Sunny Noosa, the perfect place for Toyota Corolla to show a shiny, sexy, new face.

All-new, the 12th generation Corolla has new engines, including a hybrid in every grade, new transmissions, and a fabulously comfortable cabin.

On-board technology has been crammed into every nook and cranny. Apple CarPlay is still absent, but Toyota has seen the error of it’s ways and promises CarPlay/Android Auto in the near future. You might even be able to have it fitted to some current models post-sale.

See a list of features grade by grade HERE

Corolla promises a fully spec’d family hatch that is small enough for city work, but comfortable enough for a couple to take on a road trip.

I liked the Active cruise control with speed sign recognition and recommendation, and active lane control. Those things, very handy on a road trip, were once only found in the poshest of posh cars.

LED lighting all round includes auto on dusk sensing, plus auto high beam up front.

See our 2019 Toyota Corolla Review here.

For the times when you just want to do the shopping, the CVT auto will use less fuel than the 6 speed manual (with rev matching). If you want a sportier drive, the CVT has a manual mode which will simulate a 10 speed fixed ratio automatic.

It is a world first CVT with a torque  converter which allows for a “launch gear”. 1st gear acts like a normal automatic making traffic lights sound a bit less dramatic. Your engine won’t sound like it is trying to blast a hole in the bonnet.

Overtaking needs planning despite the 125kw petrol engine. A tiny turbo would change things hugely.

The only foible is the fact a CVT car costs around $27,000 plus onroads. The bas model manual has a large gap between 2nd and 3rd. Maybe we just have to be happy with many new cars having CVT only.

Let us know in the comments what you think, and as always, SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE.