Test drive, Toyota Corolla Excel: A hint of hot hatch with practicality thrown in

From the futuristic headlights to the crisp rear lights, this car stood out with some nice design details. The two-tone colour scheme of red and black metallic paint of the Excel model that I drove beautifully accentuated the new Corolla’s design, as did the 18in. bi-tone alloy wheels.

The detailing continued when you opened the car with the sill featuring the Corolla name. Nice touch, Toyota. Then there was the cockpit with its large touchscreen and digital display amongst the on-board tech. And oh, such a comfortable seat for the driver.

Climbing in, the sports seat combined with the interior design gave it a sports car feel. The red stitching in the trim, Alcantara and leather added to the ambiance – along with a steering wheel featuring a lovely plush finish. The fact that it had a sports mode, with the digital speedometer changing red from blue to denote a change of mode, only added to that feeling.

Pushing the power button (it was a keyless car), I couldn’t wait to give it a spin around Guernsey. I just needed to wait for it to power up before easing the gear stick into drive mode (it’s an automatic). With a healthy sound from the engine, away I went.

THE DRIVE

And what a lovely drive it was around the north of the island and up and down the Val des Terres. The car handled the bumps and lumps of the roads with a solid firm ride and navigated corners with poise and little roll. It exuded quality and a good solid build. Good so far for this British-built car.

One thing that might surprise you if you’re not used to automatics is that there is no ‘traditional handbrake’. So, at the lights and in traffic, I needed to keep the brake depressed to stop. Helpfully, there was a hold assist for hills on my car.

TECH TOUCHES

It also helped that the Corolla’s sound system was pretty epic. Clear, crisp audio with good bass. Not bad when you want to listen to a little bit of Arcade Fire or connect up to Spotify – which was a cinch via my mobile and the car’s Bluetooth and touchscreen. Calls worked fine and were clear, with steering wheel controls.

There was also plenty of tech to delight and nice touches such as dual zone climate control and heated mirrors. The mirrors also close in when you push the lock button. Again, a smart touch for Guernsey, a high-risk environment for wing-mirror damage.

With more time, I’d like to have a good read of the instructions to get fully to grips with all the tech.

In fact, I could easily imagine the Corolla being a good road trip car. Put some good tunes on and clock up the miles. In this car, it would be an enjoyable ride. And that got me thinking about how practical this Toyota was, alongside that sporty feeling.

It had a hint of the hot hatch with practicality thrown in. Stopping for some photos at Bordeaux, I jumped in the back seat. Comfortable seat? Tick. Squeezed beyond imagination? Absolutely not. Even with the driver’s seat pulled back, it was comfortable enough, and I’m around six feet tall. The boot size is decent enough as well for a car in this segment and could carry a reasonable amount of luggage. For the front passengers, there was also an arm rest.

Then there was the full hybrid technology, with the Corolla able to switch between petrol and electric as I drove along. It all made me feel just that little bit more environmentally-friendly. As well as sports mode, there is normal and eco mode. Full EV mode could also be deployed, for example, for short distances and at lower speeds.

Then, it was back to thinking about my Corolla road trip. Who’s in?