Road Test: Toyota Corolla 1.4D Prestige
| by Tristan Wiggill
A Corolla with Prestige
If the Oxford English Dictionary decided, one day, to include pictures with its written descriptions, don’t be
surprised to find a picture of a Toyota Corolla under the word reliable.
T
hen again, cynics might just as
quickly flick to the page that
describes boring, which could just
as well apply to the world’s best-selling
nameplate. Until now.
Styling
Toyota has done well to address the
Corolla’s unexciting perceptions at the
11th time of asking. No doubt inspired by
the success of the 86, both the Corolla’s
attractive sheet metal, and its bolder
5-Series-like dashboard, are inspired
efforts unlike what has gone before. Take
a look at the remixed Toyota Quest to
compare it to what has had to suffice
previously…
It is quite apparent that the latest Corolla
has been penned to appeal to European
markets and curries more than a little
favour with luxury sister brand Lexus.
Surely not a bad thing, although stylistic
comparisons to Toyota’s arch rival Honda
could just as reasonably be drawn.
The Corolla, supplied to us recently in
1.4D Prestige trim, is a car that slowly
but surely grew on me. More and more
I began to appreciate its comfy leather
seats, soft ride and frugality. While I
haven’t tested them, I have it on good
authority that this is the best engine in
the local line-up, and I suspect, with 205
Nm, the most effortless to commandeer as
well.
That torque figure is far more important
than the claimed 66 kW of power, with
overtaking and towing easier than the petrol
alternatives. It also nullifies the effects of
the Joburg altitude and doesn’t carry a
significant price premium either (+R 8 000). A
different, more aware driving style is advised
however, in order to eradicate being bogged
down by turbo-lag. To do so, choose first
gear over second at speeds below 15km/h,
and apply more throttle on pull-off.
Value
The Prestige model at R249 900 represents
decent value, certainly better than its
Exclusive brother, with the R12 000 premium
securing leather seating all round; larger
diameter alloy wheels instead of steel ones;
two additional cup holders; a delightful
touchscreen interface for multimedia,
including DVD-player and Bluetooth
connectivity; Park Assist with rear mounted
camera and leather coverings for the steering
wheel and gear-lever. All of these extras lift
the interior ambience nicely and provide a
more upmarket, expensive feel.
There is plenty of space inside, which is not
entirely surprising given the intended familyman/woman buyer profile. A comfortable
driving position was eventually found, after
| Wheels in Action
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july 2014
the seat had been lowered and the
steering wheel height and reach had
been manually set. The gear-lever is a
strangely tall one, the digital clock is
oddly positioned towards the passenger
and the foot-rest is too narrow for my
size 10’s. The dash itself is squarefacing and so not angled towards the
driver, and while the look created is
modern, it takes a minute to acquaint
oneself with it.
During the test week we averaged
5.9-litres per 100 km, but at no stage
did we drive for ultimate economy. There
is little doubt that that figure can be
improved upon with a little more regard
for consumption - and with more time
spent on the open road.
Conclusion
The new Corolla is pretty to look
at and is comfortable to drive. It
has the advantage - and support
of a massive dealer network,
countrywide - and a reputation for
reliability that is almost beyond
reproach. Good resale value should
also be a given, so the new Corolla
is a safe bet.