Volume 11 Issue 1 » 61
2014 Toyota Corolla S
What a difference a model year makes! The
outgoing Corolla was a very good, wellbuilt, reliable car that drove pretty well,
but let’s just say it wasn’t a head-turner.
The new 2014 Corolla, however, especially
in sporty S trim, might just be the bestlooking car in the compact class.
From front to back, the Corolla S looks
ready to take on all comers, its deep
gaping chrome-trimmed black grille,
multi-angled LED headlamps, circular
fogs in aggressively recessed surrounds,
black-painted 17-inch rims wrapped in
215/45R17 rubber, turn-signal-enhanced
mirror caps, rear-deck lid spoiler, and
chrome-and-black matte-trimmed lower
rear valance with its chrome-tipped exhaust
pipe looking all the part of a premium
sport sedan.
Gone is the old car’s cabin styling and
plastics, replaced by a lot of soft-touch
surfaces and totally appealing interior
design. The S uses high-gloss piano-black
lacquer trim and a fine line of light-blue
striping below a thicker metallic accent
strip that continues across each door panel.
The Corolla S makes due with the
same engine as its two lesser Corolla
trims, namely Toyota’s tried-and-tested
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1.8-litre four-cylinder that’s good for 132
horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque. I
drove the Corolla S tester to Whistler and
it took to the Sea-to-Sky Highway like it
was tuned for the track, its chassis wellbalanced during tight high-speed corners
and its six-speed manual delivering positive
shifts and nice light clutch take-up, hardly
tiring over this two-hour drive.
The 2014 Corolla S might not be any
more powerful than its CE or non-Eco
LE siblings, but its handling and braking
improvements plus its design details make
it worth the move up through the trim
levels.