According to Yasui, the original engineering maxims that shaped the Corolla back in the mid-1960s are still followed today. And apparently, becoming a member of the Corolla engineering group is one of the most prestigious appointments in the company.

I didn’t know the Corolla was so important to Toyota. After all, most of my experiences with the car involve being stuck behind a beige-coloured one, holding up traffic in the fast lane.

They’ve sold 33 million since its inception, after all. The newest one started with a new development program that sought to combine the best-in-class aspects from each region in the world into a single car. For instance, during final development the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) team initiated a few changes — including increasing the distance between the accelerator and brake pedals to accommodate a man’s winter boot, increasing the size of storage pockets to fit larger-sized North American electronics, and made the cupholders big enough for an extra-large double-double.

Oh, and the door pockets were re-shaped to fit an ice scraper — photos and samples were actually sent to Japanese engineers not familiar with our quintessential winter tool. A few other highlights include dual glove boxes, a purse hook, audio systems with auxiliary input jack on all models, and standard air conditioning. The engineers also added an electric positive temperature coefficient heater system that accelerates the initial warm-up of the cabin when the engine is cold.

That’s just the inside.

On the outside, the Corolla was restyled to appear more dynamic and upscale. To that end, the design engineers and stylists moved to Turin, Italy for four months in order to answer the question, “What would stand out, even on the streets of Turin?”

Answer: a group of engineers holding clipboards. No, the new Corolla looks leagues better than the old one — but still looks just like a Camry was distilled into a smaller form factor. The new Corolla is actually 60 mm (2.4 in) wider, 10 mm (0.4-in) longer, and a full 15 mm (0.6 inches) lower than the outgoing model. The new proportions lend the car to better road presence, stability and cabin room.

Still, with a car destined to become as ubiquitous as the new Corolla will be, no amount of design flair will stay stunning for very long.

Although I’d hesitate to call this next tidbit of information riveting, it is essential to understanding the new model. The car benefits immensely from the use of ultra-high grade steel reinforcements, plus what Toyota calls their “Global Body Line”, an advanced automated assembly system used for Lexus vehicles. The old Corolla used 40 initial body welds, whereas the new car has more than 130. This helps build body rigidity and quality control from the outset.

Curved floor body panels help reduce vibration, and along with underhood washer nozzles, fin-shaped wiper blade covers, and double door seals, contribute to quiet on-road performance.

Speaking of performance, the new base 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine produces 132 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, and 128 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. The power is linear and useable for highway merging, while the torque has been tuned to aid in-town puttering. It’s standard-fare for CE, LE, and S models — with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Toyota says automatics account for about 85 per cent of Corolla sales, so a lighter four-speed slushbox was designed to offer comparable fuel economy to the manual.

Returning to the lineup is the XRS model, with a torquey 2.4L 4-cylinder that’s a league apart from the original, high-revving XRS featuring the Celica’s high-performance motor. That car didn’t sell as expected, so the new XRS has 158 horsepower and a more useable 162 lb-ft of torque. The power numbers still lag behind the class-leading Mazda3, however.

The XRS also gets a few other improvements, like a front strut brace, four-wheel disc brakes, 17-in alloy wheels and vehicle stability control. Standard Corollas do with rear drum brakes, but ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist are standard.

Note to Toyota: I understand that worldwide you spend $23 million per day on research and development. Could you maybe have spent $22.9 million per day and given us rear disc brakes on all Corollas?

Other technical points include standard electric power steering on all models, reducing complexity (no fluids, hoses, pumps or belts to replace) and helping to reduce fuel consumption.

For safety’s sake, active headrests, dual front airbags, dual side airbags, and dual curtain airbags ensure the Corolla should score perfect marks in crash tests.

The range starts with the well-equipped CE, complete with roll-up windows. Otherwise, it’s about all the car you’d ever need. Next up, the LE model is very well equipped, and even features automatic climate control and a smart key system — both features normally found on luxury cars.

Above the LE is the S, featuring a few sporty touches a la the outgoing model, like a sporty body kit and rear spoiler. Fully loaded, the XRS completes the lineup.

On-road, I only had the opportunity to sample the LE and CS models. They’ve improved in every way, and are markedly quieter — just like Toyota said they’d be. The manual transmission has been tuned for ease of use, and seemed nearly impossible to stall.

The automatics have improved, also — with a positive shift quality just like its bigger brother, the Camry. In fact, the entire car has moved nearly a class up, and reflects the lead started by the Hyundai Elantra to provide a mid-size car feel in a compact car.

QUICK SHIFT

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Toyota’s Canadian car

2009 Toyota Matrix

To begin, a little story: The chief engineer for the Matrix was standing on a bluff overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. He noticed that at 400m, very few vehicles were recognizable — and thus, mandated that the new model wouldn’t be one of the me-too vehicles on the road.

I think they’ve succeeded. The new Matrix is lower, wider, and with a reduced cowl height (the dividing point behind the engine and passenger compartment) looks much more sporty than the outgoing model. Called the quintessential Canadian car (by Toyota), the Matrix is made in Canada for only the North American market. For 2009, the all-wheel drive model marks a return, as-does the performance-oriented XRS.

Based on the new Corolla, the Matrix features the same engine lineup, but more choice in the way of model variations. For instance, AWD and XRS models see the rear suspension change to a fully independent setup from the usual torsion beam design.

Toyota seeks to lower the age of buyers with the new car (the average buyer of the old model was around 50), hoping to attract young, educated, tech-savvy, full-of-potential guys. I’m not too sure those guys are ready to drop a wad of cash on a new car, but the new Matrix seems fit for whatever any Canadian can throw at it. – M.B.