The article was originally produced on September 28, 2019, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Toyota Corolla

For a long time we have lived with the Auris model, but now that is over and the Corolla is making a comeback!

For a period everything old would be purged and there was no value in old names or logos. Now this view has changed somewhat and we constantly see how old brands and names get new life and energy. When it comes to Toyota, they have chosen to bring back models such as the Supra but also the Corolla, which was thrown out as a model and replaced by the Auris model for 13 years. Cars Collection was at the test drive in Mallorca to see what this classic in a new vintage had to offer.

The first Corolla was introduced in 1966 and has been counted as one of the best sellers in the world

In 2016, an astonishing record was reached with 44 million Corollas sold, and this over a period of eleven generations of the model. With the new version, the Corolla is now in its twelfth generation.

The Corolla is a car model that will compete mainly with other cars in the so-called Golf class. A small practical car with room for five, preferably not two meters people, and some luggage in the back. It just needs to be cheap and performance is not the most important thing. However, this segment has over the years, and mainly because of the car it was named after, the Golf, become cars that are often very fun to drive. Much thanks to new technology, more efficient engines and higher safety.

The Corolla, on the other hand, was a car that many associated with an extremely boring car, but which fulfilled its function. I remember among the first cars I rented with a new driver's license and a longer journey ahead of me. An eighth generation Corolla was rented for the trip. Although the car was not a luxury sports car with lots of horsepower, I had fun behind the wheel. Probably because of its size and how easy it was to drive, but mostly because it was my first trip on my own with a new driver's license. Since that trip a little more than twenty years ago, a lot has happened, both with the cars and with my driving.

The new Corolla is slightly larger than its predecessor the Auris, but we are still talking about a compact car in the golf class. It comes in three versions, the short five-door that we drove, a station wagon and a sedan. However, only the first two mentioned will be available in Sweden. The sedan is for the Asian market where you like this type of body.

The sedan also has a different front that should remind of the sibling Camry, which we will write a test drive about soon. The first thing that strikes you when the cars are lined up is that the new Corolla is really tough. Here, the Japanese shapes come into their own with a sharp and pointed design. Above all, the front is very sporty, but narrow angry headlights and a large grill. The body of the cars we test drove was two-part with a red or white lower part and a black roof. The rear-view mirrors are also black, as is the roof, which is a fun design.

The hybrid line in the new Corolla does very well together with the 1.8 liter petrol engine with 98 horses. Toyota has deliberately chosen not to start with fully electrified cars as it does not consider that the technology is really there yet. They are therefore betting on the hybrid instead, which is something they have been working on for a long time both with Toyota and its sister brand Lexus. If you compare cars built today to how they were ten, twenty years ago, there is a huge difference.