This is how Toyota Corolla evolved in last 50 years - Toyota Corolla Fourth Generation Interiors | ET Autolytics

This is how Toyota Corolla evolved in last 50 years

A "corolla" is the ring of petals around the central part of a flower. The name was intended to evoke the image of a beautifully styled, eye-catching compact car.

Positioned in between the Publica and the Corona, the Corolla made its debut in November 1966 as a 1-liter-class compact 5-seat sedan.

The First Generation Corolla came in three variants - KE10-D, KE10-B, and KE10 each having a displacement of 1,077cc.

The Corolla was also the first among Japanese passenger cars to adopt a MacPherson strut front suspension.

The initial 2-door sedan version was followed by a 4-door sedan and a 2-door commercial van, and an automatic version (with a 2-speed Toyoglide automatic transmission) in May 1967.

The engine displacement was enlarged to 1,200 cc in September 1969 to further enhance its performance. The car was manufactured at Takaoka plant, Kanto Auto Works.

On the occasion of its first major model change in May 1970, the Corolla Sprinter model was spun off to form the Toyota Sprinter line, to be marketed through the Toyota Auto sales channel instead of the Corolla channel.

The Corolla added a new coupe in its line, though the body was the same as that of the Sprinter coupe.

The second-generation Corolla became a size larger than its predecessor. A 4-door van was added to the body variations, which also included 2- and 4-door sedans, a 2-door coupe, and a 2-door van.

The second-generation Corolla initially inherited the inline 4-cylinder OHV 1,200 cc engine (3K) from its predecessor, to which Type T engines were added (OHV 1,400 cc/1,600 cc and DOHC 1,600 cc), and eventually a choice of three engines with six variations were made available.

The third-generation Corolla was placed on the market in April 1974. The new model was commonly referred to as the Corolla 30 to distinguish it from the older model.

The third-generation model expanded the wheelbase by 35 mm and the front and rear treads by 40 mm. The body variations initially included 2- and 4-door sedans, a 2-door hardtop, and 2- and 4-door vans. In January 1976, a 3-door liftback and a 2-door fastback coupe were added to the lineup.

The mechanisms of the third-generation models followed those of their predecessors.

The US collision safety standards played an important part, leading to the adoption of shock-absorbing bumpers, protective body-side molding, and seatbelts with the emergency locking retractor (ELR) during the model life of the third-generation Corolla (excepting some models).

The fourth-generation Corolla sedan released in March 1979 extended the wheelbase by 30 mm, and the front and rear treads by 25 mm and 50 mm, respectively.

Regarding the mechanism, a major change was made in the rear suspension, replacing a semi-oval leaf spring system with a 4-link coil spring system and a lateral rod to improve ride comfort and stability.

The fourth-generation Corolla had the largest number of body variations in the brand's history.

Released in May 1983, the fifth-generation Corolla (and Sprinter) represented a most comprehensive model change in its history.

The family-use sedan followed the worldwide trend and switched its layout from front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FR) to front-engine, front-wheel-drive.

The sedan came with 4- and 5-door versions, and the latter came to be referred to as the liftback. The exterior design became more European, featuring a slant nose styling and matching non-standard-shaped headlamps. The front and rear bumpers were made of plastics rather than metal or polyurethane.

The 1.6-liter model adopted an electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission for the first time in its vehicle class.

The sixth-generation Corolla released in May 1987. In Japan, the 5-door liftback model was discontinued.

The van and wagon were renovated based on the sixth-generation Corolla sedan, and were released three months after the sedan.

In October 1989, the first 4-wheel-drive (4WD) model was added to the Corolla sedan. From that time on, many other versions of the Corolla began to offer a 4WD option.

In 1990, the Corolla series sold 308,000 units in Japan, establishing record annual new car sales by brand. The record stood for many years, until it was broken by the Prius in 2010.

The seventh-generation Corolla was introduced in June 1991 with extended wheelbase, body length, width and height.

There were five available engines, including 1.3-liter 100 PS, standard 1.5-liter 105 PS, 1.6-liter "high-mecha" twin-cam 115 PS, and sports twin-cam 20-valve 160 PS gasoline-powered units, as well as a 2-liter diesel 73 PS unit.

Released in May 1995, the eighth-generation Corolla was headed by a 1.6-liter 5-valve VVT unit (4A-G) that produced 165 PS, followed by 1.6-, 1.5- and 1.3-liter "high-mecha" twin-cam units (producing 115 PS, 100 PS, and 88 PS, respectively), and a 2-liter diesel unit with reduced NOx and smoke emissions.

The body types of the Corolla series that were available during the model life of the eighth-generation sedan included a 4-door sedan, a 2-door coupe (Levin), a 4-door hardtop (Ceres), a multi-purpose vehicle (Spacio), a 4-door wagon, and a 4-door van.

The ninth-generation Corolla that was launched in August 2000 came in two body types: a standard 4-door sedan and a 5-door wagon (Fielder).

The renewed platform extended the wheelbase by 135 mm, and the body length, height, and width by 80 mm, 85 mm, and 5 mm, respectively.

The tenth-generation Corolla sedan that was launched in October 2006 acquired the subname Axio.

All models of the Corolla Axio came standard-equipped with a rearview monitor, allowing the driver to see what was behind the car to facilitate reverse parking.

A Super CVT-i type transmission was adopted for the engines of the tenth generation Corolla, with a difference that the 1.8-liter model came with a 7-speed sequential gearbox.

The 11th-generation of the Corolla Axio and Corolla Fielder (Japan model) sought a return to the Corolla's origins. Both vehicles were completely revamped to minimize body size.

The eleventh generation Corolla maintains the ability to comfortably transport four adults over long distances.

Supported by:

News ›

Passenger Vehicle / Commercial Vehicle / Two Wheelers / Automotive / Components / Industry / Tyres / Aftermarket / Policy / Auto Technology / People Movement / Oil & Lubes / New Launches / Raw Material / Financial Results / Auto Finance

Features ›

Trends / IndustrySpeak / International / Careers / Data & Analytics / Jobs / ETAuto TV / Autopreneur / Interviews / ETAuto Insights / Data / Reports

Other B2B News Sites ›

Retail News / Health News / Telecom News / Energy News / IT News / Real Estate News / Marketing & Advertising News / Technology News / IT Security News / Government News / ETMasterclass News / ET Campus Stars News / Textile News / Sports News / Hotelier News / Facilities News / Fashion News / ElectronicsWorld News / Salon News / Aviation News / WasteManagement News / Light News / Construction News / Packaging News / Safety News / Shipping News / Hospitality News / Travel News / HR News / Pharma News / Legal News / Virtual Conference News / BU News / Water News / Retail News / Virtual Conference News / Infra News