What's the news?
It's been more than a year since Toyota gave the Auris hatchback a generally very successful facelift and update, but now at last the Corolla saloon has followed suit and been updated. And it looks... quite sharp actually. Forgive our surprise, but generally Corollas have all the visual appeal of a bowl of porridge, but by borrowing styling cues from the new Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car, LED signature daytime running lights and new alloy wheels the new Corolla actually looks rather nice, even a little menacing at the front.
At the back there are new lights (which Toyota says gives the car a wider stance on the road) and some more chrome trim. Inside there's a new seven-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch information screen between the main instruments. Toyota has also liberally applied some soft-touch materials and leather padding around the cabin to bump up its ambience a little.
It's also made the Corolla much safer, at least it has if you're buying a Luna or Sol specification model. Those will come with Toyota Safety Sense as standard, including a Pre Collision System with pedestrian recognition, Lane Departure Alert and Road Sign Assist. This is in addition to other safety features such as Hill Assist Control, Downhill Assist Control, Trailer Stability Control and Active Traction Control.
Toyota's also making a good deal of noise about the cabin space (although that hasn't changed from the previous model) with claims for a class-leading 959mm front-to-rear seat gap, more knee room than the competition and a wider rear bench than most. Basic spec on a Terra model includes air conditioning, Bluetooth, cruise control and steel wheels and prices start from €21,995 for a 1.33 petrol Terra and €22,995 for the 1.4 D4D diesel. The excellent 1.2 petrol turbo from the Auris isn't available as yet, and nor is there a hybrid option.
Incidentally, it is of course the Corolla's 50th anniversary this year, and for those of you who may have, in the past, accused it of being bland or boring, think on this - 44-million people around the world have bought a Corolla since 1966. Can they all be wrong?