Double Honours for Toyota Corolla in Driver Power Survey
The Toyota Corolla has made an emphatic first appearance in the annual Auto Express Driver Power survey of the best cars to buy, taking the award for Best Compact Family Car and topping the rankings in the category for ride and handling.
The British-built Corolla has been on sale for little more than a year, but it is already proving hugely popular with private and business customers alike. The winning Hatchback, together with the Corolla Touring Sports and Saloon models, is an all-hybrid model and, uniquely in its class, offers a choice of two self-charging hybrid electric powertrains to suit different customer preferences for efficiency and performance.
Steve Fowler, Auto Express Editor-in-Chief, said: “A win in a debut year is mightily impressive, and that is precisely what the new Toyota Corolla has achieved.
“On its way to taking the Best Compact Family Car win, the Corolla recorded an excellent set of scores across the board; in fact, no car scored higher for ride and handling. Owners love the smooth ride, and the responsiveness of steering and brakes. The Corolla remains cheap to run, especially when it comes to fuel economy, plus overall build quality inside and out is rated highly.”
Corolla’s ride and handling quality are founded on its Toyota New Generation Architecture platform, which gives the car exceptional body rigidity, a low centre of gravity and better front/rear and left/right chassis balance. The GA-C platform also gives the driver a better position at the wheel with a lower hip point, helping deliver a more involving and enjoyable driving experience.
Andrew Cullis, Toyota GB Marketing Director, said: “The results of the Driver Power survey are great news as it shows how the new Corolla is delivering on its promises to customers. We are delighted that they are responding so positively to its quality, its performance and its practicality as the ideal compact family car.”
Beyond Corolla’s success, the Driver Power survey also saw the Toyota Prius take second place in the category for fuel economy and running costs.
The Driver Power survey gathers the opinions of thousands of British motorists about the key qualities of the new cars they have purchased in the past year, including ride and handling, design and build quality, running costs, safety, practicality, infotainment and connectivity, comfort and powertrain performance.
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