Questions abound for Toyota’s new 2014 Corolla

By John LeBlanc OTTAWA – Japan's Toyota is taking some bold steps with its new 2014 Toyota Corolla compact sedan to keep it relevant in a segment chock-a-block with competition from rival top-sellers like the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra. But is it enough? No doubt, any new-generation Corolla is an important car for the Japanese automaker. The compact sedan is not only Toyota’s bestseller in Canada, but it’s also one of the best selling cars globally every year. As President of Toyota Canada Inc. Seiji Ichii said during the 2014 Corolla’s Canadian launch event held here in the nation’s capital, “Our duty to Corolla owners and drivers defines our company: The Corolla IS Toyota.” After checking out a prototype of the 2014 Corolla S on stage at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, and reading through Toyota’s press materials, on paper at least, the new 2014 model looks like an improvement in almost every way over the outgoing model that was last redesigned for 2008. But questions still abound for the all-new 2014 version, such as: Will buyers go for the new Corolla’s looks? Hinted at by the Furia concept from this year’s Detroit auto show (seen above) and other new Toyotas (like the 2013 RAV4 and Avalon), we knew the 2014 Corolla was going to be more modern and interesting looking than the fade-into-the background Corollas from the past. That said, does the typical Corolla buyer really care about how current or hip their new car looks? Will the 2014 Corolla really be “fun to drive”? Toyota Canada Managing Director Stephen Beatty admitted that unlike recent Corollas, the 2014 model has been designed to be fun to drive. Of course, a thorough test drive is the only way to find out. But the new model’s carryover suspension, less-than-competitive power ratings and CVT transmission won’t have Volkswagen GTI owners trading in their rides for a 2014 Corolla S any time soon. Can the Corolla brand attract new (i.e. "younger") buyers? Of course, one of the reasons why the new 2014 Corolla gets LED lights and aggressive bodywork is to attract younger, non-Corolla buyers who have been attracted to better-looking compacts like the Ford Focus, Mazda3 and Hyundai Elantra. But looks alone won’t lower the average age of the typical Corolla buyer (which today sits around "deceased".) How Toyota markets the new 2014 version, and how well young influencers receive it, is critical to its sales success. Will all these improvements raise the 2014 Corolla’s price? Automakers don’t like giving anything away for free. So while the new 2014 Corolla will be larger and offer more of, well, everything, what will that do to its pricing? The current, 2013 base model’s MSRP is $15,450. Will that remain when the 2014 models hit Canadian showrooms this August? Will the 2014 Corolla be as reliable as its successors? Whatever you say about the previous generation Corolla’s lack of visual pizzazz, lacklustre interior design or antiquated powertrains, at least the Toyota compact had a reputation for excellent reliability — which translates into higher-than-average resale values when it comes time to sell. Arguably, with a host of new infotainment technologies inside and new powertrain features like a CVT transmission under its hood, will the 2014 Corolla end up as reliable as its predecessors? Has Toyota learned from its recent “recall crisis” how to launch a car with so much “newness” built in? Of course, only time will give us these answers…

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