P2K

I did a search and didn't find this on the site, so I don't know if this is a repost or not. This looks like this might be Toyota's answer to Honda's Civic SI. I can't read the language so if there's anyone that could shed some light on this subject, I'm sure we'd all appriciate it.

The Corolla Hatchback has been around for a while, just not in the US. Hopefully they'll bring it here. I'd like to see it in action on the tuner scene. It's available in 3 and 5 door.

http://www.toyota.afr.pl/_cars_corolla_hatchback.htm

MisterT

I thought that the Matrix was it's answer to the Civic SI. Looks pretty tight though it resembles a VW Golf! I am curious on the performance versus the Matrix. Speaking of Matrix, it always looked so cool in the commercials, but ugly as hell in real life! I guess the way the side windows are shaped. The camera shots are at eye level or below of the windows, but if you see one by looking down on it or one pulls beside you, it just doesn't look as good. My opinion though.


MisterT

funkdaddysmack

I don't think that they need to try and compete with the Si, because no one is buying them right now.

nealca32

when i was looking at getting a new car my buddy told me to try out the pro5,,, so when i took a test drive i took it to toyota to compare with the matrix,,,,,boy'o was i disaponited,,,,and i'm a die hard toy fan,it felt like i was driveing a small minivan with an even smaller engine,,well,,,now i own two mazda's (b3000) and i'm not looking back,,,,,well if they come back with the supra maybe

P2K

IMO, the Matrix and SI aren't even in the same class. Yeah they're both compact cars, but the Matrix just doesn't look like a contender to me. It's too tall and bulky looking. I don't know what Toyota's gonna do with the Corolla hatch, but I think they need to nix the Matrix. It's garbage.

MisterT

So is the Matrix just to go up against a P5? It's ugly as is the Pontiac Vibe which is the same thing underneath.
What if they made a MazdaSpeed Protege5?! That would be pretty tight!

MisterT

jjac28

It's a Polish website.
This is the Europen version of the Corolla..I'm not sure if these are coming to North America though...
but here are the some acceleration numbers:

Corolla
Hatchback 1.4 : 12sec to 0-100km/h (0-62mph)
VVT-i

Corolla
Hatchback 1.6: 10.2/11.8sec (M/A) to 0-100km/h (0-62mph)
VVT-i

Corolla
Hatchback 1.8: 8.4sec to 0-100km/h (0-62mph)
VVT-i

MisterT

The front looks like the Lancer/Civic (headlights) and the rear like a Volks GTI

UCSBgeek

I doubt it. They still make Camry wagons in other parts of the world, just the model lineup is different everywhere, and they are usually built "locally"

MisterT

Camry hatches were so ugly! Congrats to Mazda who made the first sporty looking I have to get one wagon! I was going for a P5, but two things were the obstucle, number one obviously was that it was a little out of my price range and number two, they all were automatics. I wanted a stick. But at least with automatics, you can get remote start and not have both hands tied up on the wheel. You can talk hours on your cell phone (don't have one personally) while gazing for hours in the shopping windows while driving. Before the P5 was the Legacy Impreza, which isn't all that impressive to look at.

MisterT

TaiMaiShu

its coming back as the 4500 gt in 2005, its official.

I wouldn't consider the matrix as a civic si challenger. the matrix is too heavy. the celica on the other hand...The top of the line matrix has the same engine as the gt-s, vvtli. But heavier.

hihoslva

Just for reference, the Matrix IS a Corolla - the same way our Protege5 IS a Protege - they just don't officially call it the Corolla Matrix. However, I have heard the term used before - and that's what it is.

The Matrix/Vibe twins are too tall and bulky. Oddly enough, I probably see 10 Matrix (Matricies?? ) for every P5 I spot. People around here just LOVE that too-tall clunky thing for some reason.

Granted, 180 HP would be nice, but it's still practically unuseable in the Matrix and Celica - waaaay too high in the rev range to be used nicely when tooling around town.

~HH

carguycw

Getting back to the original topic...

Yes, that is the Euro version of the Corolla. Go to Toyota's U.K. website for more info on this car in English. Yes, you could call it Toyota's answer to the Honda Civic Si- it is available in a version called the T-Sport with a 189 hp VVTL-i engine and a 6-speed tranny. It's comparable to the Civic Type-R, although the U.K. car mags seem to agree that the Corolla T-Sport doesn't measure up to the Type-R. [I'm still waiting for Honda to release the Type-R here to revive interest in the Si, which I feel is inevitable, but I digress. ]

IMHO the Corolla hatch is pretty cool, but Toyota has stated that they won't sell it here because it would compete with the Celica GT-S. Plus, Toyota's marketing department has this silly idea stuck in their head that the way to attract young U.S. buyers is to give them funky, oddly-styled rolling hipster fashion accessories with no power or handling (see Scion xB), rather than stylish, quick, sporty, attractive compacts like the P5. I thought that the abject failure of the Echo would wake them up, but it doesn't seem to be working yet.

funkdaddysmack

I saw a 'Matrix XR' yesterday that also had a 4wd emblem right below, do they offer awd on the Matrix????

carguycw

Yes, Toyota offers AWD but only with the 130 hp engine. FWIW it's also the only Matrix with IRS.