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Toyota Corolla Hatchback – Why Aren't We Getting It?
by
Derek Kreindler
(IC: employee)
Published: July 11th, 2013
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Meet the Toyota Corolla Levin ZR. Tailor made for Australia and other world markets, it’s an attractive looking design that, according to media reports, is a decent drive to boot. So why don’t we get it here? I have no idea. Mazda, Ford, Hyundai and Kia all offer hatchbacks with some degree of success. They also tend to command a price premium over the equivalent sedan. And with the Matrix apparently not long for this world, this would be an apt replacement.
Derek Kreindler
More by Derek Kreindler
Published July 11th, 2013 11:19 AM
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Strange! You should be getting it since it is a nice looking car called auris here in Europe. Even the basic version (1.33 liter 100 HP) has a 6-speed manual and there is also an affordable auris hybrid that costs 7.000 EUR (some 5.800 USD) less than a prius but has similar mechanics (I think only the battery is smaller than in prius). Here in Europe, even a cruze can be a hatchback!
My gut feeling tells me we're not getting the Corolla hatchback since Toyota doesn't want to cannibalize sales of the Prius C on the low-end and the CT200h on the high-end, along with it not being congruent with Toyota's treehugger hybrid image. For what it's worth, I would do very bad things to get a CT200h with a conventional ICE and a 6-speed manual. I hope that it's only because they want to clear out the Matrix before introducing the Corolla hatch. I rented a Matrix in 2009 and found a lot to like about it.
Just when Toyota creates a Matrix that doesn't look like it was designed by a retarded child.....Not for America.
Hatches in Australia are second cars that are bought for wives, but they end up with the SUVs/pickups. The husband then ends up with the hatchback as a daily driver. My ex-ex in the early 90s had a Corolla hatch, but she always wanted to drive my 4x4 pickup. Also, teenage girls buy them more so than young guys who buy 4x4 or V8 utes. The inner city set buy hatches as well and you see them on the open road as driving hazards because they never drive above 80kph. But I think hatches are a much better proposition than a sedan. More versitile, better utility with economy. I actually rented a Yaris hatch (proudly displaying the Made in France sticker) with a diesel. The performance of the car surprised me. It used very little fuel, 5 litres per 100km. That included autoroute driving at up to 150kph. Surprising vehicle.