Battle of the (One-Point) Sixes

All-new is a much abused phrase when it comes to cars. Car makers sometimes slap on new head- and taillights, change the wheels and market everything old as new again. Some of our “new” models are actually 5-8 years old and badly in need of a change.

Just in time, Honda and Toyota have released true all-new Civic and Corolla with changes to the engine, cabin, suspension–pretty much everything. Don’t rush to your Toyota and Honda dealer just yet; the 2001 Corolla and 2001 Civic has just been launched in Japan and the U.S.A. in the past few weeks, but they won’t be here yet until next year, at the earliest. Expect the new Civic to be here by January!

So what can we expect from the latest iterations of these perennial bestsellers?

Toyota Corolla

On paper, the Corolla has always had the edge over the Civic. The Corolla was the first 1.6 to be offered here with a dohc 16 valve engine, and beat the Civic to having EFI, ABS and dual airbags. Until now, the Civic has neither ABS nor airbags.

Toyota has surmised—and correctly, we think—that here in Southeast Asia, the Corolla is not an economy special driven by students or first-time employees. Here it’s already the business class of car and only the middle managers or business people can readily afford it. Thus, they’ve loaded it with features that you wouldn’t expect in a U.S. Corolla—things like leather seats and CD changers.

The new Corolla continues that tradition of luxury mixed with safety, and takes one more step in the Lexus direction. For one, it has finally grown up in appearance. Since 1984, the Corolla has sported non-offensive but very generic styling. Finally, the 2001 Corolla looks like a proper luxury car. As with recent new Toyotas like the Echo, RAV4 and Celsior (LS430), large headlamps dominate the front end. A subtle bump in the center of the hood calls attention to the badge on the mesh-type grille, which oddly, in the Japanese version, isn’t the Toyota “T.” Foglamp clusters are located just below the bumper.

Where the styling really takes off is behind the A-pillar. Here the Corolla practically screams LUXURY with its solid-looking doors, with a crease at the level of the door handles, which are of course pull-types a la Mercedes. A recessed fold runs across the lower edge of the doors to break up the slab-like sides and help the aerodynamics. The large C-pillar is also a Mercedes styling trait that Toyota has also borrowed for the IS200. Though my co-editor pronounces it bloated and “looks like a Sentra,” for me it works and I think it’s the best-looking Corolla ever. The rear with its trapezoidal lamp clusters is somewhat generic though, and surely they could have come up with more distinctive wheels!

Luxury usually connotes a large size, and the Corolla doesn’t disappoint here, either. Grown in all three directions: length by 50 mm, width by 5 mm and height an astonishing 85 mm! The wheelbase (that’s the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels) has grown significantly by 135 mm. This has endowed the cabin with more interior space, something that the present model desperately lacks. Weight has stayed the same, despite the larger size.

Unfortunately, the dashboard doesn’t depart from the default “sensible” layout. I suppose wacky central-instrument pods will have to be exclusive to the Echo and Previa for now. Still, the dash has become classier than ever, with premium plastics in subdued colors, with the unavoidable central wood trim (Can’t someone come up with something other than wood?! We know it’s fake, anyway!), and buttons nearly flush with the console. Spicing things up are the instruments, which have lime-green backlighting similar to the Lexus GS300’s.

Turning radius is admirably small, matching the much-shorter Echo! We can only hope that the steering response is similarly lively.

Engines range from the a sensible 1.5-liter VVTi unit borrowed from the Echo Verso, to a sizzling 1.8 VVTL-i good for 188 bhp ! (That’s 104 bhp/liter, finally beating the Civic SiR’s 100 bhp/liter). The 1.5 unit nearly matches the current non-VVTi 1.6 for power, and beats it in torque. We can only hope that we’ll here the sound of that sweet 1.8 liter VVTL-i ripping through the Manila air soon.

Corolla abandons the independent rear suspension in favor of a torsion beam, to increase interior space and lessen trunk intrusion, and to save on weight. Whether or not this results in a worsened ride we’ll only find out during a test drive. Front suspension is still the immortal McPherson strut.

Safety features are more generous than ever, with the addition of Electronic Brake Distribution to the ABS. This feature enables the computer to brake each wheel individually, according the brake force actually needed, unlike non-EBD systems, which distribute more brake force to the front wheels regardless of braking conditions. The benefit is a more stable braking and longer brake life. Of course, airbags are standard equipment, as are four-wheel disc brakes.

