By Theodore Opara

Even Toyota competitors at the Nigeria Auto Journalists Awards, NAJA, applauded the Toyota Corolla when it was announced as the Nigeria Car of the Year.

Like other honours given at the NAJ Awards, no one could fault the choice of the Corolla for this award. Even before the announcement of the award, few of the guests, who chatted with Vanguard Motoring at the Eko Hotel venue of the event, said the Corolla would carry the day.

I, even as Chairman of the NAJA committee, pretended not to know. I would have been disappointed if our choice was not the Corolla, given the way most of them, not even Toyota dealers, were rooting for it.

Maybe I would have instructed that another plaque be prepared for the Corolla. But the applause and cheering that engulfed the venue when the Car of The Year was announced, demonstrated how sportsmanly automobile dealers in Nigeria could be. The ovation was so loud that the jurors, who voted for Corolla (the auto journalists) felt proud of themselves.

That was how fair journalists can be in organizing an award that was not cash-and-carry, but recognition for hardwork and quality service delivery.

The Corolla’s emergence as Car of the Year was not surprising. It demonstrated its rare qualities right from the launch earlier in the year.

Even with its price difference, the Corolla still remained the preferred choice to many new car buyers. This has been attributed to Corolla’s outstanding qualities.

The Toyota Corolla has been dominating the Nigeria Auto Journalists Awards since the birth of the award five years ago. But the current Toyota Corolla looks exceptionally good in terms of design, comfort, power, fuel efficiency, roadhandling and safety.

…competing well

The Corolla has been the best-selling car in Nigeria with every successful model for close to two decades. Though the Corolla competes in the most competitive segment of the Nigeria auto sector, with seductive looking, load of in-car technology and sharper handling, the Corolla has remained on top despite the competition.

Toyota has stepped up the 2014 Corolla in every aspect to out-perform competition. Throughout the all-new 2014 Corolla, you will notice serious changes including improvement in styling, comfort and other features.

The Corolla looks more athletic, yet more spacious like never before. The new Corolla is about three inches longer than the previous version, with nearly four inches of additional wheelbase, placing the wheel farther out to the corners and given the car a sportier stance.

It has LED headlamps and running lamps under the bonnet of the Corolla with powerful 1.8 litre four cylinder engine, which delivers 132 horsepower and 128 pound feet of torque.

The engine

This fuel-efficient engine features valvematic, which has a broader range of continuously variable valve timing and increase fuel economy and engine output.

The Corolla engine is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, which ensure smooth delivery on the road, although there is a six-speed transmission for people who prefer manual gear box.

Inside the Corolla is more conservative than exterior, but with improved materials.

The dashboard is finished with soft-touch material, while the front seats have been enhanced with more adjustable features and longer bottom cushion. The back seat has been transformed to give executive feeling in terms of space. There is plenty of legroom and headroom too.

Safety first

Safetywise, Corolla is highly rated, featuring eight airbags along with Toyota Star Safety system.

The system include vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock braking system, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. There is also Toyota standard smart stop technology brake override system.

Generally, Toyota has stepped up the features of Corolla. Infotainment game, smart key system with push button start, automatic climate control, leather trim, tilt and telecopic three spoke steering wheel with paddle shift and audio controls, and multi-information display.