After Toyota rolled out the red carpet at the New York International Auto Show, its home country of Japan is finally seeing the sleeker, sportier 2019 Corolla.
Naturally, there have been changes as the Corolla made its way across the Pacific. The most obvious is found in the headlights which are simpler than the North American version. And then, there’s the emblem which replaces the Toyota “T” logo for the Corolla’s traditional “C” one.
Being a global model, the Japanese-model Corolla also rides on the new TNGA platform, but unlike in North America which gets a sole engine: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder Dynamic Force engine, the Japanese model can be had with either a 1.8-liter hybrid or a turbocharged 1.2-liter engine.
The 1.8-liter 2ZR-FXE is shared with the Prius so it offers a combined 122 horsepower and 34.2 km/L based on the Japan JC08 test cycle. Petrol heads will likely gravitate towards the direct-injected and turbocharged 1.2-liter 8NR-FTS with its 116 horsepower at 5,200-5,600 rpm and 185 Nm of torque from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm.
Both models get CVT gearboxes with 10 simulated gears.
Of course, Japan being Japan, it gets a leg up against the North American Corolla. It’s the first front-engine front-wheel drive Toyota to get Adaptive Variable Suspension. This enables the car to instantly adjust the damping force of each wheel according to road surface and driving condition. Plus, it also gifts the Corolla a remarkably compact 5.1-meter turning radius.
With two major markets already getting the Corolla, it’s just going to be a matter of time when developing markets such as the Philippines will get it. Pending a shock surprise to source it from Japan (instead of Thailand), we’ll likely have to wait for news from our regional neighbors to get a clearer picture of when it arrives.
Knowing it's a Toyota, this will be one of those sporty looking but boring to drive cars.
ReplyDeleteAgree, if you want the real sportiest drive in the segment, you go for the mazda 3. Toyota is known for building practical boring cars whereas mazda is known for building sporty and fun to drive vehicles.
DeleteAt least they tried to look like Mazdaspeed3 in the back :)
DeleteI doubt we're getting the hatch. I pray we get it though
DeleteWhat's even better is if Mazda bring back MazdaSpeed 3 like what Honda did with Civic Type R.
DeleteTNGA shows promise. Of course I haven’t driven the Corolla yet but the C-HR feels reasonably sporty. It can hold itself well against the CX-3.
DeleteSubaru Impreza > Honda Civic > Mazda 3 > Toyota Altis
ReplyDeleteCare to explain why the Impreza is on top?
DeleteMazda 3>honda civic>subaru impreza>toyota altis
DeleteWe're talking about which is the sportiest among the segment. Would you argue that the other three has better handling, suspension, driving dynamics than an AWD Subaru Impreza? Ofcourse NOT.
DeleteHonda Civic - Good effort
Mazda 3 - G Vectoring? Just a load of BRANDING BS. ALL modern sedans have electronic control systems to help with the driving dynamics.
Toyota Altis - Meh..
The Impreza is the slowest at 11 secs to 100km/h, lol. It's not branding bs, it really works. That shows that you're ignorant. Probably never tried a gvc equipped mazda 3. Impreza's engine sound with that cvt is boring, even boring than the Altis.
DeleteIt's quite true actually. Subaru's mainstream lineup now leans towards more on practicality, safety and refinement rather than sportiness. That's just how it is. The WRX and STI is still sporty though but their sporty characteristic does not seem to trickle down to other models.
DeleteHere you go. A sensible comeback. Not someone who throws expletives here in the comments and doesn't add value to the discussion.
DeleteIn my observation though. There are REALLY a lot of mazda 3 fans here. Haha
His choice before was a corolla, but now that he's driven the mazda 3, even for a neutral man that test drove and reviews a lot of different cars chose a mazda 3. That speaks for itself that you won't know what jinba ittai is unless you've driven it.
DeleteAnother jinba ittai branding zealot.. Might as well worship your car..
DeleteLOL, these fanboys will consume any marketing bullcrap Mazda throws at them.
DeleteI've happen to own a variety of vehicles:
DeleteGalant GTi
Nissan Cefiro
Honda Accord
Toyota Yaris
Subaru Impreza
Subaru Forester
Mazda3
If you notice, I've pretty much gone though all the Japanese brands. I'm not a "fan boy" of anything. I just value the qualities of the car I drive. I would highly suggest that you all do the same.
Woah.. Touchy..
DeleteIf anything, it seems he's a fanboy of japanese cars. Not even one american or european brand mentioned.
DeleteBoring? Yes eversince, but hey it's the best seller in the compact segment, so why change the formula? You can't argue with success... And how many mazda3 and impreza are we seeing in the street as compare to Corolla?
ReplyDeleteBecause typical Filipino mentality na toyota will always be number one daw. LOL! Their sales have been on constant decline and they drop to number 3 in terms of sales worldwide next to nissan(1) and volkswagen (2).
