Toyota is one of the world’s bestselling cars and if you keep your eye on the NAAMSA monthly sales reports you will find that it is just as popular in South Africa as it is in the global Automotive marketplace. According to online statistics the Toyota Corolla have sold more than 40 million units worldwide and it is expected that the 11th Generation of the Toyota Corolla Sprinter will soon reach the one million sales mark in South Africa.
Last year at the Johannesburg Motor Show 2013 Toyota South Africa announced the launch of the new Toyota Corolla 2014 in South Africa. The Toyota Corolla Sprinter premiered in South Africa at the Johannesburg Motor Show and pulled plenty of interest at the Auto Show.
I would say that it was one of the most anticipated cars to launch in its market sector in South Africa for 2014.
Test Driving the Toyota Corolla Sprinter 2014
Earlier this month we received the Toyota Corolla Sprinter 2014 model to test drive and to find out what makes the Toyota Corolla Sprinter such a popular brand in South Africa. We got the car on the 11th of June 2014 and took it to the World Cup 2010 FNB stadium for some photographs. Since the start of the Soccer World Cup 2014 was taking place in Brazil on the 12th of June we thought our readers will appreciate us getting into the spirit of the game.
During the week I nearly put on 1500km on the clock of the Toyota Corolla Sprinter to thoroughly test it and to become better acquainted with the car. The new shape of the Toyota Corolla Sprinter is very different from previous shapes, and Toyota have obviously spend their money wisely on creating a good looking car with curves and sharp defining lines making it look good!.
One of the things I liked most about the lines and curves is the integration of the headlights into the body of the car. If you look at the car from above the headlights stick out of the body but looking from the side it integrates nicely with the car and enhances its good looks!
The front window have been made larger with a lower angle from the bonnet to the roof of the car to provide a more sporty and modern look, also intelligently designed so that the car immediately becomes more aerodynamic helping to reduce the fuel consumption of the Toyota Corolla Sprinter 2014. The longer lower front window design also helped making the car’s interior feel much bigger and provides ample space for the front and back of the car.
The Toyota Corolla Sprinter 2014 model is in my books a hit and leaves one with a striking lasting impression. One of my colleagues were so surprised with the hot looks of the new Toyota Corolla that he later commented on my Facebook profile that he still cannot believe that it is a Toyota Corolla we test drove. The Car have totally changed his perspective from the old box shaped Toyota Corolla to the newly and updated Toyota Corolla 2014.
According to the Toyota Corolla Sprinter brochure the design concept of the Toyota Corolla included the mission to build a Luxury, Comfortable and Safe car which I believe they have accomplished. The Toyota Corolla Sprinter we test drove included leather seats, a DVD player and cruise control which integrated much better into the car and good looks design than many much more expensive cars on the market, which simply make the technology in their cars look cheap.
New Toyota Corolla Sprinter Engines
The Toyota Corolla Sprinter comes in a variety of engine types from a 1.3 liter, 1.6 liter and 1.8 liter petrol engines to the 1.4 liter Diesel Engine.
The 1.3 litre engine puts out an impressive 73 kW of power at 6000 r/min and torque of 128 Nm at 3800 r/min and is available in a 6-speed manual transmission. The 1.6 litre engine boasts 90 kW of power at 6000 r/min and 154 Nm of torque at 5200 r/min with an option of either a 6-speed manual transmission or Multidrive S automatic. The powerful 1.8 litre engine sports 103 kW of power at 6400 r/min and 173 Nm of torque at 4000 r/min with an option of either a 6-speed manual transmission or Multidrive S automatic. For diesel lovers, the brand new 1.4 litre diesel engine produces 66 kW of power at 3800 r/min and torque of 205 Nm at 1800 – 2800 r/min with a 6-speed manual transmission.
These specifications may however vary from country to country and it is advices that you visit one of your local Toyota Corolla Dealers to confirm these specification.
How much does the Toyota Corolla Sprinter Cost in South Africa?
Price: R249 900
Engine: 1364cc four cylinder turbo charged diesel
Power: 66 kW
Torque: 205 Nm
Warranty: 3yr/ 100 000km
Service: 5yr/90 000km service plan
Consumption (l/100km): 6.5(claimed)
Prices and configurations may differ, please see your local Toyota Dealership for the latest specifications and prices.
Images of the Toyota Corolla Sprinter
The New Toyota Corolla Sprinter Interior looks very modern and the new design provides ample leg space
The New Toyota Corolla Sprinter Fog Lights does not only looks good, but is very practical and add to the visibility during night time driving.
The Toyota Corolla Sprinter Head Lights looks super hot, standing out of the body, but cleverly adding to the hot looks of the Toyota Corolla Sprinter. This is one of the features of the Toyota Corolla Sprinter I like most!
