2013 Toyota Corolla (US) 1.8L VVT-i 6MT FWD (132 HP)

Vehicle Overview

With more than 40 million units produced, the Corolla was one of the most important vehicles in Toyota’s lineup, and the Japanese automaker introduced a new version for it on the U.S. market in 2013.

Toyota first launched the Corolla’s eleventh generation on its home market in 2012 and exported it a year later. This was one of the automaker’s recipes for staying on top of the reliability index. In addition, it needed more time to adapt the vehicle for specific countries. That’s one of the reasons why the U.S.-spec version was slightly different than the rest of the Corollas sold in other parts of the world.

As expected, the most obvious difference was on the car’s front fascia. For American customers, the Corolla E170 featured a broad grille in the lower bumper, surrounded by a chromed trim. At the same time, depending on the trim level, it sported a piano-black main grille. From its profile, it revealed a longer overall length and wheelbase compared to its predecessor.

Inside, thanks Toyota installed a pair of bucket seats at the front and a bench seat in the back for three passengers. Thanks to its over 106″ (2,7 m) wheelbase, those seated in the back enjoyed enough legroom. Yet, the one that sat in the middle had to avoid the center tunnel that crossed the floor from front to back. At the front, the driver was spoiled with a new dashboard that featured organic, curved lines on the upper side. On the binocular-style instrument cluster, Toyota installed larger dials for the speedometer and tachometer and an LCD for the onboard computer between them.

Under the hood, the automaker on its trustworthy 1.8-liter gasoline engine paired with either a six-speed manual, a four-speed automatic, or a CVT.