Talking about the new Toyota Corolla, the best-selling car in the world and already passed through 12 generations the first of which dates back to 1966, must necessarily refer to the quality of this family today firmly positioned in second place in Europe in the C segment. Corolla is the perfect example of Toyota's 'kaizen' - continuous improvement - philosophy.
Thus the car has evolved over more than half a century, keeping pace with changes in customer tastes and preferences and adopting new technologies relating to safety, comfort, efficiency and connectivity.
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Toyota Corolla Touring Sports 1.8, you can feel the improvement
Available starting next March, Toyota Corolla is offered in the Active and GR Sport trim levels, with two body variants (Hatchback and Touring Sports) with two Full Hybrid-Electric engines of 1.8 and 2.0 litres.
Today the new Corolla - revised externally with a few successful interventions but significantly improved in the passenger compartment and in operating dynamics - is even more competitive, as it is the only one in its segment to offer Full Hybrid-Electric engines that do not require connection to the network.
In particular, Toyota's fifth-generation propulsion system uses 1.8- and 2.0-liter electrified engines that offer more power and - as we have verified in tests in the Malaga area of Spain - a more rewarding drive and with even more emissions. contained.
All major system components have been optimized both in terms of size and weight.
This is the case of the new Power Control Unit (Pcu) which helps to reduce the level of energy losses in the system (-14% for the 1.8-litre, -6% for the 2.0-litre) and maintain maximum levels of efficiency.
The PCU is installed directly above a new transaxle equipped with a compact, high-efficiency motor-generator with new components to improve consumption and performance.
A new stator coil winding method has helped reduce the size of the motor.
The complete transaxle is 15% lighter than before.
Toyota Corolla also adopts a new lithium-ion hybrid battery whose weight has been reduced by 14% while power has increased by 14%.
Potential battery life has been increased and its operation is quieter, thanks to a new cooling system.
Furthermore, the compact dimensions have allowed it to be positioned under the rear seats without taking up space in the boot.
In the case of the 1.8 engine - present in the version subject to our test - and which now delivers 140 HP despite the increase in power and CO2 emissions have been reduced by 2 g/km and are positioned at the level according to the Wltp approval of 100 g/km.
As for the 2.0-litre engine, power now reaches 196 HP with a reduction in emissions of 12 g/km, bringing the Wltp value to 98 g/km.
However, the advantages of the new Full Hybrid-Electric system are not limited to the aspects that affect the important approval data, however.
Toyota engineers have focused on achieving - in continuous improvement - a more satisfying driving experience mainly through an optimal relationship between the use of the accelerator and the car's response.
New Corolla is as quick to respond as it was ever before, with brilliant acceleration (with the 1.8 model, the 0-100 km/h sprint is achieved in 9.1 seconds, gaining 1.8 seconds compared to the previous one, while the 2.0 stops the clock at 7.4 seconds) and an exemplary progression in the second half.
This change is appreciated in heavy traffic and in all other situations in which there are frequent changes in pace. On the motorway - at 'code' speeds - the hybrid system then operates at lower revs, and this makes the journey more quiet and relaxing.
It should be emphasized that the new Corolla - thanks to Predictive Efficient Drive - controls and manages the charge and use of the battery based on the driving situation, adding further elements to reduce emissions.
The system stores the most frequent routes and places where the driver, for example, slows down.
When the car approaches these points, the multi-information display recommends releasing the accelerator and regenerating energy with the engine brake.
Predictive control also uses real-time traffic information, the system can also help maintain a certain level of battery charge before reaching any stretches of heavy traffic and reduce the need to queue up at the internal combustion engine.
Also important is the latest evolution of the Toyota Safety Sense: a new front camera covers a much wider field of vision and with a detection distance that has been doubled.
This makes it possible to increase safety but also to detect obstacles closer to the car than before.
Furthermore, the use of Motion 3D and the Deep Neural Network allows you to identify many more dangers such as motorcycles, walls, guard rails, curbs and light poles.
