The South African new-vehicle market may well dip to 640 000 units in 2014, says Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) sales and marketing senior VP Calvyn Hamman.

This is the first prediction that expects a drop in the market. To date, economists and industry bodies have forecast a stable market in 2014, with minimal growth, if any.

The automotive industry sold 650 629 new cars, bakkies and trucks in 2013.

Hamman says the South African market should dip slightly in the new year as consumer confidence is low, South Africa’s economic growth prospects weak and vehicle prices are fast increasing, owing to rand weakness. Interest rates are also on the up, and con-sumers face a high debt burden.

TSAM has spent the past 34 years as the country’s best-selling new-vehicle brand.

Toyota sold 126 749 units in 2013, ending the year with a market share of 19.5%. TSAM also houses the Lexus premium brand and the Hino truck badge.

Hamman says Toyota hopes to sell 133 200 units in 2014, which should give it a market share of 20.8%.

He says the forecast is for the Hino brand to sell 4 170 trucks in 2014, up from 3 949 in 2013, for Lexus to sell 1 468 units, up from 984 in 2013, and for Toyota to increase sales from 121 815 units in 2013 to 127 562 units in 2014.

“Toyota is aggressive. We want to grow,” says Hamman.

One way in which the local arm of the Japanese manufacturer hopes to achieve this is by launching 30 new models, derivatives and product facelifts in 2014, up from 28 in 2013.

One of the 30 is the new made-in-Durban Corolla sedan, which Hamman says is an important volume model for Toyota in South Africa.

The New Corolla

Toyota manufactures two Corollas (‘Corolla’ means a ‘group of flowers’) every minute, seven days a week, and has sold around 980 000 in South Africa alone.

The eleventh Corolla promises to change the image of the vehicle, says TSAM marketing VP Glenn Crompton.

“Always the poster child for Toyota’s legendary quality, durability and reliability, the all-new 2014 Corolla is ready to shake off its point-A-to-point-B image with expressive styling, a premium interior, and extrovert driving dynamics. It serves notice to competitors that Toyota is not about to give up the segment it has defined and dominated for all these decades.”

The new Corolla is available in a choice of four grades, Esteem, which will serve as the entry-level Corolla, Prestige (midlevel), Sprinter (sport) and the top-of-the-range Exclusive model.

The Corolla offers leather as standard on all its models, bar the Esteem. All these models also feature a new, leather-covered, multifunctional steering wheel, which controls the audio, hands-free telephone and display systems.

On-board gadgetry includes remote central locking across the range, with keyless smart entry on Exclusive models; power mirrors and windows (front and rear); follow-me-home lights; an on-board computer; as well as air-conditioning for the Esteem and Prestige models, but automatic climate control for the Sprinter and Exclusive derivatives.

The new Corolla also features a touch-screen audio system incorporating radio/CD/DVD/MP3 player, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity with a music streaming facility, and a USB port for portable music players. However, the Esteem and Sprinter models are equipped with a standard audio system, aux-in and USB ports only.

A reverse and parking monitor is fitted as standard on the Prestige and Exclusive models.

The refreshed engine line-up features a new 1.4 ℓ D-4D turbodiesel engine, and three petrol engines; a 1.33 ℓ Dual VVT-i unit, a 1.6 ℓ DualVVT-i engine and another new powerplant, the 1.8 ℓ Dual VVT-i unit.

All engines are fitted with six-speed manual transmissions, but the 1.6 ℓ and 1.8 ℓ petrol variants may be mated to a new Multidrive S automatic transmission.

The new Corolla is equipped with up to seven airbags. However, the Esteem and Prestige variants come standard with four: driver, front passenger and side airbags.

All vehicles are equipped with an antilock braking system, incorporating electronic brakeforce distribution, and brake assist.

Traction control and vehicle stability control (VSC) are available as standard on the Sprinter and Exclusive models, and an improved hill-start assist control is fitted to vehicles equipped with VSC.

Pricing for the new Corolla starts at R214 990 for the Esteem model, with the most expensive Exclusive derivative available at R283 900.

The vehicle is sold with a three-year/ 100 000 km warranty and a standard five-year/90 000 km service plan.

Service intervals are set at 15 000 km.