Autograph Toyota Corolla: Cool comeback

The first impression: Bunter dog instead of gray mouse.

The manufacturer says: Chief Engineer Yasushi Ueda knows that the Corolla a rather boring image clings. "I am confident that we can reverse this image with the new generation," he says. In fact, the new car looks self-confident. If you want, you can even get a two-color paint job. So Toyota's VW Golf rival becomes the eye-catcher of the colorless fellow traveler.

At the presentation of the car, Ueda also refers to the more committed suspension tuning, the bolder design and the option of a second, much stronger hybrid drive. Ueda's first reactions from test drivers during development are that: "They all had a big smile on their faces as they sat behind the wheel of the prototypes, which makes me proud."

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We noticed that the Corolla actually wants to offer driving pleasure, you already notice before the start. The seating position is deep, the geometry of the steering wheel and pedals has been changed and the chairs are so deeply shaped that they literally suck you in. Almost automatically, you put the backrest a bit steeper, tightens the steering wheel, presses the start button with anticipation and is surprised for the first time. Because while the display in the cockpit burns a pixel fireworks, you can hear - nothing.

For a car with 180 hp that is rather unusual, for a Toyota, however, normal. Even the sportiest Corolla model is a hybrid and it starts now electrically. But the quiet start is deceptive. Thanks to a more powerful electric motor that delivers 80 instead of 53 kW and provides 202 instead of 163 Nm of torque, and a larger backup battery as an energy source, thanks to a more powerful gasoline engine, a refined transmission and better soundproofing driving pleasure is indeed on. With a sprint score of 7.9 seconds, the TDI group will keep up with it, and you learn to appreciate that chief engineer Ueda and his team put a lot of effort into the more precise steering and suspension.

Take a look inside the Toyota Corolla - with our 360 degree photo:

As committed as the strong hybrid drive feels, there are a few systemic hooks: The electric range is vanishingly small with a maximum of two kilometers (which is normal in hybrids), and the maximum speed is limited to 180 km / h. In most countries this may be more than enough. But as long as there is no general speed limit on the local highway, the Corolla must be able to show the tail lights of significantly weaker competitors. After all, he probably still brings it back because of less fuel stops (standard consumption 3.7 liters).

Striking is also the new love of detail, which intersperses here and there against the cost pressure. So there are finally on the dashboard reasonably high-quality materials with soft surfaces, colors beyond the fifty Shades of Gray and a wireless charger for the smartphone. On the other hand, Apple Car Play is missing, the digital instruments fill only half the cockpit. As fascinating as the graphics on the screen flicker, look so stale next to analog instruments such as tachometer, fuel gauge and temperature scale.

You have to know: If the twelfth generation of the Corolla from mid-March to prices starting at 20,990 euros in the trade, then the VW Golf competitor occurs in three variants. It is available as a 4.37-meter five-door hatchback, as a station wagon and as a sedan. The station wagon is titled Touring Sports, costs at least 22,190 euros, measures 4.65 meters and offers between 598 and 1606 liters of luggage space. Third and at the same time most boring variant is the at least 27,990 euros expensive sedan, whose notchback offers 4.61 meters in length 471 liters capacity.

In addition to the hybrid model with the 2.0-liter petrol engine and the smile on the face of the test driver Toyota offers for the Corolla two more drive variants. The 1.8-liter hybrid from the Prius, which comes on a system performance of 122 hp and absorbs an average of 3.3 liters of fuel. In addition, as the only conventional drive a 1.2-liter turbo gasoline engine with 114 hp and a top speed of 200 km / h for the base model. The is the same equipment 3500 euros cheaper, but consumes on the test bench 1.5 liters more (ie 5.2 l / 100 km) than the big hybrid. A diesel engine is no longer available.

We will not forget that: the seats project manager Ueda has chosen for the sportier of the two hybrid types. On the one hand, with their deep contours, the high side bolsters and the almost integrated head restraints, they almost seem a bit over the top because you really do not need bucket seats even at 180 hp. On the other hand, they show how serious Ueda is the driving pleasure promise. So serious that despite four centimeters more wheelbase in the rear is already tight again.

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