SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.
Interior pic: Cars.co.za
Posted: 17 June 2017
The numbers
Price: R307 500
Engine: 1364 cc, SOHC, 8-valve four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 66 kW at 3800 rpm
Torque: 205 Nm between 1800 and 2800 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 12.6 seconds
Maximum speed: 180 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 5.3 l/100 km
Tank: 55 litres
Ground clearance: 125 mm
Maximum (braked) towing mass within GCM: 1000 kg
Warranty: 3 years / 100 000 km
Service plan: 5 years / 90 000 km at 15 000 km intervals
Grocery Getter: That’s not original because I filched it off a blog for Gen-8 (E110) Corolla fans. I call my own E110 a little oriental shopping trolley – same idea but more words. And the relevance is, you ask?
Not much, except that a few quirks and foibles have carried over to the current, Generation-11 or E170, edition. Your internal boot lid release is still a 1980s lever on the floor next to the driver’s chair; access from boot to cabin, when the 40:60-split seatbacks are down, is a cut-out in the separating wall rather than full-width, and lift-up pegs still do the work of releasing seatback latches.
Other things that haven’t changed are its basic qualities. It’s still a simple, solid and practical, possibly not exciting but long-term lovable, grocery getter. I mean that in a good way because it's also a fine family car, kids’ taxi and general pack mule.
The local range consists of 10 variants spread over four engines (1.3, 1.6 and 1.8 petrol motors or a 1.4 diesel) and three trim grades; Esteem, Prestige and Exclusive. Six-speed manual transmissions attend to gear rationing on all variants except the 1.8 Exclusive automatic that uses a CVT. Our test rig was a mid-level, 1.4 D-4D Prestige.
Basic Esteem level gives you ABS brakes with emergency braking assistance and electronic brake force distribution (that keeps you steering straight); automatic door locking; LED daytime running lights; a four-speaker sound system with CD player, USB and auxiliary; steering wheel buttons for phone and sound; four airbags and 15” steel wheels. Vehicle stability control and hill start assist come only with the 1600- and 1800 cc engines.
Prestige ups the stakes to include an eight-inch touch screen, two more speakers and a DVD player; a reversing camera; leather trimmed seats and steering wheel and 16” alloy wheels. All engine sizes except diesel get cruise control.
Exclusive level adds automatic climate management, push-button starting, keyless smart entry, rain-sensing wipers, three more airbags (side curtains, and a knee bag for the driver), automatic headlamp levelling, fog lights in front, auto-dipping interior rear view and a TFT colour display for the instruments. Satnav isn’t offered.
As pointed out earlier, this little diesel is simple and practical. I would prefer to forego the reversing camera – it’s a small car that doesn’t really need one – in order to have, say, the curtain airbags. But that’s a subject for Toyota’s bean counters and product planners.
What you do get is single channel air conditioning with speed defrosters front and rear, clear analogue instruments, powered windows (one-touch for the driver) and wing mirrors, a big boot that expands when needed, more than enough head-, leg and foot room for fully grown people, McPherson strut- and torsion beam suspension, disc brakes at both ends, manual headlamp levelling, follow-me lights, remote boot lid unlocking, rear fog lamps, a pair of ISOFix mountings, child-proof locks on the back doors and a gutsy little diesel engine that feels unstoppable.
Its specifications don’t look like much. Single overhead camshaft, eight valves and 66 kilowatts at 3800 rpm with 205 Nm of torque between 1800 and 2800 don’t spell “excitement”. But they do add up to “plenty” - with surprises thrown in.
It cruises easily at 120 km/h in top yet still accelerates readily, if needed, thanks to the turbocharging. It kept easily to the 100-km/h posted speed limit, in sixth gear, up the long hills between Howick and Nottingham Road so staying with traffic shouldn’t pose a problem. Despite its conservative power rating the engine revs easily to a very un-diesel-like 5200 rpm should you want it to.
That brings me to a thought: Many owners wrongly believe that diesels have infinite pulling power from idling speed, so they strain the guts out of them by lugging along everywhere in top gear. Then they wonder why the motor overheats or they experience gearbox problems. It’s an engine, people. Use the gearbox. Keep the revs up; not as high as you might for a petrol motor, but let it sing anyway. Lugging along in top, when you shouldn’t, actually wastes juice because you have the throttle open too wide.
Handling is as one would expect of a compact family car; not sporty like a Lexus but getting the job done without scary moments. Visibility outward is good and it steers and parks easily thanks to its 10.8-metre turning circle. The manual shifter is smooth and positive, the gear spread is more even than in my old 130 GLE, the parking brake is properly positioned for right hand drive and its action is firmly progressive. Big left feet reach the built-in footrest easily. The ride is generally smooth and comfortable although I found the seats a little hard – leather isn’t always the best covering, unfortunately.
The boot’s loading sill is 67 centimetres above ground level and 17 deep - easy to lift up to and out of. The cavity is long, wide and fairly deep with one light and a bag hook. Jack and wheel spanner are tucked under a plastic cover, with the spare and triangle in a well under the baseboard. Practicality rules with a full-size (205/55 R16) steel wheel and tyre stored with its valve upward so you can check its pressure as regularly as you should. The underside provides stash space for things you won’t need very often.
Corollas have been around for 50 years; 40 in South Africa. They account for 20 percent of Toyota’s global production and have sold 45 million examples; one million in this country alone. They aren’t exotic, racy, exciting or suffer from gadget overload but are practical, solid and simple – what Joe and Joanne Average actually want. Mine is 19 years old and prospective buyers hound me regularly. That’s why they sell at slightly premium prices.
Test unit from Toyota SA press fleet
We drove a Corolla E210 sedan in 2020
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This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.
If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles. And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.
Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8