Toyota keeps on rolling

Since the Car Of The Year Yaris was launched in 1999, Toyota has unveiled a further 12 new models, the latest the new Corolla family which goes on sale in January, as well as diesel versions of the much-praised Yaris which go on sale in March.

The new Corolla, unveiled to the European motoring press in Spain last week, enters a market sector that is perhaps the most competitive and price sensitive of them all ... so prices are being kept a secret until all Toyota dealers have seen the car, sometime later this month.

Having driven the car at its launch in Spain, the new Corolla is quite a different proposition to the present generation. Fine car though that was, it sold only on the rational qualities of reliability and dependability, and at a highly competitive price, more often than not supported by discounts or incentives of some sort or another.

Customers certainly did not object to such sales drives, as figures have shown, but nonetheless, will be expected to pay more for the new model, and also give up any thought of receiving any special sales incentives.

Even at higher prices, they will still compete strongly with market rivals, such as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, says Graham Smith, managing director of Toyota UK, who also forecasts a dramatic rise in sales of the new Corolla. This year alone nearly 18,000 Corollas will have been sold to UK customers, close to what was sold last year, while next year sales are expected to see a huge rise to around 30,000.

Toyota says that the rise of almost 70 per cent year on year will come not just from the new car's desirability, but also because of the full range of models better suited to the demands of the customers.

For example, there will be two new diesel engines as well as the return of the T Sport.

The new Corolla mix, in marketing terms, sees the five-door hatchback model as the best seller with a potential sales figure of around 16,500, followed by the small people carrier Verso (7,000) and the three-door hatchback (6,000-plus). Estates and four-door saloons will make up the remaining sales.

The Verso is being introduced into the Corolla range for the first time, a necessity considering that impact the Renault Scenic, Vauxhall Zafira and Citroen Picasso, has had on that particular market. From having no car in that sector to one expected to account for 7,000 sales, gives some idea of the confidence held by Toyota in its new model.

That said, 7,000 is still quite a modest number compared to some other small MPVs, but Toyota's marketing gurus reckon quality and high specification levels will swing the balance in their favour in the end.

The three and five-door hatchbacks are being built at the Burnaston, Derbyshire plant, while the saloon will be built in Turkey and the Verso and estate will come from Japan.

There will be four specification levels, entry, volume. luxury and T sport, and all will be available with a choice of four petrol and two diesel engines, with the T sport powered by a 189bhp VVTL-i engine.

During the press testing there were 1.4-litre, 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre petrol engines available. All behaved as you would expect from Toyota: capable, economic and with commendable performance.

If there is any downside to the Corolla range it is that it is so good, reliable and comfortable, that it takes any excitement out of driving. It is a wonderful family car: and be rest assured that the new Corolla presents an equally reliable front, will no doubt present few technical problems in its life and, most importantly, cost less to service and maintain, especially when it comes to replacement parts (but more about this later).

So, if you are looking for a Corolla but one with a little more 'oomph' to its name, set your sights on the T-Sport. It is a side of Corolla, indeed of Toyota when it comes to core models, not to be missed.

There is already a Yaris and Celica T Sport, and the arrival of a performance Corolla serves to emphasis Toyota's commitment to building a strong sporting sub-brand. Here is a 189bhp job with an acceleration from 0-62mph of 8.4-seconds. It is a real cracker, especially when given the foot-down on the open road, with the six-speed gearbox capable of taking it to140mph.

With its variable valve timing and lift-intelligent engine (VVTL-i) ride and drive is fun and can be enjoyably furious. Given the right roads, the car shows an agility and stability tuned to its balanced chassis and 15mm lowered suspension. Safety is to the forefront, too, with electric power steering, airbags, stability and traction controls, as well as brake assist all standard fittings.

The car is comfortable with plenty of head and leg room, while specification levels are equally high, although if it is cubby holes and cup-holders that are high on the wanted list, then the Verso is the answer.

Corolla Verso follows the Yaris and Avensis versions, and although designed and being built in Japan, has taken its styling cues from the European-designed models. It can seat five in plenty of comfort and still have room for their luggage.

The rear bench seat can be tumbled, reclined or even detached, as well as slid backwards or forwards, and also allows each passenger to choose an individual and comfortable seating position. The Verso is also equipped with two junior seats. There are also plenty of nooks and crannies and holders for the bits and bobs that generally accumulate in family cars.

Verso comes with a choice of two petrol engines, the 1.6-litre 110bhp or 1.8-litre 133bhp VVT-i (variable valve timing-intelligent) or a 2.0-litre 89bhp D-4D diesel. The 1.8-litre model is also matched to a four-speed automatic transmission if preferred to manual.

There is a lot more can be written about the Corolla: it is bigger all round than the earlier model, carries an impressive list of standard equipment including air conditioning and offers various options such as audible as well as rear camera-view reversing alerts, audio and navigation systems. It is also possible to go into in-depth comparisons with its competitors, leaving many of them standing by the roadside, but perhaps what is more significant is the cost of any repairs.

The development of body parts by Toyota's engineers means there are fewer needing repair in a shunt. For example in a typical front low-speed and offset impact, items such as the bonnet, grille, bumper cover, headlamp and so on will cost around £385 to replace, getting on for nearly 25 per cent cheaper than on the previous model, and also cheaper than its closest competitors (50 per cent in the case of the new Peugeot 307).

Finally warranty is 60,000 miles or three years, and there is a three year paint work guarantee together with 12-year anti rust perforation.