2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback & Sedan

[spike021]

JDM-spec Toyota Corolla Sport is an all-wheel drive turbo hatch

[weederr33]

Originally Posted by spike021

JDM-spec Toyota Corolla Sport is an all-wheel drive turbo hatch

I feel like the US would get a neutered version of that. I. E. Awd but only automatic. Or something along those lines.

[spike021]

Originally Posted by weederr33

I feel like the US would get a neutered version of that. I. E. Awd but only automatic. Or something along those lines.

They'll also give the new trim a special name of "Corolla Hatchback Crossover Edition".

[why?]

yea but Japan always gets awesome cars we never see.

[NARFALICIOUS]

Not sure what you guys are on about.
You'd rather have a 1.2L turbo vs a 2.0L N/A?

The turbocharged 1.2-litre direct injection engine will produce 85kW of power between 5200-5600rpm and 185Nm or torque between 1500-4000rpm.

If my google serves me right, that's 114hp, 136 lb-ft


I'd rather slap an aftermarket turbo on a 2.0, than have a factory 1.2 Turbo.

[Atmo]

This should be a hoot. The Corolla Hatchback is goin' racing in BTCC next year prepped and driven by a team that knows how to win in an ultra-competitive series. The first round in the championship is at historic Brands Hatch on 4/06-4/07, one of the best spectator or tv viewing circuits on their calendar. Delayed broadcast on CBS Sports Network in a condensed format.

https://www.evo.co.uk/news/21999/toy...th-new-corolla

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

That's a dubious claim, it's based off the 2015+ Prius platform, not exactly being praised for handling right now. The base '18 Corolla sedan is only $300 cheaper than the Civic sedan, I'll be very surprised if the hatch comes in any cheaper.

I'll throw a few hundred bucks Honda's way to shave a second off that 0-60 time, C&D is estimating >8s 0-60 for the new 'yota whereas the Civic Hatch CVT is hovering around 7.0
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...t-drive-review

They're not too positive on the '18 sedan's handling capabilities either (note the comparisons are for the 2.0L NA Civic & outgoing Corolla engine, not the 1.5L turbo)
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...-driver-page-4

Weight will be the same, ~3k lbs for both, maybe a slight edge to the Civic as I've seen <2,900 reported some places. TTAC saying 3,000 for the Corolla hatch.
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/20...t-second-time/

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...tomatic-review

I already know I can bolt on the rear sway bar from a Type-R, $100 from the factory to get that extra bit of rotation along with pulling the alignment pins out of the front for an extra 0.3 degrees of camber, 8" factory wheels (and shared chassis dimensions with the Civic Type R) mean I can cram 245's in there if I can get the SO hooked on autox or keep it relatively affordable with 225's. Not sure what the Corolla can stuff under the fenders but Tirerack was only showing me 225's when I looked (it will upgrade tire sizes if applicable, like for the FRS/BRZ when shopping for 9" wheels). Not to mention the easy to crank up the turbo if the SO gets interested in feeding it more gas for smiles.

Thanks for making me look into this more, the Corolla is unlikely to be a contender for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not set in my ways, but the current sedan doesn't seem to be a promising contender and there's only so much engineering they can do, on paper the only thing that looks like it swings in the Corolla's favor is the shorter wheelbase maybe a more comfortable ride... And I guess the pretty blue color and the drift car they sponsored. If there's one on the lot I can test drive before I buy something else I will, but if not I don't think I'll be broken hearted about it.

The current Corolla sedan does not share a platform with the 2019 Corolla hatch yet. That happens in 2020, when the redesigned sedan goes to TNGA.
The cars on the TNGA platform right now are the 15+ Prius, 18+ Camry, 19+ Avalon, 19+ Corolla hatch (not current sedan, but upcoming 2020 sedan), upcoming 2019 Rav4, I think the CHR is as well...

I don't think Toyota has really tweaked the suspension setups for outright handling/performance in any of their new TNGA cars (I think the Yaris GRMN trim would be the closest to it, but its not a TNGA car) but the TNGA platform is known to make the Toyota cars fun again.

Its why all the headlines for the TNGA cars have been "Prius is actually fun to drive!" or "Camry is fun to drive!!", "This is the most fun Corolla in a long long time!"

