By Peter Ciani, for RPM News Weekly ~
When competing in a market dominated by SUVs and Crossovers, you might think that a manufacturer would NOT focus their precious resources on a sub-compact sedan. Unless, of course, that sedan is the best selling Toyota Corolla.
Entering its twelfth-generation, the Toyota Corolla sedan is completely redesigned for the 2020 model year and rides on the Toyota New Global Architecture, or TNGA. This platform actually made its “Corolla” debut in the new for 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback – a car that we, here at RPM News, really enjoyed driving.
With the new chassis architecture, the Corolla sedan benefits from a wider stance and a lowered roof-line, helping to reduce the overall center of gravity by 0.39 inches.
Although the Corolla remains one of the lowest priced vehicles in the brand’s line up, Toyota wanted to bring a little driving excitement into the segment for the next generation. They’ve succeeded in two ways.
On the surface, the Corolla sedan displays a dynamic appearance thanks in part to its shortened front and rear overhangs, flared fenders and a lowered hood-line, which also helps to improve driver visibility.
On the performance front, L, LE and XLE trims feature a 139-horsepower 1.8-liter inline four cylinder paired to a CVT transmission. A new 2-liter inline 4-cylinder engine, included in SE and XSE models, bumps power to 169-horsepower. In a move that’s sure to please the ‘save the manuals’ enthusiasts, the 2.0-liter can be paired with a 6-speed manual transmission with REV matching capability.
But it’s not all about “hotrod” performance. In a surprising twist Toyota has added a first-ever Corolla Hybrid to the line up. It features the same Hybrid Synergy Drive system that’s found in the Toyota Prius, pairing a 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline engine with two electric motors and a continuously variable transmission for a combined system output of 121 horsepower.
The 2020-2021 Corolla Hybrid earns a respectable 53-mile-per-gallon city, 52-mile-per-gallon highway EPA rating.
Inside the 5-passenger Toyota Corolla sedan, a two-tone instrument panel features a clean, uncluttered arrangement and a center mounted touch screen display. An Audio Plus system with Connected Navigation is available.
Considering it’s low price point, the Corolla sedan comes packed with an astounding number of standard safety features. The Toyota Safety Sense suite includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist and Dynamic radar cruise control.
For many reasons, the Corolla is continuously a top-ten best selling car in the United States. Building on the model’s 54-year history with sporty new looks, advanced standard safety features and a range of performance options that include a first-ever, fuel saving hybrid powertrain we expect that the twelfth generation model will remain on that list for years to come.
