NEW YORK: This might be the big success blow to settle on which car is crowned winner of Australia. In the red corner, Toyota has efficient its best-selling Corolla hatch with a particular version that wears black war paint.
The reigning champion in the race to be crowned Australia’s most popular car, the Corolla has a narrow lead of little more than 900 units over its arch-rival, the new Mazda3.
Toyota’s Corolla has traditionally proven popular with fleet buyers, while Mazda says it targets more profitable private buyers – and that it the race to be number one is not a priority.
But a superficial dress-up pack that lifts the Corolla’s looks could help win over enough private buyers to keep the Mazda3 at bay.
Following in the footsteps of the Toyota 86-inspired Camry RZ, the Corolla RZ features dark-painted treatment on its grille, bumpers, mirrors and 16-inch wheels that lend a hint of attitude.
Toyota says the “edgy” and “dark” RZ brings $2000 of value for $1000 more than the regular Ascent Sport on which it is based. The car features a 6.1-inch touch screen with satellite navigation, the exterior two-tone treatment and RZ-branded floor mats.
Exterior RZ-branded stripes and stickers complete the treatment.
The new model’s mechanical parts remain unchanged over the regular Corolla, with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine pushing 103kW and 173Nm to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission or CVT automatic.
Vehicle registrations rise 20 pct y-o-y in October
ATHENS: The number of new and used vehicles put into circulation for the first time rose last month to 9,479,...
