New Corollas announced

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33964, 3 October 1975, Page 12

New Corollas announced

New versions of the smallest Toyota, the Corolla, have been announced in New Zealand. As was expected, the cars are up substantially in price: the saloon now costs about $4300 (more than $9OO up on the old price), and the hardtop model is now $4BOO.

Although the external appearance of the Corolla has not changed markedly, the car now has more space than before, and comfort generally has been improved. There are few mechanical changes, but the features now include variable ratio steering, power disc brakes with a tandem master cylinder, and a sealed cooling system.

The instruments now include a clock, and a trip meter.

A brief drive in the new Corolla showed it to be a pleasant and surprisingly roomy small car with good visibility, a very high standard of finish, a neat layout of instruments and controls, and good performance for its size. This was, however, accompanied by a fairly high noise level on acceleration. The gearbox was a delight to use, and general ride and handling was good. The new hardtop is a pillarless model which bears relatively little resemblance to the model it replaces. The standard fittings include a radio and inertia-reel seat belts, and like the saloon the car has an efficient fresh-air venti-

lation system as well as an effective heater. The 1166 c.c. engine produced 83 b.h.p. The coupe has particularly comfortable front seats, but room in the rear is very restricted, and most adults will find the headroom, in particular, inadequate for comfort. Hardtop features include full instrumentation, head restraints on the front seats, a rear-window demister, and tinted glass.

The third new Corolla model is the “vanwaggon,” which is sold as a twoseater van, but which, for a small extra sum can be fitted with fully-trimmed rear seating to turn it into a very practical small sta-tion-waggon. The vehicle has most of the features of the normal saloon. Without rear seats, it will cost about $4550. The waggon is wider and longer than the model it replaces, and it has a

carrying capacity of 55.4 cu. ft. All the new Corollas will have radial-ply tyres as standard equipment. Reclining seats are also standard. Toyota has been selling cars in New Zealand for eight years, and is now among the top five bestsellers. The brand is the best-seller of the Japanese makes, and is third in New Zealand commercial vehicle sales.