Toyota Corolla 2007 test drive - 2009 hatchback

Toyota Corolla

Toyota is one of the most promoted brands, and not only in the automobile field. After all, the world's largest automaker. But the Corolla model is also a brand. Indeed, over 34 million Korols have been released over 10 generations and over 40 years! If you try to imagine how much it is, remember that even during the peak hours with a full road collapse on Moscow streets, there may be a maximum of 800 thousand cars at the same time not to place it anymore. And if all this were the queens, the queen and so 40 times! And what? And still it is difficult to imagine.

The current model appeared in the spring of last year. And immediately I liked the buyer. Despite the fact that it has grown in price (from 495,000 rubles) and, most importantly, in size. Now it looks like a small Camry, and in external dimensions, it has reached its age on the Avensis conveyor of the 2002 model year. Typically, the Corolla has to sign up in a line almost a year long! They love this brand from us. And the sedans love. This is me to the fact that for a European, preferring hatchback, not four -door SOROLLA, but a separate Auris model, is proposed as the main version. For Russia, a sedan is considered a priority. Two engines for the sweet couple of Corolla/Auris are proposed: the starting 1.4 liters (97 hp), and the main 1.6 liter (124 horses). More powerful gasoline engines in the range, alas, are not. The two -liter power unit exists only in diesel design and it is not supplied to the Russian market that our diesel fuel does not reach quality. The opinion is not indisputable, but the Japanese are eternal reinsurers. But the lack of a traditional automatic transmission can not be called an impeccable decision, although the Toyota usually do not make unpredated market moves. With a 1.6-liter engine, in addition to conventional mechanics, a robotic gearbox is offered. So we had a chance to travel with her.

I repent, began with shame. I take the keys, unlock it from the key fob, sit down, adjust the chair and the steering wheel, which is now regulated in two planes. Everything is fine, but how is the engine starting here? Yeah, button! It is quite fashionable, sports. Although, what other sport to the goblin, if in the most powerful version of Corolla it gives out 124 hp? Okay, we try to start. Does not want to. I play a console/off. Does not help. It seems that the brake pedal pressed, and the safety belt near the hip snapped complete confidence. He does not want to start, the engine is silent. Hello, Help Mi! Good Toyota people, grinning, prompted what my mistake was. In the classical automatic transmission, the farthest position of the selector means Parking, R. And here, the robot has no parking, the pen moves from R through N in D. and to start, it should be put in the middle, neutral position. So everything happened at once!

Well, then, gas to capacity, let's try what to accelerate. It is quite good up to 50-55 km/h with a jerk on the first even more vigorously than you expect. But then a sharp nod, the heads of the riders sharply twitch forward, and there is a sudden pause. BAC! The second gear turned on, pick up again, and then again a jerk, before the transition to the third, but not so hard. Yes, these are the costs of a robotic mechanical gearbox instead of a full -fledged machine gun. The main question is, is it possible to deal with these uncomfortable sensations somehow? Yes, you can, and in two ways. The first is not so briskly accelerating. When you press the gas in half a peds, switching occurs rather softly, without overload for the cervical vertebrae, but within the rational in terms of dynamics. The second option to use steering wheel switches. Right petal plus, left minus. Playing them, it is possible to reduce the time of thoughts for transition from transmission to transfer and, in addition, feel like the owner of the situation, and not the mistress, the subject of action, and not the object. The most correct algorithm is to predict the transfer moment of the shift and slightly release the accelerator pedal for a moment before switching.

How much the driver is the new Toyota Corolla in terms of controllability? Here our grades again look somewhat contradictory. On the one hand, this machine has a rather soft, up to the wolf, the suspension, primarily configured for the comfort of sledges. On the other hand, Corolla will steer surprisingly accurately and obediently. Any nuance of the movement of the steering wheel responds with an adequate and predictable change in the trajectory. And, of course, all this with a pronounced insufficient rotation characteristic of the pre -drivers. But too much light steering wheel does not give an answer to what angle of attack right now the controlled wheels were occupied right now.

Toyota has always been famous for the high quality of the finish against the background of the eclecticity of interior design. It feels like each element in the cabin was developed by its gifted and promising employee who, after 30 years, has a chance to occupy a Big Boss chair (the Japanese do not recognize the Varangians) or rush forward with a head from the 45th floor due to the next production stress. The chairs are definitely good, even though their pillows are short. The instrument shield is expressive, beautiful and easily read by this boy-designer, we put five with a plus, it was not for nothing that Sensei praised him. I must say, two small glove compartment instead of one, a large and capacious not very reasonable solution.

Even a cursory look at the new Corolla will tell the streamlines here stood at the forefront. We, of course, will save gasoline from this as much as a hundred and a hundred. But the losses in ergonomics also have to sit down, thoroughly bending their heads, and roof sunsets do not allow tall people to freely be placed in the second row. Yes, and the legs of the passengers are cramped. Did the Japanese measure internal dimensions on their own for the World Model? Although, after all, children or women really go more often, as a rule, more modest in height.

You probably ask why you are so picking up to Toyota Corolla? After all, this is a standard. Other manufacturers, primarily Japanese, are equal to its appearance, design and decoration. But so from the standard and demand is stricter! And summarizing, not without some hesitation, I will say, Corolla, a conscious choice between quality, perfection, design compromises and price. The choice that few of the competitors will be able to kill with their arguments.

Debit: 2006.
Length/width/height: 4540/1760/1470 mm.
Base: 2600 mm.
Equipped mass: 1245 kg.
Engine volume: 1598 cm3.
Power: 124 hp at 6000 rpm.
Maximum torque: 157 HM at 4250 rpm.
Maximum speed: 195 km/h.
Acceleration to 100 km/h: 12.1 sec.
Average fuel consumption: 6.9 l/100 km.
The price is from 494,000 rubles (as of 12.2007).
 

Source: autolet.ru