The twelfth-generation Toyota Corolla will land in New Zealand later this year, almost 50 years after the first-generation model racked up 763 sales in 1969, the first year it was available here.
Toyota NZ is expected to market the new model as the 50th anniversary Corolla – its dealers are already talking about such a campaign. So are the Australians, where the Corolla is due around August and where 1.4 million Corollas have been sold since 1967.
In New Zealand, at the end of last month, 262,103 Corollas – hatchbacks, sedans, wagons – have been sold in nearly 50 years. That’s an average of around 5300 a year.
Its worst sales year after an introductory 1969 was in 1971, when 1046 were recorded, down around 38 per cent from 1695 in 1970. From then on Toyota never sold fewer than 2265 Corollas in a year.
Its biggest year was in 1988 when 9817 sales were recorded. A year later, Corolla wracked up 9272 units. Its annual numbers since then have never reached those heights, mostly because of competing models from rival carmakers.
But Corolla still remains a rental car favourite. Of the 7806 Corollas registered last year, just over 5000 were bought by hire car companies. That’s roughly 24 per cent of the 2017 rental fleet.
The new Corolla, like the latest Prius, is based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, an underpinning with a lower centre of gravity for improved dynamics.
Toyota NZ’s product and new vehicle sales boss Neeraj Lala says the car has received a heavily European-inspired design. “It’s going to be a brand-new, ground-up build, with a more gratifying driving experience.”
Corolla is longer than the current hatchback by 40mm, sits 30mm wider and 25mm lower than before, and has a slightly longer wheelbase.
The front overhang is 20mm shorter and the back overhang 20mm longer, a design change to accommodate more muscular rear wheel arches and, also like the Prius, a multi-link rear suspension.
All models are expected to pick up a bundle of safety technologies, the premium ones getting autonomous emergency braking (AEB).
There is also said to be a new 1.8-litre naturally aspirated, direct-injection engine with better fuel economy and more power and torque than the outgoing car.
Toyota Europe has said the 1.8-litre hybrid Corolla will return fuel use of 3.4 litres/100km (83mpg) to rival the Prius for economy.
For the trainspotters, annual Corolla sales over almost 50 years in NZ:
1969 …………………………………………………………………………… 763
1970 …………………………………………………………………………… 1695
1971 …………………………………………………………………………… 1046
1972 …………………………………………………………………………… 2802
1973 …………………………………………………………………………… 3305
1974 …………………………………………………………………………… 2265
1975 …………………………………………………………………………… 3454
1976 …………………………………………………………………………… 5171
1977 …………………………………………………………………………… 4610
1978 …………………………………………………………………………… 4909
1979 ……………………………………………………………………………. 5409
1980 ……………………………………………………………………………. 6138
1981 …………………………………………………………………………… 6352
1982 …………………………………………………………………………… 5568
1983 …………………………………………………………………………… 3955
1984 …………………………………………………………………………… 8929
1985 …………………………………………………………………………… 7961
1986 …………………………………………………………………………… 7418
1987 …………………………………………………………………………… 6288
1988 …………………………………………………………………………… 9817
1989 …………………………………………………………………………… 9272
1990 …………………………………………………………………………… 8606
1991 …………………………………………………………………………… 6262
1992 …………………………………………………………………………… 6055
1993 …………………………………………………………………………… 7573
1994 …………………………………………………………………………… 7108
1995 …………………………………………………………………………… 6629
1996 …………………………………………………………………………… 5851
1997 …………………………………………………………………………… 4788
1998 …………………………………………………………………………… 3590
1999 …………………………………………………………………………… 3410
2000 …………………………………………………………………………… 2615
2001 …………………………………………………………………………… 3509
2002 …………………………………………………………………………… 4304
2003 …………………………………………………………………………… 4379
2000 …………………………………………………………………………… 4893
2005 …………………………………………………………………………… 5060
2006 …………………………………………………………………………… 5297
2007 …………………………………………………………………………… 5078
2008 …………………………………………………………………………… 6645
2009 …………………………………………………………………………… 4695
2010 …………………………………………………………………………… 4886
2011 …………………………………………………………………………… 4150
2012 …………………………………………………………………………… 5317
2013 …………………………………………………………………………… 5992
2014 …………………………………………………………………………… 6471
2015 …………………………………………………………………………… 6518
2016 …………………………………………………………………………… 6274
2017 …………………………………………………………………………… 7806
2018 ………………………………………………… 1215 after two months