Will the new 2014 Toyota Corolla be competitive enough?

By John LeBlanc As previewed by the Furia concept (seen above) from this year’s Detroit auto show, we already know Japan’s Toyota has an all-new version of its compact Corolla sedan hitting showrooms this fall as a 2014 model. But in a segment chock-a-block with competitive products like the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus and Volkswagen Jetta, is Toyota doing enough to make its next Corolla a class leader? In an earlier report speaking of the next Corolla, Richard Loafs, corporate manager of marketing for the Toyota brand’s cars, told Car and Driver, “You will see more-expressive styling, better driving dynamics, improved interior quality and refinement, safety improvements, and fuel economy. We are going to focus on those five things.” And now, a leaked dealer order guide gives us more clues as to what Toyota has in mind for its proverbial best-seller. Just like every new Toyota coming our way, the new Corolla’s exterior design will be a lot more interesting to look at than the frumpy-looking current version. While it won’t have the Furia concept’s exaggerated fenders or air intakes, expect the new Toyota compact to be edgier all-around. According to the report, inside, the Corolla will also drop the current model’s rental-car flavor with more upscale touches and the latest infotainment gear. But where Toyota may still be lagging is in the powertrain department. While rivals are offering smaller displacement engines with direct-injection and turbocharging, the 2014 Corolla will continue with the current car’s naturally aspirated 1.8-litre four-cylinder; albeit, now with Toyota’s Valvematic continuously variable valve timing and lift system. For improved highway fuel economy, the new Corolla’s manual gearbox will go from five to six gears. And a continuously variable automatic will be available on higher end models for the same reason. But the base autobox (the one the majority of Corollas will leave the dealer lots’ with) will remain with a measly four gears only when most competitors offer six. Regardless, Toyota Canada still sells a lot of Corrollas based on the car’s reputation for reliability and good resale value. And even though the current model is woefully uncompetitive in all the areas Toyota’s Loafs mentioned above, through the end of March, only the Hyundai Elantra (11,337 units sold), Honda Civic (11,287) and Mazda3 (8,851) were more popular in Canada than the current Corolla (7,881). If all the facts in this leaked report are true, do you think Toyota is doing enough with its new 2014 Corolla to keep up with the leaders in its pack? Or do compact car buyers simply buy the Corolla based on reputation alone? Source: Car and Driver

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