autoevolution
 

TOYOTA Corolla Wagon Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Generations: 4
First production year: 1997
Engines: Diesel, Gasoline
Body style: Wagon (station wagon, estate, combi, touring)
TOYOTA Corolla Wagon photo gallery

While the station-wagon market was going down and made room for a new generation of crossovers, Toyota insisted on building the Corolla Wagon and facelifted it in 2004.

Toyota introduced the ninth generation of the Corolla in 2000, and four years later, it refreshed the entire range. The compact vehicle was available as a hatchback with three- and five doors, a sedan, and a station wagon. The latter was available on specific markets and proved to be a good choice for customers looking for an affordable but spacious vehicle.

From the outside, the Corolla Wagon kept the same front image as the rest of the range. The carmaker designed a new bumper with a different lower side and round fog-lights instead of the rectangular ones used on the non-facelifted version. That was needed to comply with the new pedestrian protection regulations. From the sides, the car had the same shape as the non-facelifted version, and the roof-rails were fitted as standard.

Inside, there were a few changes for the dashboard, which featured different colors. The Japanese carmaker installed a new steering wheel with the buttons mounted on the left spoke instead of a lower side. Thanks to the split-folding bench in the back, the trunk could have been expanded from 402 liters (14.2 cu-ft) up to 1480 liters (52.3 cu-ft).

Under the hood, Toyota installed new, Euro4 engines for the European market and added a new, 1.4-liter turbodiesel unit.

full description and technical specifications
TOYOTA Corolla Wagon photo gallery

The ninth generation of the Corolla was available in a few body shapes: a three and five-door hatchback, a station wagon, and an MPV.

Ever since the first generation of the Corolla in 1966, the Japanese compact-segment vehicle was on top of the reliability charts worldwide. When Toyota introduced the ninth generation in 2000, it improved it in any possible way, starting with safety, fuel efficiency, and interior space. For the latest attribute, the Corolla Wagon was the best choice before the MPV.

While its designers were not among the top artists in the world, the Corolla looked just decent. Its headlights were big enough to fit on a mid-size sedan, and the slatted grille looked like it was carried over from its bigger brother, the Avensis. The short hood was continued by a raked windshield and the extended roofline that passed the rear wheel-arches. At the back, the Corolla Wagon featured a slightly tilted tailgate with a wide and tall opening.

With three trim levels on the list, named differently depending on the country, the Corolla Wagon shared most of its interior parts with the five-door version. At the front, the flat bucket seats provided some side support, while in the rear, the car was roomy enough for two adult passengers. Toyota installed a third seatbelt for the middle passenger, but the center part of the split-folding bench provided enough room for children. Its trunk could hold 402 liters, which was much better than the regular hatchback, thanks to the longer rear overhang.

Under the hood, Toyota installed a choice of three engines for the Corolla Wagon, fewer than on its stablemates, but enough to fit the customers' needs.

full description and technical specifications
TOYOTA Corolla Wagon photo gallery

Toyota introduced the eighth generation of the Corolla in 1995 and planed a refresh for the lineup in 1999, and the wagon received some updates as well.

Apart from the Ford F-150 pickup, the Corolla was the best-selling car globally. Toyota didn't want to give up that crown and had to adapt and constantly change, like on the eighth generation. It developed the new vehicle on the older platform due to the 1990 economic recession that affected the U.S. market, which was the largest car market globally. But customers didn't notice that, and the sales were good. As usual, four years after the launch, the car went through a facelift that brought more appeal for the range.

The wagon was heavily improved and received the same front fascia as the sedan. Before that, it shared the headlights and grille with the three-door hatchback, which was not the best design in its family. Toyota's designers installed the dual headlamps under the same clear lens, and they also moved the badge from the hood to the newly designed grille.

Inside, the designers changed the dashboard completely. They installed a small LCD on top of the center stack and buttons around it. It was used for the audio system as an ancestor for the infotainment systems. The instrument panel was different, depending on the engine option, with or without a tachometer. Like its non-facelifted version, the size could vary between 308 liters (10.9 cu-ft) and 1218 liters (43 cu-ft), thanks to the split-folding rear bench.

Under the hood, Toyota installed a small range of engines consisting of a 1.6-liter gasoline unit and two diesel versions: a 1.9-liter carried over from Peugeot-Citroen, and a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel developed in-house.

full description and technical specifications
TOYOTA Corolla Wagon photo gallery

Already famous for their great reliability and excellent value for money, the Corolla range was updated in 1997.

Guiding their evolution process on the “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” idea, Toyota managed to keep Corolla’s position on the market, thus it was awarded the world’s best selling car title in 1997.

The wagon was upgraded along with the 3-door hatchback, the 5-door liftback, the estate and the saloon body styles.

A world car, the Toyota Corolla was sold in three different markets: Japan, North America and Europe.

While the previous models were greatly appreciated, Toyota noticed the customer’s need of a more fun-to-drive vehicle, thus excitement needed to be a word to define the new generation.

The new models came with a changed suspension, new fabrics inside, more lively design elements and a heavily redesigned exterior look, with revised headlights, a new grille and new taillights. The redesigned exterior also helped reducing the NVH levels with its flush-mounted side windows and other techniques borrowed from Lexus.

Other changes included new technical specifications and well as more equipment.

Both gasoline and diesel units were available, however, the Japanese market had a broader range of engines to choose from. Most Corollas were powered by a 1.8-liter all-aluminium DOHC 4-cylinder engine that developed 120 hp and 122 pound-feet of torque. Besides more power offered, the engine helped achieving a lower fuel consumption than its predecessor.

Concerned about safety, Toyota offered the Corolla with four-wheel antilock brakes and side-impact airbags.

full description and technical specifications