[strat61caster]

@Sasquachulator that was before the Corolla Hatch had hit US dealerships, I think it's fair to say I was too negative and have only heard good things about the new Corolla Hatch. My going thought is still that the Civic is sportier based on Honda's history, but the Corolla is certainly a contender, I still think the Civic has an edge on sportiness (certainly on paper and with 2+ more years of aftermarket development at this point) but Toyota ride quality is a little plusher imo which would be a nice complement to an 86.

Hyundai has certainly put in a ton of effort too, options are aplenty for lukewarm hatches ~$20k.

[weederr33]

I see quite a few of these hatches on the road with the optional rear spoiler. Man, I'm a fan for sure! They are pretty neat for a corolla.

[Atmo]

I drove an XSE CVT Corolla Hatch last week while on a parts run for another Toy. It was a short demo of a few miles on suburban streets with many stops. I fully expected a droning launch like on other Toyota CVT's but this is the new trans with an actual 1st gear that made the car competitive in city driving to 25-30 mph. The CVT part engages above about 25 mph and then you can play with the paddles that actually seem to help acceleration, such as it is. Steering had acceptable feedback and quickness. Didn't test the brakes.

Exterior styling was very attractive. It's a small car with a low stance and well-proportioned lines at the expense of some rear passenger and cargo space. Front seating was outstanding, a little snug but driver-focused, just the way I like it. Visibility was good in all directions. XSE materials and trim are way above the last Corolla. The whole car had an expensive look and feel.

Accessories included the high-end media/nav system, BSM, adaptive bi-LED's and fogs, power heated front seats, dual zone a/c, and a slew of new safety nannies plus full speed active cruise control, pretty good for an "economy" car" that was EPA rated 30/38/33 on regular.

The bad part was the price. The loaded one I drove was over $25K MSRP but there are no factory cash back incentives on them this month. You could save over $2K and get the M/T like you know you really want anyway.

About TNGA, it's remarkable what they did. It's a comprehensive package. Here's a recent 10-minute puff piece Toyota produced about their goals for the platform. It worked, and few if any other manufacturers could have pulled this off as well as they did to position themselves for the transition to hybrid powertrains available throughout the car and crossover lineup worldwide within the next year.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVumxSarcdc[/ame]

[Atmo]

Drove an XSE M/T yesterday. They're limited availability around here, fewer than 10 within 100 miles but worth finding one to demo. The M/T transforms the car. Finally, redline on demand! And the engine was smoother and sounded better than most Toyota 4-bangers that normally can't approach Honda refinement.

It was also about $1,600 less than the XSE CVT since the XSE Preferred Package isn't available on the M/T, a real letdown. That package has useful tech at a fair price.

Corolla Hatch would make my short list except there was one nagging issue now that I've driven them: 5-door hatchbacks are everywhere! I never noticed them before and so many look similar that it was like being on The Truman Show.

There's something to be said for anonymity unless it's soul-crushing and considering that a new leftover '17 86 GT can be had for nearly the same as a Corolla Hatch XSE, I'd be willing to make compromises in convenience and mpg to drive something exciting every day but I normally only have one passenger, the dog.

I called my insurance company and surprisingly learned that an 86 GT is only $100/year more to overinsure than the Corolla Hatch.

Food for thought. Go drive an M/T, it's worth an hour to see what Toyota can produce when Akio cracks the whip.

[daiheadjai]

I gotta say I have much admiration for Akio.
And it does seem like some segments of autojournos and YouTubers are seeing the change - the latest Corolla has received strong recommendations in all of the reviews I've seen/read (even from traditionally Toyota-critical reviewers).

Between that and the relatively high number of sporty offerings over the past decade, it's hard not to be optimistic that we will continue to get some good Toyota/Lexus products for enthusiasts.

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

Between that and the relatively high number of sporty offerings over the past decade, it's hard not to be optimistic that we will continue to get some good Toyota/Lexus products for enthusiasts.

Unfortunately the Supra is slated to be the last sporty car with a ICE powertrain. I'm sure Toyota will continue to make cool cars, but I'm not really excited for sporty hybrids or electric.

[WolfpackS2k]

If it's a mild hybrid that really just captures lost kinetic braking energy, fills in the low rpm torque hole, and adds less than 150 lb then I'm open to it.

But if it adds more weight than that, is restricted to automatic transmissions, and adds AWD then it can f*ck right off.