You wouldn't think it to judge by the number you see in the UK, but the Corolla has been the world's best selling for most of its thirty-odd years and nine generations, with some 29 million sold to date. That it hasn't been such a hot seller in Britain has much to do with its relative lack of sophistication, a problem Toyota half recognised with the previous-generation Corolla, which was slightly more civilised and had styling allegedly more Europe-biased. But many disagreed - no great surprise because, apart from a nose that resembled a creature from the deep, that Corolla proved just as forgettable as previous editions. The current model, introduced in 2002, however, is decidedly more pleasant. Like the successful Yaris, it was styled at Toyota's European ED2 studio in the south of France, and it comes in a wide variety of bodystyles, including three- and five-door hatchbacks - these manufactured in Britain - a Verso MPV (see separate test), an estate and a saloon. Engines include 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i petrols, two direct-injection turbodiesels and a highly tuned, 189 bhp, 1.8 engine, as featured in the Celica, which, in the T Sport, creates the most powerful Corolla yet.
Technical highlights are few - the Corolla is thoroughly contemporary rather than advanced - but an optional satellite navigation system that can route you around traffic jams will be just what thousands of drivers have been waiting for.