10th generation of toyota corolla
Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:50 pm
Toyota has released the 10th generation Corolla in Japan today. The Japanese Corolla consists of 2 versions: Corolla Axio is the 4-door sedan and Corolla Fielder is the station wagon. Disappointingly, both cars look conservative and boring. The sedan has a proportion unbelievably close to the old car - length, width and wheelbase are unchanged, only the height has been reduced by 10mm. The headlights and grille are the only noticeable styling differences.
Inside, the cabin gets marginally longer and wider thanks to more efficient packaging. Following arch-rival Honda Civic, the rear cabin floor is now nearly flat, easing the foot room for the middle passenger. The dashboard design is new but hardly inspiring. From photos, we cannot see any upgrade in build quality and materials in the cabin. If there is any, the improvement won't be as vast as the old generation did 5 years ago.
Mechanical aspect remains close to the old car. It rides on MacPherson struts suspensions up front and torsion-beam axle at the rear. Toyota didn't talked much about chassis rigidity, so we expect driving dynamics won't be much improved. Powertrain continues to include 1.5 VVT-i and 1.8 VVT-i engines. The former is a tuned version of the old car, producing 110 horsepower. The latter, codenamed 2ZR-FE, is said to be a new development. The main improvement is the introduction of dual VVT-i, one for intake valves and one for exhaust valves, to improve efficiency further. This mean slightly lower fuel consumption and higher torque throughout the range. Peak power, however, is unchanged at 136hp. Both engines can partner with a new Super CVT-i transmission to enhance fuel economy. It can also simulate a 7-speed manual.
Nevertheless, the biggest advance of the new Corolla is safety features. It is equipped with many big cars safety equipments:
1. A rear view monitor aiding parking;
2. An intelligent self parking system like that being used in Prius and LS460;
3. Radar cruise control;
4. Mercedes-like Pre-Crash safety system, which uses radar to detect possible collision. In prior to collision, it applies braking and tightens seat belts.
Model Corolla Axio 1.5
Corolla Axio 1.8
Layout Front-engined, Fwd Front-engined, Fwd
L / W / H / WB (mm) 4410 / 1695 / 1460 / 2600 4410 / 1695 / 1460 / 2600
Engine Inline-4, dohc, 4v/cyl,
intake VVT.
Inline-4, dohc, 4v/cyl,
intake & exhaust VVT.
Capacity 1496 cc
1797 cc
Power 110 hp
136 hp
Torque 103 lbft 129 lbft
Transmission Super CVT-i Super CVT-i
Suspension (F/R) strut / torsion-beam
strut / torsion-beam
Tyres (F/R) All: 195/65SR15
All: 195/65SR15
Weight 1150 kg 1190 kg
http://www.autozine.org/0_News/Archive/ ... frame.html
Inside, the cabin gets marginally longer and wider thanks to more efficient packaging. Following arch-rival Honda Civic, the rear cabin floor is now nearly flat, easing the foot room for the middle passenger. The dashboard design is new but hardly inspiring. From photos, we cannot see any upgrade in build quality and materials in the cabin. If there is any, the improvement won't be as vast as the old generation did 5 years ago.
Mechanical aspect remains close to the old car. It rides on MacPherson struts suspensions up front and torsion-beam axle at the rear. Toyota didn't talked much about chassis rigidity, so we expect driving dynamics won't be much improved. Powertrain continues to include 1.5 VVT-i and 1.8 VVT-i engines. The former is a tuned version of the old car, producing 110 horsepower. The latter, codenamed 2ZR-FE, is said to be a new development. The main improvement is the introduction of dual VVT-i, one for intake valves and one for exhaust valves, to improve efficiency further. This mean slightly lower fuel consumption and higher torque throughout the range. Peak power, however, is unchanged at 136hp. Both engines can partner with a new Super CVT-i transmission to enhance fuel economy. It can also simulate a 7-speed manual.
Nevertheless, the biggest advance of the new Corolla is safety features. It is equipped with many big cars safety equipments:
1. A rear view monitor aiding parking;
2. An intelligent self parking system like that being used in Prius and LS460;
3. Radar cruise control;
4. Mercedes-like Pre-Crash safety system, which uses radar to detect possible collision. In prior to collision, it applies braking and tightens seat belts.
Model Corolla Axio 1.5
Corolla Axio 1.8
Layout Front-engined, Fwd Front-engined, Fwd
L / W / H / WB (mm) 4410 / 1695 / 1460 / 2600 4410 / 1695 / 1460 / 2600
Engine Inline-4, dohc, 4v/cyl,
intake VVT.
Inline-4, dohc, 4v/cyl,
intake & exhaust VVT.
Capacity 1496 cc
1797 cc
Power 110 hp
136 hp
Torque 103 lbft 129 lbft
Transmission Super CVT-i Super CVT-i
Suspension (F/R) strut / torsion-beam
strut / torsion-beam
Tyres (F/R) All: 195/65SR15
All: 195/65SR15
Weight 1150 kg 1190 kg
http://www.autozine.org/0_News/Archive/ ... frame.html
