 Zoom In |
| The Corolla is a huge seller for Toyota. It has pleasant rather than memorable styling. (Photo: Toyota Canada) |
First introduced in 1966, the Toyota Corolla almost immediately struck a chord with the car-buying public, and became the best selling car of all time in 1997. During its ongoing model run, a new Corolla has been sold on average every 40 seconds, with over 35 million cars sold to date.
Now in its 10th generation, and built on the E-150 designated Toyota platform (also shared with the Toyota Matrix), the current version of the Corolla was introduced in North America in October 2007 as a 2008 model year. It is available in Canada in four trim levels; CE, LE, S (Sport) and XRS.
 Zoom In |
| The interior is well fitted and logically laid out. A power moonroof, previously only available with the XRS, is now an option on the S and LE as well. (Photo: Toyota Canada) |
For 2010, Toyota has left the basic Corolla platform unchanged, but has added a few interesting options that aren't often found on this class of vehicle. Of particular note, Toyota has added its Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control systems as standard equipment on the LE and S models, and made them an option on the base CE. (In Corolla-speak, the CE is the base model, and the LE adds a few extra comfort and convenience items but is only available with automatic transmission. The S “sport” model adds alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel, trunk-mounted wing, and body skirt package. All three share Toyota's 1.8 litre 16-valve four cylinder motor, boasting 132 horsepower. The more potent XRS version is outfitted like the S, but has a more powerful 2.4 litre motor with 158 horsepower, and 17-inch alloy wheels.)
Toyota's VSC system was developed by Bosch and uses individual wheel braking to keep the car in control during emergency maneuvers. Toyota claims that this system is second only to seatbelts at saving lives on our roads. The Traction Control system not only keeps wheel spin in check in slippery conditions, but also helps hold the car from rolling backwards while starting on hills.
