Corollas spearhead Toyota’s N.Z. assault

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 27

Corollas spearhead Toyota’s N.Z. assault

By

JOHN FRIDD.

motoring editor Toyota has declared war in New Zealand on Ford, Todd Motors and the Motor Corporation. Spearheading Toyota’s assault on the New Zealand market this week is the new Corolla range, with no fewer than five versions, and swooping in from the flanks are two new versions of the me-dium-sized Corona. Japan’s top car-maker has been selling less cars here than Ford, Todds and N.Z.M.C. for the past few months, but hopes that the extended Corolla range and new Coronas will help it knock off the latter two and give Ford a fright this year. The fact that New Zealand gets almost the full new Corolla range just a week after Britain — and probably a year before Australia — shows how serious the company is about improving its market share here. A new 1290 cu cm motor powers four of the

five new Corollas — the DX sedan, three and fivedoor waggons and threedoor lift-back. The Corolla SE lift-back, glamour boy of tiie range, gets the Ce--lic a ’ s twin-carburettor 1588 cu cm SOHC powerplant. The European influence is very much in evidence in the new Corollas — the sedan has more than just a hint of Alfa or Fiat about it and the lift-back seems Lancia or VWinspired. The Corolla has a larger body, with a wider track and longer wheelbase, to match its bigger motor. Interior space, particularly in the back seat, is said to have increased significantly.

Gone at last on the sedan and lift-back are the rear “cartsprings,” replaced by a four-link coilspring system which gives better grip on the corners. Rack and pinion steering has also finally found its way into the Corolla — on the sedan and 1300 lift-back at least.

The five-door Corolla waggon’s appeal as a versatile family conveyance has been enhanced by the discovery of 8 per cent more room inside by the Toyota engineers. The new 1290 cu cm pushrod powerplant that is the heart of the new Corollas develops 49.5 kw (66 h.p.). 3.5 kw more than that of the old 1200 cu cm motor. However, Toyota says that weightparing on the cars should see that they give similar ccononiv to the superseded range. Visibility from the Corolla has been improved by lowering the dashboard to below the windscreen line. The new instrument panel on the basic sedan is plain and functional; standard features include a quartz clock and tripmeter. Front stowage seems to have suffered with the new design — the glovebox doesn’t look capable of carrying much and the little open tray beneath it is very shallow. There is a tray on top of the dash

but any items placed in this would probably roll around annoyingly. First impressions are that the Corolla sedan’s rear seat offers slightly more room, and the boot is definitely larger. Childproof locks are standard on the rear doors. A short drive in the sedan proved that its new rack-and-pionion steering and coil-sprung rear have turned it into a more driveable machine. The new Corolla lifts backs bear little resemblance to the sedan. They have clean, sporty lines and square headlights. Toyota New Zealand opted for the lift-back rather than the similar-looking coupe because the liftback offers more rear-pas-senger and luggage room, and it has the nicer-look-ing body of the two. The de luxe lift-back shares the sedan’s 1300 motor and rack-and-pio-nion steering,' but has an excellent five-speed gearbox to add to its versatility. It is a nice little car to drive, and is a lot more practical than the Corolla

SR coupe it replaces. The lift-back’s rear seat is split down the middle, to give additional cargo space when there is only one back-seat passenger. The lift-back’s rear seat seemed quite comfortable, with adequate room for those six foot or under. There is just enough room there to stop the lift-hack from being called a two-plus-two. An ingeniously folding tonneau cover hides luggage in the rear.

‘T.6 SE 5 'speed, Toyota Corolla.” Those large badges (all they left off was a "car" sign) sit proudly and prominently on the back of the largerengined lift-back. The 1.6 litre SE is the top model of the new Corolla range here, and attracted a large queue of journalists at the launching in Wellington last week. Twin manual-choke carburettors help the 1588 cu. cm. motor. produce 73.3 kW (98 h.p.) at 5600 r.p.m.; the car sits on fat 185 section radials and has a slick five-speed gearbox. All the ingredients are there for a zippy little sports car, but I found during a short drive on some stomach-churning roads in the Hutt Valley that the SE belongs on the list of Great Pretenders, along with the Mitsubishi Celeste. The car’s suspension is too soft for sporty handling and the five-speed gearbox is not the closeratio one it should have — it has-instead a 0.861 ratio overdrive fifth gear, which inhibits acceleration, while admittedly aiding economical driving. However, the biggest disappointment is that the Toyota engineers gave the SE recirculating ball steering, while the smallerengined models get the better rack-and-p ! onion system. Oh well, this car will still please the posers. Prices of the new Corollas are — DX manual sedan, $8300: DX auto. $8750; three-door waggon, $8200; five-door waggon, $9000; DX 1300 lift-back, $9250; SE 1600 lift-back, $10,750.