DeleteDo you know that Nissan only became number one because they had to create an alliance with Mitsubishi just to topple Toyota? Hence the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance merger was formed in 2017.
DeleteVolkswagen, on the other hand, has commercial & motorcycle divisions (MAN, Scania, & Ducati) which can definitely help their sales number. Not to mention, that they are composed of multiple brands - such as: VW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, SEAT, & Skoda; these brands form the Volkswagen Group.
In fairness to Toyota, they have long been an independent automotive manufacturer for the longest time with brands that they own like Lexus, Daihatsu, & Hino. They are one of the two remaining brands to stay independent until this day (eg. Honda).
Look at the writing the on the wall...
ReplyDeleteToyota won Le Mans.
Toyota plans to sign Raikkonnen for WRC.
Toyota might come back to F1.
Toyota is the real Japanese sports car manufacturer.
But toyota is only number 3 now in terms of volume/ sales worldwide. Sa sobrang pagiging fanboy mo, wala na sa hulog. Top auto manufacturer in terms of volume 1st quarter of 2018 is nissan followed by volkswagen. Number 3 na lang ang idol mo. LOL!
DeleteDo you know that Nissan only became number one because they had to create an alliance with Mitsubishi just to topple Toyota? Hence the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance merger was formed in 2017.
DeleteVolkswagen, on the other hand, has commercial & motorcycle divisions (MAN, Scania, & Ducati) which can definitely help their sales number. Not to mention, that they are composed of multiple brands - such as: VW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, SEAT, & Skoda; these brands form the Volkswagen Group.
In fairness to Toyota, they have long been an independent automotive manufacturer for the longest time with brands that they own like Lexus, Daihatsu, & Hino. They are one of the two remaining brands to stay independent until this day (eg. Honda).
Eto na naman! Yung mga payabangan ng mga fanboys ng mga walang kwentang comments nyo! Real feel driving ng Mazda sa paramihan sa kalye ng Toyota! Sige, isama nyo pa yung Honda ricers at Subaru expensives! Mga lintek!
ReplyDeleteEh anong meron sa comment mo? Di ba wala ring kwenta? Nagsalita kapa. LOL!
Delete^Empleyado spec argument above
ReplyDeleteIs Mazda even in Formula 1? Nope! That means that Toyota and Honda are more sporty! :^)
ReplyDeleteTry driving a civic, altis and a mazda 3, you'll see who's the sportiest of the bunch. And the mx5 is regarded as the sportiest car you can buy regardless of pricepoint. As if they can build something that can match the mx5 in sheer driving pleasure that is sill fairly affordable.
DeleteUhhh the GT86/BRZ? :^)
DeleteLol, did you really just compared the 86/BRZ with the MX5 in driving? lol
Delete86/brz are fun sportscars but in terms of driving pleasure, the mx5 is still on top.
DeleteYeah, and when the hell do you get to have fun when you're stuck in traffic most of the time anyway? Importante ba talaga yan sa inyo?
Delete^Get a life boring peeps. It's not traffic outside manila and you'll only understand what I'm saying when you try it. It's hard to explain by words. Im short, driving in a mazda is a rewarding experience, whereas in a boring car, it will be a chore.
DeleteI feel sorry for you kung laging stuck sa traffic ang nagiisang buhay mo. You woudn't understand it because you can't force class down a man's throat.
Delete@AnonymousJune 29, 2018 at 1:38 PM:
DeleteRewarding? How so? Just because some people think fun to drive is a subjective thing, doesn't mean they're already boring.
Sorry to burst your bubble but a Focus ecoboost destroys your mazda 3, civic, or toyota when it comes to an exhilirating and fun to drive experience. Tried it and the fact that the engine will let you do torque steer and digs you in the seat says it all.
Delete*exhilarating
Delete^mazda 3 has gvc and will push you back to your seat as well but you still don't get the point. It's not just because of speed, take note that there are many sportscars there that are quick as hell but lack the connection between car and driver. That's where mazda's jinba ittai comes in.
DeleteThe focus also has a torque vectoring system. It has both the speed and the handling. It can go toe to toe or even defeat the mazda on twisty roads due to its sharp handling which is a famous trait even throughout its past iterations. And on the highways? Good luck na lang sa mazda 3.
DeleteBoring new taxi & Grab car for those who dislike the even more common Vios appliance.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a new taxi from the front and copied the mazda 3 speed's rear.
ReplyDeleteHi Uly, out of the non-sense comments above, any itsy bitsy news or even rumors what kind of Corolla will Toyota be bringing here in Philippines?
ReplyDeleteThe bare stripped down affordable manual then the overpriced variant that will fail to beat competitors in terms of value for money.
DeleteNone this early as of yet. Doubt we’ll even get it this year. We’ve yet to get any TNGA vehicle yet.
DeleteI hope it will be released here and with a Manual transmission.
ReplyDelete