2009 Toyota Corolla: What's New

Vehicle Overview
Unlike Honda when it redesigned its Civic small car a few years ago, Toyota didn’t take any chances with the redesign of its Corolla for 2009. The new sedan looks a lot like its predecessor, but it does receive more standard safety features and can now be equipped with a more powerful four-cylinder engine. New Corollas hit dealerships in February 2008 and compete against the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus and Mazda3 in addition to the Civic.

Exterior
Though the new Corolla sports more aggressive front-end styling that includes a new grille, headlights and bumper, it retains the general profile of its predecessor. The sedan sports bump-strip-free doors that give the car a smooth look. The design of the taillights is new, but the change is subtle. The 2009 Corolla is available in base, LE, XLE, S and XRS trim levels. S and XRS models are marketed as sport-oriented Corollas and receive special exterior styling elements like a chin spoiler, rocker panels and a trunklid spoiler. The XRS also comes with 17-inch alloy wheels.

Interior
The Corolla has room for five people with its front bucket seats and a three-place rear bench. Cloth seats are standard and leather seats are optional. The dashboard has been refined and the instrument panel is new, but like the outside of the car the cabin retains the basic look of its predecessor. Folding the standard 60/40-split rear seats expands the cargo area. Additional standard features include air conditioning, a CD stereo and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel. Options include a six-CD changer, power windows and locks, a navigation system and a moonroof.

Under the Hood
The Corolla’s base engine is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder that makes 132 horsepower. Also offered is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that generates 158 hp. Both engines team with a five-speed manual transmission, but automatic transmissions are available with both engines — a four-speed for the 1.8-liter engine and a five-speed for the 2.4-liter engine.

Safety
Standard features include antilock brakes, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags and active front head restraints. An electronic stability system is optional.