I reckon this is what most of you lot have been waiting for, for some time now. Judging by the certainty that the Toyota Corolla will be in the top five best car sellers for 2012, I’d be right enough to put a few bob on the fact that you’re interested in this spunky new Toyota Corolla Hatch that’s arrived in Australia.

New all over, the 2012 Toyota Corolla Hatch has straighter, more established lines. A sharp nose has similarities to the comparable Honda Civic Hatch, while there is an interesting twin crease line running the length of the Corolla at hip level. Cast your eye over the backside of the new Corolla Hatch, and votes can be taken for whether this rates as one of the nicer rear-ends around in the small-to-mid-sized Hatch segment. I think it is a nice design, with a tapered roofline, diamond shaped taillights and a black insert at the base of the color-coded bumper. There are shades of the Renault Clio and Megane about the design.

Now the 11th generation model, this Toyota Corolla has been gone over with a fine tooth comb and re-thought, re-designed and re-engineered. Talk engineering, and some of the standout improvements are that the car has been made 14 percent stiffer, 40 kg lighter, and the centre of gravity is now 20 mm lower. Ponder over those figures, just a little, and they should tell you that the new Corolla Hatch should have even more agility on the road. Along with the nice styling and engineering, fuel economy and emissions have also been improved.

Now sitting 55 mm lower and stretching 30 mm longer, than the outgoing model, the Corolla Ascent and Corolla Levin Hatches look superb. With greater overhangs, the lower profile roofline looks sportier and much more streamlined. The Corolla Hatch has the sporty Levin ZR Hatch model which boasts the big, darkened glass roof which looks terrific. Another bonus of Toyota stretching the overall length of the Hatch is that the boot space has been increased as well – making the 360-litre luggage space very handy indeed. Of course, this can be enlarged to engulf a massive amount of cargo, if the rear seats are folded down flat. All in all, Toyota have created an elegant and balanced design for the ever popular new five-door Corolla Hatch.

Head inside the 2012 Toyota Corolla and the cabin is crisper and smarter than ever. New fabric and plastics are available, while stitched leather trim is available on the SX and ZR models. Niceties that are available for some of the premium Corolla models are things like the amazing Panorama sunroof, reverse camera, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, auto-retracting side mirrors and automatic high-beam detection. Even the base Corolla Ascent Hatch boasts air-conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity and audio streaming – which are all connected via steering wheel mounted controls to make things relaxed, easy and safe for the driver. ABS, VSC, TC and Hill Start Assist (CVT model) are some of the standard active safety features. All new Corolla Hatches come with driver and front passenger airbags – at the front and side. Rear curtain airbags and a knee airbag are standard, too. This is a well equipped car.

Head out on the open road, and the transverse mounted, 16 valve DOHC 1.8-litre petrol engine spins freely and with determination. A smart turn of speed is at the ready, with 103 kW available at 6400 rpm and 173 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. A top speed of 215 km/h, and a 0-100 km/h dash of 9 seconds for the six-speed manual and 10 seconds for the CVT seven-stage trannie is right up there with the best in the class. Cruising at 100 km/h means that the engine is ticking over at a smooth and relaxed 2000 rpm. You can expect a decent average fuel economy figure of around 6.6 to 7.0 litres/100 km. All Corolla Hatch models offer a choice of a six-speed manual or CVT seven-stage transmission.

Toyota should be proud of the new Corolla Hatch. This model is good enough to send it right to the top of its market segment.

The current Toyota Corolla models include the:

• Corolla Ascent Hatch six-speed manual
• Corolla Ascent Hatch CVT
• Corolla Ascent Sport Hatch six-speed manual
• Corolla Ascent Sport Hatch CVT
• Corolla Levin SX Hatch six-speed manual
• Corolla Levin SX Hatch CVT
• Corolla Levin ZR Hatch six-speed manual
• Corolla Levin ZR Hatch CVT

For any more information on the new Toyota Corolla Hatch or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Toyota dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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