Toyota Corolla Sedan Receives Mild Facelift

The Toyota Corolla, sold in Europe exclusively in sedan form, has received a mid-life restyling for 2010, with refreshed exterior and interior design. On the outside, the facelifted Corolla gets a new face, with a redesigned bumper, upper and lower grille, as well as restyled headlights.

At the rear, changes include new tail lamps, a new license plate garnish and a redesigned bumper. External mirrors have now integrated turn indicators, while new designs for the alloy wheels and the hubcaps have also been introduced. The redesign of bumpers lengthened the car by 5 millimeters to 4,545 mm.

As far as the interior goes, Toyota claims that the goal for the cabin redesign was to “enhance perceived quality”. Changes include a new, flat-bottomed steering-wheel with a thicker rim, as well as silver coating finish for the instrument panel, door handle trim, center console and door switch surrounds. The dashboard lights now have a new combination of colors.

Other upgrades include the addition of a remote control trunk opening function on the ignition key, new seat fabrics, including a newly available Alcantara upholstery and two new paint colors. The Corolla facelift adds also a Bluetooth connection for the mobile phone, a USB connection and a jack for auxiliary sound systems.

As before, the Corolla 2010 engine range consists of two petrol units and two diesels. The petrol ones are a 1.33-liter 101 hp and a 1.6-liter 132 hp, while the diesels are a 1.4-liter developing 90 hp and a 2.0-liter of 126 hp. Sales of the facelifted Corolla start in May.