The latest iteration of the world’s best selling car has finally made its debut at the Indian Auto Expo in Delhi today. Toyota has showcased the all new Corolla that will be launched in India later in the year. We receive the more corporate looking European spec Corolla which looks radically different from its predecessors. Also sharing space with the Corolla is the magnificent GT86, more about that in another article.
The all new Corolla was first showcased as the Furia concept earlier in 2013 and soon after was shown in production guise for American and European markets. The new Corolla has been designed from scratch and is a big step up in the design department. For those who have been calling Toyota conservative, look again. The front features a completely new grille and headlight design. The grille has been induced with loads of chrome to give it a premium look and will surely work with the Indian audiences. You get swept back double barrel headlights that integrate well with the grille. The bumper has been completely redesigned and houses the fog lamps and LED Daytime Running Lights.
Moving to the side profile, the 2014 Toyota Corolla look a lot less boring than what the old model did. The sharp yet curvy lines add drama to the side profile of the car, whereas the rear looks extremely sophisticated and classy with the wrap around tail lamps and a chrome lip in between. The sedan receives heavy influences from its elder sibling the Camry that is already on sale in India. The new model is also slightly longer, lower and wider than the last generation. Overall the Corolla looks well proportioned and appears rather young and fun than boring and monotonous. The Corolla surely has the looks to smitten the corporate class and the young and restless alike.
Read The 2014 Toyota Corolla Review
The enhanced dimensions are visible inside the Toyota Corolla as well. The front seats are now more luxurious and offer good lumbar support to the passengers. The rear seats also get enhanced legroom and moreover can now seat three in comfort with the increase in the length and width of the car. You also get a completely redesigned dashboard, simple and purposeful housing all your controls. The vehicle also gets keyless entry, start/stop ignition, an updated entertainment system and an automatic climate control. As it is with Toyota, the quality is top notch throughout the car and you surely can’t complain on that front. The ride quality has been inclined towards comfort on Corollas and we expect the same to continue on this version as well.
Engine duties will continue with the 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol four-cylinder, producing 140 BHP of power and will be mated to a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed CVTi automatic transmission, whereas the the 1.4-litre D4-D diesel producing 87 BHP of power will only be offered with a 6-speed manual. Expect a slight increase in power when launched, but output might be reserved to keep in check with the fuel economy.
Toyota will initially commence operations for assembling the CKD kits of the Corolla at its Bidadi plant before locally producing the car. The launch is impending in the middle of the year. The sedan makes a compelling buy considering good quality, reliability and now design are the keystones of Toyota. Expect the prices to start at Rs. 12.5 lakhs for the base petrol model, going up to Rs. 16 lakhs for the top end automatic variant. The all new corolla will be pitted against the Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Jetta and the Hyundai Elantra when launched in India.
