Toyota Corolla

Engine and gearbox

The updated Corolla keeps two Dual VVT-i petrol engines. The 1.6-litre makes 120 hp (90 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 154 Nm at 5,200 rpm. The 1.8-litre, which also uses Toyota’s Acoustic Control Induction System, makes 138 hp (103 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 173 Nm at 4,000 rpm. The 1.6 MT has a 6-speed manual gearbox. The 1.6 CVT-i and 1.6 Special Edition use a 7-speed CVT-i with Sequential Shiftmatic, and the 1.8 cars get a 7-speed Sport CVT-i. Toyota also describes a Sports mode, paddle shifters and cruise control on its Corolla page.

Size and practicality

Toyota has not yet published dimensions for the facelifted car in readable form on its website. The cabin details it does describe point to everyday practicality: a fold-down rear armrest with cupholders, USB-C and USB-A charging ports for rear passengers, a 12-volt front power outlet, an illuminated glovebox and easy-reach cupholders up front.

Equipment

Toyota lists safety equipment for the Corolla as a whole: dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, vehicle stability control, ISOFIX child-seat mounts, and two front plus four rear parking sensors.

The official page also shows a new grille and front bumper, daytime running lamps, embedded fog lamps, automatic headlamp levelling, LED rear lamps, a rear fog lamp, 16-inch alloy wheels, a 9-inch display with Bluetooth 5.0 and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reverse camera with guidelines, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, remote-folding mirrors, a sunroof, automatic climate control and four speakers with two tweeters. However, it does not yet say which of these items each variant gets, so buyers should confirm the list for their chosen version.

Variants

Six versions are listed: 1.6 MT, 1.6 CVT-i, 1.6 CVT-i Special Edition, 1.8 CVT-i, and the 1.8 CVT-i Grande with a black or chestnut interior. Introductory ex-factory prices run from Rs 6,099,000 for the 1.6 MT to Rs 7,749,000 for the 1.8 CVT-i Grande with chestnut interior. The 1.6 MT and 1.6 CVT-i are each Rs 103,000 cheaper than before, the other carried-over versions keep their previous prices, and the Grande with beige interior has been dropped in favour of the new chestnut interior.

Warranty and booking

Toyota Pakistan’s standard warranty for all its vehicles is 3 years or 100,000 km, whichever comes first. Its buyer’s guide lists a partial booking payment of Rs 2,500,000 for both the 1.6 and 1.8 Corolla.

Which variant to buy

In our view, buyers who mostly drive in town should look first at the 1.6 CVT-i, while the 1.8 makes more sense for regular motorway trips thanks to its extra 18 hp and 19 Nm, for Rs 330,000 more than the 1.6 CVT-i. We recommend confirming the equipment of each variant with a dealer before booking.