A sharply-cut wagon completes the Corolla line-up, beating the Opel Astra as the best-looking compact wagon. For a price difference of PHP40,000 or less, I’d go for the wagon.

Without a doubt, this is the most luxurious Corolla ever. Does it have what it takes to beat its archrival from Tochigi?

Honda Civic

In recent years, Civic has relied on its sporty image instead of features to maintain its leadership. Though Honda has been quite mean with the Civic’s equipment, not installing ABS, airbags, CD player, leather seats, catalytic converter—not even as options—the Civic’s positioning as “prestigious” has enabled it to attract plenty of paying customers.

It’s not just good marketing though, as the current Civic is still a cut above the current Corolla in terms of driving characteristics. Its ride is better and the engines, particularly the VTECs, much more responsive.

For the 2001 Civic, Honda has chosen not to tamper much with the looks of the car. In fact, it looks quite similar to the old model. It’s as if the Civic still has the same clothes, but just had them pressed to look sharper. The creases along the doors are more defined now, and the integration of lights with the bumper is smoother.

With a radically-different Corolla, could this conservative approach be the Civic’s downfall? Since the Civic is the market leader here and in the U.S., perhaps Honda did not want to alienate its current buyers by offering something completely unfamiliar.

Honda has also taken a chance by eliminating some of the “sporty” elements of the Civic, such as the double-wishbone front suspension. Since Honda was one of the first to offer double wishbone suspension on a small car, this is a suprising move. Seems that the McPherson struts on the 2001 Civic allow the engine bay to be smaller, and the cabin to be pushed forward. In fairness, plenty of luxury cars use McPherson struts, but it remains to be seen whether this will reduce the steering precision and feel that Civics are famous for.

Rear suspension remains as independent multi-link with double-wishbone geometry. By redesigning the suspension and repositioning the fuel tank, the Civic has gained a flat rear floor. If you’ve ridden in the back seat of a CRV, you’d know that this would certainly increase the impression of space. The Civic in fact goes up the interior-space scale, from subcompact to compact.

Like the exterior, the interior is a subtle reworking of the present model. It’s not as luxurious as the Corolla’s wood-lined number, but the plastics and switches are visibly improved. In the automatic versions, chrome frames the shifter in a hopeless attempt to make the interior sporty. We certainly hope that the Civic will introduce ABS and dual airbags as standard equipment on its 1.6 models—it’s about time!

Major changes are in store in the engine bay. Gone is the 1.6 liter, replaced by an all-new 1.7 with better fuel economy. The 1.7 is good for 127 bhp. A 3-stage VTEC head (for low, medium and high revs, vs. today’s 2-stage VTEC) contributes to improved response and fuel economy. For the techie types, this is an all-new engine from the same family as the S2000’s, the first Honda four-cylinder to spin clockwise. We can only hope that there’s a DOHC VTEC version in the pipeline. 175 bhp, anyone?

Where the Corolla has a wagon variant, the Civic counters with a bulbous hatchback. Strangely, this hatch is not the sleek and compact model that you’d expect. With the long rear overhang, protruding hatch and angular C-pillar, it’s more like a wagon that hasn’t grown to full maturity yet, similar to the Kia Rio. The Type R (which has always been hatchback-only) can’t be far away, though surely it will not look as good as today’s Type R! Honda U.S. is also offering a Civic coupe, which features a sharply-raked roofline. The Coupe looks great from the rear, with its triangular taillights and sharp trunk lines.

So is there a clear winner here? Yes, but which one depends on your priorities. Family man with kids, cautious-type or prefer luxury? Corolla. Want a sensible sedan with some sporting characteristics? Civic. The differentiating line between the two is blurring, but still quite visible. For its more mature looks, better interior and those VVTi engines, I’d pronounce the Corolla as the winner for now

Toyota and Honda cars are very similar in purpose and specification but quite different as an experience. Much like another pair of famous German rivals, one’s emphasis is on sport and the other on luxury. We’re glad that the new Civic and Corolla are much changed from the current ones, but still quite different from each other. The day when Honda and Toyota release indistinguishable models will be a dark day indeed.

By Jason Ang | Photos courtesy of Honda and Toyota