Toyota Corolla ZR sedan

The Toyota Corolla is one of the automotive world's biggest success stories. More than 40 million have been sold, since it first arrived in 1966... more even, than the iconic VW Beetle. There are people who won't buy anything else, such is its reputation.
So how does the 11th generation Corolla shape up?
To begin with, its shape is pretty classy. Smart looking lines with styling accents in all the right places make the new Corolla  stand out from run of the mill offerings.
There's plenty of room inside for heads and legs, as Corolla marches onwards into almost the next segment in size.
I liked the neat dashboard with it's central screen surrounded by faux carbon fibre trim.
The instruments are lit in a distinctive electric blue, similar to those on VWs of not long ago.

The leather faced seats on this ZR model are firm, but that's fine, especially on longer trips.. when you need more support. The driver's seat is power operated and has lumbar adjustment as well.
Big grab handles on the front doors were welcome, there's no groping around looking for them when closing the doors.
The ZR has the convenience of keyless entry and start.
The upspec model also includes auto dimming rear vision mirror, auto wipers and lights and electrically folding wing mirrors. However, unlike on most of today's cars, there is no three (or four) click lane change mode on the indicator wand. You have to either hold it for the required time, or lock the wand into constant blink mode. An unusual omission. 
There's an overall quality feel in the cabin that wasn't there before. The sound system won't disappoint.
I liked the feel of the chunky leather bound steering wheel, adjustable for both reach and rake. Steering effort is light but not twitchy.. the Corolla goes just where you point it. It's well calibrated.
Ride comfort is okay, if a little on the firm side but it's not unacceptable.
On most surfaces you won't be annoyed by too many bumps. However on rougher tarmac it can get a little unsettled.
The Corolla handles surprisingly well through bends, even encouraging you to push on a bit harder than you thought it capable of. Steering wheel paddles for the CVT box enable very quick shifts, or you can use the console lever. The CV transmission is quieter than others I have tested, and like them all, you can lock in any of the six pre programmed ratios for steep descents etc.
The 1,8 litre four is quite punchy, developing 103 kw and 171 nm...average fuel consumption during my week with the car was just over 7 litres per 100 kilometres.
At highway speeds there's very little wind or tyre noise, but on the old coarse chip surfaces that abound in Australia you will hear some tyre noise intrusion. The boot is large and houses a full sized spare wheel.

A couple of minor niggles emerged.Selecting reverse starts a faint but persistent warning beep inside the cabin. Usually these things are audible outside a vehicle to warn pedestrians that the car is moving backwards.
I actually know when I am reversing and don't really need an irritating audible reminder to tell me the bleeding obvious. Accompanying the interior beeper is an effective reversing camera and external warning sensors.
As with many imports, lighting can be a hit or miss affair.
The Corolla's xenon low beams are nice and bright as you'd expect, but they cut off far too short, just a few metres in front of the car. High beams are pretty awful, a dull yellow glow that doesn't penetrate at all well.
Cars sold in Australia with its wide open spaces, need to have the globe specification reversed. Bright xenons for high beam and the inferior halogens for low beam urban conditions.
 

In May 2014, Corolla outsold its nearest rival Mazda 3, by about 600 units.
So the battle continues. This ZR model sells for around 31k.
Corolla, for now,the preferred choice for thousands of Australians in the small car segment.
The new model has just made making that decision even easier.
Peter Sellen