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SELWYN TIMES Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Wednesday <strong>March</strong> <strong>18</strong> <strong>2020</strong> 33 Sedan boosts Toyota Corolla load space TOYOTA NEW Zealand is pulling no punches marketing its Corolla range. Not only are there a handful of new variants within the range - bearing in mind the latest generation series landed here just over two years ago - but a fresh pricing structure makes for value-packed buying across sedan, hatchback and wagon options. I recently evaluated the new wagon and remarked on its value at just below $30k; another newcomer is the SX sedan and it is the subject of this evaluation. It is also value at $32,990, and to be honest if I was a buyer I couldn’t choose between the two, I particularly like wagons and sedans, and both have special appeal, although the sedan with its 2-litre engine against 1.8-litre for the wagon may just tip the balance. And SX grade is certainly for me, it translates to cloth interior trim, but it also has plenty of other goodies to keep me happy in the cabin such as sat nav, paddle shifters, and radar cruise control. The latter is part of the Toyota Sense suite of safety kit that is fitted throughout the Corolla range and it is state-of-the-art, easily earning a five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program rating. A totally new platform was developed for the latest generation Corolla, and it formed the basis for the extensive array of body styles that all sit on a complex fully independent suspension system. This draws me to the range, I like the idea of all four corners working in their own way and with the spring and damper rates set to a medium compromise the Corolla sedan feels sporty and well attached to the road. In saying that, the SX variant rides on 205/55 x 16in Dunlop rubber, there’s nothing wrong with the handling and the tyres are very quiet, but if I was a buyer I think I’d opt for an <strong>18</strong>in wheel which is standard on other Corolla models, they would offer a lot more presence. There are no surprises under the bonnet, well there are in some ways, the new sedan is available as a hybrid as well. However, the SX is solely reliant on petrol power, its 2-litre engine is now well-established into the Corolla hatch and sedan, and it is a no-nonsense unit with power figures of 125kW and 200Nm, the outputs realised at 6600rpm and 4100rpm respectively. While the latter would appear to make the engine peaky, that’s not the case, the engine is happy to work low down, and with its TOYOTA COROLLA SEDAN: Huge boot space. pairing to a continuously variable transmission the engine finds its happy place through the midrange. Toyota have worked hard with the CVT system, it now works almost like a traditional torque converter automatic with physical gears, it is a 10-step system and can be locked into any pre-set step by sequentially using the main gearshift lever or paddles. As an aside, there’s also a sport mode which heightens engine urgency and adjusts the way the ratio works so that acceleration can be ushered in just that little bit quicker. Toyota claims a 9.2sec standstill to 100km/h time, while by my stopwatch a 5.4sec 80km/h to 120km/h overtaking time can be achieved. These figures relate to brisk motoring, the beauty of a 2-litre engine is that it’s not working hard, the sedan weighs in at around 1300kg, which means a healthy power-to-weight ratio. That also means the engine isn’t working hard for the majority of the time and that translates to respectable fuel usage figures. Toyota also claims a six-litre per 100km combined cycle average. That correlates well with the fuel usage display within the car, it was constantly listing around 7.1l/100km with 5l/100km showing instantaneously at 100km/h. What makes the fuel usage figures so appealing is that I evaluated the Corolla sedan on one of the hottest days of Christchurch’s summer. Normally, I never use air conditioning, but with temperatures hovering around 35 deg C I had the air on most of the time. Combining good performance and economy isn’t achieved easily, but given the Corolla’s long history that’s something Toyota has been able to work on over the years, it is wonderfully efficient, yet all models feel feisty and there’s just that element of sporty appeal that will lure those who like to push along a bit when the • Price – Toyota Corolla SX sedan, $32,990 • Dimensions – Length, 4630mm; width, 1780mm; height, 1435mm • Configuration – Fourcylinder, front-wheeldrive, 1987cc, 125kW, 200Nm, continuously variable automatic. • Performance – 0-100km/h, 9.2sec • Fuel usage – 6l/100km open road beckons. It’s also nice to know that when the long straights run out there is a chassis underneath that is capable of dealing with the twists and turns without affecting the level of comfort we have come to expect from one of the automotive world’s most successful nameplates. For the record, Toyota lists the sedan’s boot space with a load capacity of 470-litres, that compares to 294-litres for the hatch and 390-litres for the wagon. Interesting figures which will certainly get those who are looking for load space scratching their heads. Toyota is pushing hard the hybrid message, however, there’s still a lot of life left in petrol only engines only. The Corolla in all forms is a fuel miser and I’d find it a difficult choice to choose between either. However, the SX sedan certainly captures my attention for its honesty and all round appeal.
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