Toyota Corolla (2020) Review - Smooth Rider

Despite South Africa's love affair with SUVs, there are a few sedans that just keep on selling: The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the BMW 3 Series, the Audi A4, and the Toyota Corolla. Now in its twelfth generation, the new Corolla sedan keeps on delivering what we've come to love about it, adds a few extras, and looks good doing it, too.

Ané Albertse

22 Jun 2020 · 19:06

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Styling

The revolutionised design of the new Corolla Sedan makes it appear very sophisticated; as if it had gone to a top-notch finishing school abroad and came back looking graceful and all grown up. The fashionably aggressive front-end, which we've loved from the start on its hatchback sibling, will undoubtedly be a hit among Toyota sedan-fans.

It's not perfect from every angle, though; looking at the Corolla from the back, I wish Toyota had rather copied the hatchback's taillights and adapted them to suit the sedan, instead of these generic-looking lights. In some overseas markets, the rear taillights' LED-signature also extends from one side to the other, but in SA there's only a strip of piano black plastic that connects the two ends and frames the light units.

Interior comfort and convenience

The interior of the new Corolla is a pleasant, cosseting place to be. Toyota has made it even quieter on the inside by using more sound-muffling materials so road- and wind noise don't interfere when you're listening to your favourite music via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, a standard feature on both the XS and XR models, which are both privy to the large touchscreen system in the middle. The XR model also features an all-new 7-inch Multi-Information Display system and digital speedometer.

There are two USB ports in the cabin - one below the flowing dashboard and one in the central storage binnacle. There's another storage cubby underneath the air-conditioning switches where you'll probably lay down your phone while it's connected to the large and easy-to-use infotainment system, which is especially user-friendly because of the shortcut buttons on either side of the screen.

The seats are covered in a new type of luxurious faux leather with partial material inserts to keep the back of your thighs and lower back from getting scorched on hot days. The interior, as a whole, is a classy affair built to withstand all the challenges that family life may throw at it. It's not particularly lively or interesting, but it's going to stand the test of time.

Other desirable standard features across all models include climate control with an Eco mode, a rearview camera, electrically adjustable seats, one-touch electric windows, keyless entry, tilt & telescopic steering adjustment, satellite switches on the leather-covered steering wheel, and cruise control. XR models have an auto-dimming rear-view mirror as well.

Space

There's plenty of space on the back seat. Legroom is generous even when I sat behind the driver's seat, which had been adjusted to fit my 1.73m frame.

There's space in the middle of the rear seat for an average-sized adult at more-or-less their goal weight - overly tall and larger people may not be too comfortable on longer journeys. The boot is pretty huge, as one would expect. You'll lift the baby stroller into that boot in no time at all, and have space left for your golf clubs and some bags of groceries too.

Safety

With every generation, the Corolla keeps getting safer. The latest Corolla sedan is equipped with brand-new semi-autonomous tech, which is also seen in more expensive Lexus models. XR models have adaptive cruise control, a lane keep assistant and lane departure warning, as well as a blind-spot monitor. These all fall under the Toyota Safety Sense umbrella along with a pre-collision system and automatic high-beam, so oncoming traffic isn't blinded by your headlamps at night.

With adaptive cruise control and lane trace assist activated, driving becomes much less of a chore, and while it certainly is no Pilot Assist from Volvo, it did a great job of steering on its own for short periods, keeping you out of the other lane, and slowing down when the vehicle in front did too. It's easy to activate and operate and will go a long way in making long commutes on busy roads less stressful.

The drive, power, and performance

The 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated engine is the new 'Dynamic Force' TNGA unit which was first seen on the RAV4. It's mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox which is ridiculously slick-shifting, so much so that you'll want to stir that gear lever at every chance you get. The free-revving engine itself is raring to go, but don't expect thunder and lightning. Output is rated at 125kW and 200Nm vs. the 1.8-litre model's 103kW and 170Nm.

Despite the sexy low-profile alloys on our test car, the ride quality in the new Corolla was exemplary. The steering is light but direct and the steering wheel itself feels rather premium in your hands. The Corolla also handled exceedingly well in a rainstorm and felt so firmly planted to the wet tarmac that I took a pleasant detour home to increase my time in the car. The rear suspension setup is now of the multi-link variety and the Corolla's body is said to be 60 percent stiffer than its predecessor, while the front suspension geometry has also been reworked. I could surely feel the difference when changing direction at higher speeds.

Fuel economy

Toyota is pretty ambitious with their average fuel consumption figure of 6.5 litres per 100km. Instead, the Corolla a sedan consumes what a typical 2.0-litre sedan would use: about 8,7 to about 10,2 litres per 100 km. The 50-litre tank didn't quite last as long as I had hoped it would, despite Toyota's statement that the new engine is supposed to "have a strong focus on fuel efficiency."

Pricing

As always, the Corolla sedan offers standard features galore and a high-quality product at a fair price. This particular Corolla, the 2.0 XR manual, will cost you R420 500, while the 2.0-litre CVT-version will cost you R433 700. The entry-level 1.8 XS derivative will set you back R380 200. Costing about R40 000 less than the version I tested, I would probably opt for the 1.8-litre model. With all the same mod-cons and interior features (except the self-driving technology) and the fact that it also has that excellent 10-speed CVT gearbox, I reckon that this the wisest buy in the line-up. It was a smart move of Toyota to give the least expensive model a self-shifter.

Rivals include the Mazda 3 sedan and Honda Civic sedan, but these cars don't offer this above-mentioned self-cruising tech just yet.

Verdict

With a bold new look, new driver assistants and a comfortable ride quality that still somehow manages to be quite sporty, the new Corolla will keep on making waves in the segment. If you've been toying with the idea of trading in your previous-generation Corolla for a new one, go right ahead. Another feather in the Corolla's cap is its 3-year / 100 000 km warranty and 6-year / 90 000 km service plan.

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Written by Ané Albertse

Ané was bitten by the motoring bug at a very young age. Her mom recalls her sitting in her stroller as a 3-year old, naming every car that came past. She was creating content for various publications within Media24 when AutoTrader nabbed her for good, and is one of the longest-standing members of the AutoTrader team. She prefers dirt roads to tar and SUVs/bakkies to sports cars, but her greatest passion is helping people find the perfect car for their budget, lifestyle, and personality.Read more