AHEAD of its launch at Devon House in St Andrew tomorrow, the 2014 Toyota Corolla fired on all cylinders at Dover Raceway in St Ann, last Sunday. And Auto was given unlimited access.

The family sedan was being pitted against its Asian rivals and the outgoing model.

“It’s important of us to benchmark the new car, because it cements the knowledge that we have a superior product in the minds of our sales teams which then filters down to the customer,” explained Manuel Arias, senior sales and marketing representative for Toyota Tsusho America.

While a race circuit may be a bit out of place for a family vehicle, the Corolla was put through wet and dry high-speed braking tests, rumble strips for ride quality, and a slalom for handling.

Even though it is not a sports car, the Corolla finds itself infused with a better driver feel. The front seats have more side bolstering to keep the occupants snugly while retaining the comfort expected for long hauls.

Controls are excellent with direct feel through the very sporty leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel. The standard four-wheel disc brakes stood up firmly to a whole day of abuse, and when paired with the electronic assist systems available on the higher grade, offered superior driver confidence when it came to stop under the various conditions.

The engine isn’t designed to set lap records, but it punches over its 121-bhp rating due to its four-speed automatic transmission.

It never seems to have to hunt for the correct gear for acceleration and, unlike cars with multiple modes, there’s no button to press to enter gas-saving ECO mode. All the driver has to do is follow the light on the redone instrumentation panel to get the maximum mileage.

At the end of the day the Corolla continued to prove why it’s a worldwide best-seller and Toyota’s longest-running name plate.

— Rory Daley