This is the point at which everyone says, "What did they do with that extra year?" Referring, of course, to Toyota's 2006 decision to push the Corolla launch back in order to freshen the design as a response to Honda's Civic.
The Corolla gets a makeover in the style of the Camry, with wedge-shaped headlamps and a Toyota logo in the grille-work. The new car is over two inches wider and an inch shorter than the 2008 model, in response to criticism that the old car always looked like it sat high on its axles. The interior has been given more attention, with a simple design but high grade materials and improved fit and finish.
Most Corolla trim levels will have a reworked version of the 1.8L four that now has Toyota's VVT-i variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust cams, which operate independently of each other. Its 132-horsepower output is up only two from the previous Corolla, but with a flatter torque curve. The performance XRS model loses its old 1.8-liter Celica GT-S drivetrain in favor of the 158-horsepower 2.4-liter four already used in a variety of Toyota and Scion models.
The Leno-chinned Matrix is half an inch longer and half an inch shorter than the model it replaces. The large rear quarter windows, one of the traits that distinguished the Matrix from its Pontiac Vibe twin, are gone in favor of small glass slits that form a wraparound backlite with the tailgate. The interior is very much an evolution of the current Matrix, with the most notable change being a square cluster-within-the-cluster for the fuel and temperature gauges.
Performance-wise, Matrix parallels the Corolla, with both 1.8 and 2.4-liter models available. AWD remains available on automatic 2.4-liter models. As with the Corolla, the highline XRS model has lost its high-revving 1.8-liter VVTL-i engine and six-speed manual in favor of a torquier 2.4-liter with a five-speed.
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