Toyota Corolla has been among the world’s best-selling cars for years. And now, this year, it completes 50 years of existence. First introduced back on November 5, 1966, the Japanese automaker has sold about 44.3 million Corollas around the world. The Publica was introduced as an affordable car for an average family, which however failed to generate sufficient interests. The sportier and stylish two-door Corolla was indeed the first one to attract public attention.
In Japan, the Toyota Corolla claimed the top-selling spot in Japan in just about three years of it being launched. Why shouldn’t it? After all, the Corolla came with a four-speed manual transmission on the floor which was mated to a 1.1-litre engine unlike the regular cars which had typical 3-speed, column shifter at the time. The automaker is now selling the 11th generation model which is made in 13 countries and sold in more than 150 countries.
In India, Toyota has already sold over one lakh Corolla units. The current model is offered in petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol trim is powered by a 1.8-litre VVT-i engine which puts out 138bhp of power and 173Nm of top torque, while the diesel version gets a 1.4-litre D-4D engine which puts out 87bhp of power and 205Nm of torque. The engines come mated to six-speed manual and seven-speed CVT unit. Next year, the automaker will be introducing a new model which will get fresh cosmetic upgrades while mechanically it will continue to be powered by existing engine options.