quite intrusive, and therefore it makes sense to make music pogromic and put out a clear-resistant car stability. As a rule, following the flights at a low altitude, a route on mountain roads should be bonded, in Spain there are plenty of them. Corolla was extremely resistant to exercises on a winding road. Of course, it did not reach the pilot to the pilot, but the car allows you to enter the turn with obviously exceeded speed. The steering wheel begins to tip in his hands, the front axle rushes inside the viragee, but to achieve a breakdown of the rear axle into the skid. Steering behaves at this point adequately, there are not even hints for the lack of an amplifier drive performance, that is, the driver is deprived of doubtful pleasure test the notorious steering cake.
 
The suspension is silently and gently working out irregularities, although its softness seems excessive after the passage of the waves, when a few more seconds feel some vertical routing.
By and large, the car has not changed. Corolla remained a high-quality European machine with Japanese charisma. Changes in appearance although they give rise to some associations with competitors' products, however, no doubt, went to the car.
 
Price of success
And now it makes sense to look into a fairly compact price list with prices for the updated model. So, in the salons of official Russian dealers, a car in a complete set of 40 with a 1.4-liter engine and a manual transmission costs from $ 17,400, which is 500 dollars more expensive than the predecessor in the similar version. This equipment includes four airbags, the dashboard of the Optitron, CD player, air conditioning and much more. In addition to this, fog lights, side curtain, climate control, electrical chromatic rear-view mirror, etc. are included in the older configuration. The car in this configuration with the body of a sedan or hatchback and a 1.6-liter engine comes only with an automatic transmission and costs $ 21,300.
 
Some Toyota Corolla 1.6 Hatchback Specifications
(manufacturer data)
Dimensions, mm 4180x1710x1475
Base, mm 2600
Diameter of reversal, m 10.2
Pitch in front / rear, mm 1480/1460
Engine type gasoline row
4-cylinder 16-valve
Working volume, cube. CM 1598.
Max. Power, hp / rpm 110/6000
Max. Moment, nm / rpm 150/4800
Transmission mechanical 5-speed
Tires (Fact.) 195/60 R15
Max. Speed, km / h 190
Acceleration time 0-100 km, from 10.2
Fuel consumption (medium), l / 100 km 7.0
Volume of tank, l 55
 
Maxim Rakitin
Photo by the author and manufacturer firms

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A source: Magazine "Autopanoram"