2015 Toyota Corolla ZR CVT Hatch Review – Better, Sure, But No Surprises
The skinny: Flaunting a fresh facelift, the top-grade Corolla ZR also gets a price haircut to sharpen its value proposition. And it's still doing it right, because the Corolla is not only the dominant badge in the small car segment, but is currently Australia's top selling car.
Do the changes go far enough though to keep it there at the top of the table? Does the predictable Corolla still have what it takes to fend off competition from sharper-handling, more powerful and more highly-specced alternatives in the segment?
After a week behind the wheel we can tell that the basic Corolla formula hasn’t been messed with, but the incremental improvements add up to a better car.
Vehicle Style: Small five-door hatchback
Price: $28,990 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 103kW/173Nm 1.8 4cyl | CVT automatic
Fuel Economy claimed: 6.1 l/100km | tested: 9.0 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Tweaked in June with a razor-sharp new style, added standard equipment, revised suspension and improved fuel efficiency, Toyota’s top-tier small hatch the Corolla ZR also got a full $1000 lopped off its asking price.
Now, at $28,990, it represents superb value against many of its high-grade Korean, Japanese and European rivals. We took one for a week-long loan to see if its many improvements help - or hurt - its everyday liveability.