The New 2014 Toyota Corolla – It's Finally Here
We’ve been teased with concepts and renderings of the new Toyota Corolla for the better part of a year. Since murmurs of the Furia Concept originally started back in late 2012, we’ve waited and waited and waited to see what Toyota has in store for the next generation of the world’s best-selling car ever. Finally, after months of torment, the 2014 Toyota Corolla is officially here.
2014 Toyota Corolla – Exterior Design
The current Corolla has been on the market since 2008. The sedan already has a well-earned reputation for bland exterior design, so the fact that it’s also outdated means that Toyota was really looking for a monumental shake-up in the design department. And that’s exactly what they’ve done.
The 2014 Corolla’s exterior design is much more aggressive and athletic than the current generation’s. The car is about 4 inches longer, which in and of itself makes the sedan feel slightly more upmarket. In addition, the entire front fascia has been reworked; the grill is more chiseled, the headlamps have been re-sculpted, and the front fender and wheel-wells are more flared. You’ll notice improvements from the back of the ’14 Corolla, too; the butt of the car has been bulked up and edge-ified with new taillights and rear fender design.
All in all, the car just LOOKS sleeker and more aerodynamic. It will definitely stand out on the road much more than the current generation does. All in all, very appealing, especially if you opt for the more luxurious S trim package with 17-inch alloy wheels. The larger wheels act like the coffee table in a living room – they really bring the whole thing together.
2014 Toyota Corolla – Interior Design and Features
The most important aspect of the new Corolla’s interior, and what Toyota heavily emphasizes in their press release, is the spaciousness and craftsmanship seen and felt inside the car. And indeed, families will especially enjoy the extra legroom and more comfortable backseats, which will undoubtedly make long road trips more palatable.
Beyond space, the new Corolla’s interior is generally higher quality than the current generation with better materials and a more refined design. The dash has been reworked horizontally, the stitching now matches the interior color-scheme in any trim package, and the arrangement of the space feels much more intuitive.
Outside of aesthetics, the interior of the new Corolla has also been sound-proofed against both environmental and road noise. The windshield has been re-crafted with acoustics in mind, the floor panels are denser, and the seals between the various panels in the car are more insulated.
2014 Toyota Corolla – Powertrain and Fuel Economy
No matter which trim package, the new Toyota Corolla comes with an efficient, light-weight aluminum 1.8L four-cylinder engine. The Corolla L, LE and S all get a 132 hp engine with Toyota’s Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence technology. The more fuel-efficient LE Eco trim gets it even better… The same engine, but with Valvematic technology, which apparently “offers a broader range of continuously variable valve timing” than the normal VVT-i technology. This allows the LE Eco to achieve a claimed 40+ mpg while still enjoying a slightly boosted 140 hp.
Honestly, there’s an enormous amount of new features in the 2014 Toyota Corolla to cover. This article could easily have been broken up into two or three parts and still left important details uncovered. So, instead of writing all those articles, I’m just going to point you to the press release here. If you’d like to learn more about the 2014 Corolla, I highly recommend you check it out.
Otherwise, thanks as always for reading, please feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned next week for more Japanese car news. (And don’t forget that there are loads of the “old” Corollas available every day in Japan’s car auctions.)
Sources: Car and Driver, Autoblog
