Toyota focused on enhancing basic performance and deepening the sense of quality, by responding to customer needs. Some specific examples are the rear view monitor that is standard on all Corolla Axio models and the one-touch double-folding rear seats that are standard on all Corolla Fielder models. In addition, the Corolla features a newly developed 1.8-liter engine and Super CVT-i (Super Continuously Variable Transmission-intelligent) transmission that provide outstanding cruising and environmental performance.

The new Corolla uses advanced equipment not previously seen on compact vehicles, such as a Pre-crash Safety System using millimeter-wave radar and an Intelligent Parking Assist system, which lets people park just by using the gas and brakes (it turns the wheel for you). The Corolla is the second vehicle in the world to get this system - and it costs under a thousand dollars (translated from the yen). This system includes a backup camera monitor, which is probably also going to be available with the navigation system.




Mistic wrote: “In Europe, Toyota has introduced the follow-up-model for the Corolla, namely the Auris. Toyota plans to take on the cannon-ball-hatchbacks like the Golf GTI and Civic Type R by releasing a 2.2 liter VVTI-Twin Turbo-version with optional flap-paddles.”

Toyota intends to sell 6,000 of each of the two models each month in Japan. They will be/were launched on October 14 and 15 and will be built in separate plants. A 1.5 liter engine will be available, with a five-speed manual transmission or the CVT; the 1.8 will only be available with CVT. Four wheel drive is available with both engines and CVT (not with five-speed.)

The Australians will get a version close (if not identical) to the Japanese model in early 2007 in both sedan and hatchback form, but restricted to the 1.8 liter dual VVT-i engine to compete better in the competitive, power-hungry Aussie market. The Australian version is rumored to be slated for a luxury approach, with extra airbags, a standard six-speed manual transmission, high-intensity discharge headlights, distance-sensing cruise control, and other features.

The American version of the Corolla, to be built in the usual North American plants, will be delayed around March 2008, in order to shake out any bugs for the world’s largest auto market, and probably to allow for factory upgrades and various Americanizing touches. (Past American Corollas have undergone considerable suspension and engine tuning along with the usual regulatory compliance measures which affect headlights, child seat anchors, and other systems.)



In other parts of the world, the Corolla may be sold as the Auris; or Toyota may take advantage of the “world’s favorite car” status and move it to the Corolla name.

Tenth-Generation Toyota Corolla (Japan) special features

• The Corolla Fielder features the world's first one-touch double-folding rear seats with backrests that can be folded flat with a single flip of a lever located in the rear cargo space.


• The optional advanced Intelligent Parking Assist system supports steering operations when parallel parking and backing into a parking space.  Ultrasonic sensors installed on the front of the vehicle detect other parked vehicles and based on the results estimate the physical dimensions of a vacant parking space and set the target parking position.


• The Corolla Axio features a new Pre-crash Safety System that uses millimeter-wave radar.  When the millimeter-wave radar detects a high risk of collision, the Pre-crash Seatbelts provide better initial restraint capabilities for passengers while the Pre-Crash Brake Assist system decelerates the vehicle to reduce the collision speed and contribute to less collision-caused damage.


• The new Radar Cruise Control system detects and monitors the preceding vehicle and the lane, maintaining a fixed distance according to the preceding vehicle's speed within a preset range of speed.
  
  

Body notes: 2008 Corolla

• The front corners have been given a curved design to achieve effective maneuverability.


• The backseat floor hump is minimized to create flat-surfaced legroom, enabling three adults to sit in the rear comfortably (front-wheel-drive models).


• The steering wheel has a telescoping function that allows its position to be adjusted front to rear for a comfortable driving posture.


• To enhance visibility, the top surface of the instrument panel is low while the front pillars have been extended forward and made slimmer.


• The Smart Entry & Start System employs a Smart Key to lock and unlock the doors and a button to start the engine—all one needs is to have the vehicle key on one's person or nearby.


• The HDD (hard disc drive) navigation system features a 6.5-inch wide display screen and a 30GB high-capacity HDD, as well as a variety of multimedia functions and advanced navigation functions.

New Toyota four-cylinder engine and CVT

• The new Corolla models feature a new 1.8-liter 2ZR-FE engine and Super CVT-i (Super Continuously Variable Transmission-intelligent) transmission developed as the main powertrain for compact and medium-class vehicles.


• A newly developed 1.8-liter 2ZR-FE engine adopts Dual VVT-i (Dual Variable Valve Timing-intelligent) that optimizes both intake and exhaust to achieve smooth and powerful acceleration, while offering fuel efficiency and environmental performance at class-leading levels.


• Both the 1.8-liter and 1.5-liter engines are combined with a newly developed Super CVT-i transmission for smooth cruising and linear acceleration without shift shock, as well as for a quiet ride and improved fuel efficiency.


• The new Corolla has a light-weight, high-rigidity body that seeks both a quiet cabin and superior aerodynamic properties; it uses an advanced chassis to achieve performance that makes it truly possible to experience the joy of driving.


• Key components of the front and rear suspensions have been tuned to provide brisk maneuvering and cruising stability, as well as a comfortable ride.


• Americans will probably only see the 1.8 liter engine.
  
  

Safety and Environmental Performance - 2008 Toyota Corolla

• During collision tests under stricter-than-normal standards, the speed was set at 55km/h, and the vehicle was subjected to omni-directional, vehicle-to-vehicle collision tests with a vehicle up to the 2-ton range. Through the use of a body structure that effectively absorbs collision impact, Toyota satisfied all independent targets for survival space and dummy injury.


• The pedestrian-injury-lessening body structure has been evolved to further reduce pedestrian head injuries, pursuing a class-top level of protection.


• The front-seat structures are based on the WIL (Whiplash Injury Lessening) concept and come with stronger seat frames and greater backrest give.  They were designed based on analyses using THUMS (Total Human Model for Safety), incorporating a structural design that reduces stress on the neck during low-speed rear impact.


• All vehicles in the two series have been certified as having emissions levels 75% lower than the 2005 standards under the Japanese system.  The 1.5-liter front-wheel-drive model (with CVT) and 1.8-liter four-wheel-drive model of the Corolla Axio, and the 1.5-liter front-wheel-drive model (with CVT), 1.5-liter four-wheel-drive model, and 1.8-liter four-wheel-drive model of the Corolla Fielder also achieve fuel efficiency that is 10 percent greater than the Japanese 2010 fuel efficiency standards, qualifying for incentives under the Japanese government's Green Taxation System.


• Eco-VAS (Eco-Vehicle Assessment System)—Toyota's original comprehensive environmental impact assessment system—was implemented to achieve, as efficiently as possible, the overall reduction of environmental impact, from initial development to disposal, throughout the vehicle's entire lifecycle.  LCA (Life-cycle Assessment) was also carried out, aiming to reduce CO2 and other atmospheric pollutants, not just during the use stage, but also during the vehicle's entire lifecycle, from manufacture through to disposal.



• A review of the materials, processing methods and adhesives used for interior parts resulted in a reduction in the amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) used, thereby also reducing the discomforting odors emitted from such compounds.


• An Eco Drive Indicator lights up when the vehicle is being efficiently operated to raise the driver's awareness of environmentally considerate driving and contribute to higher fuel efficiency.

Source: The AutoWorld