When most of us think “Eco” something miserly on fuel yet ho-hum to drive likely pops to mind. Almost every automotive brand

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has something offered with the Eco prefix in its name, even premium brands like BMW, but all too often press that dreaded button and all the fun gets sapped out of an otherwise sporty experience. Not so for the 2014 Toyota Corolla Eco, however. It actually adds more power to its fuel-friendly, ultra-green 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine.

That Eco-tuned engine includes Toyota’s state-of-the-art Valvematic variable valve opening process that varies the lift of the intake valves to control air intake, freeing up airflow past the throttle valve into the cylinders. The innovative system saves on fuel and adds performance, my favourite combination, but strangely it can’t be had with the sportiest Corolla of them all, the S. Altogether it makes 140 horsepower, eight more ponies than the standard Corolla engine, although it gives up a smidge in thrust, the engine’s torque rated at 126 lb-ft instead of 128.

A

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nominal knock for sure, especially considering the Eco’s fuel economy gains. It’s good for a claimed 6.5 L/100km in the city and 4.6 on the highway compared to the Corolla S’s 6.9 city and 5.2 highway rating when mated to the same CVTi-S transmission that comes standard in the Eco. The Corolla’s standard six-speed manual, which gets an EnerGuide rating of 7.1 city and 5.2 highway with the six-speed manual or 7.4 and 5.4 when mated to the base model’s optional four-speed automatic, would no doubt be fun with the extra power of the Eco upgrade, but no dice.

The continuously variable transmission is a completely new design that Toyota refers

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to as a CVTi-S due to its Intelligent Shift technology. It offers the usual smoothness of a CVT, although the S tacked on to the tail end of the new name is actually there for a very sporty reason. The transmission includes seven stepped “gears” for a bit more fun from the driver’s seat, although steering wheel-mounted paddles are left off the Eco menu, only available in the aforementioned Corolla S.

The previous Corolla never got enough credit for being a nicely balanced little car, much better through the corners than some of its sportier looking competitors. The new Corolla builds on this performance with even greater feel and responsiveness, best experienced via S trim thanks to that model’s 17-inch alloy wheels, although the Eco’s optional 16s provided adequate grip when pushed through the curves.

The

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Eco can only be had in top-line LE trim, so opt for the most fuel efficient drivetrain and you’ll also get premium fabric upholstery on the seats and door trim, heated front seats, chrome interior door handles, a standard backup camera system viewable from a new full-colour 6.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, voice recognition, a six-speaker audio upgrade, automatic headlamps, variable intermittent wipers, cruise control, keyless entry, and a padded centre armrest/console bin lid, although unlike the LE the Eco doesn’t come standard with 16-inch steel wheels, but rather the same 15-inch rims on 195/65 rubber as the base CE. Specific to the Eco, the standard feature set is expanded to include automatic air conditioning, a rear lip spoiler, tire pressure monitoring, and an Eco driving indicator to help you eke out as much from a tank of gas as possible.

My tester also included the Corolla LE Eco upgrade package that includes Eco Drive Mode,

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fog lamps, 16-inch alloy wheels on 205/55 all-seasons, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a power tilt and slide glass sunroof, which altogether upped the luxury experience considerably.

Of course both LE and LE Eco trims come with most of the base CE model’s standard features, and it’s an impressive list. Surprisingly every Corolla benefits from brighter LED headlamps, a tilt and telescopic three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, a tachometer, an AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA audio system with an aux jack and USB input, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, automatic power door locks, power windows, power adjustable, heated, colour-keyed exterior mirrors, colour-keyed door handles, 60/40-split folding rear seats to increase the usable volume of its 368-litre trunk, a host of premium-level safety equipment as part of Toyota’s Star Safety System including Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction

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Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and Smart Stop Technology (SST), plus much more. Capping off the safety menu are all the expected airbags plus one for the driver’s knees.

All of these features are packed into a body shell that’s one of the best looking in the compact class, styled to look sporty even in base trim. The attractively penned interior is just as impressive, my LE Eco tester boasting loads of top-tier soft-touch plastics and finished in an attractive light gray enhanced by a subtle light blue stripe crossing the dash before extending across each door panel, and just underneath a thicker metallic accent strip. The blue and grey motif works perfectly with the blue backlit automatic climate control readout, while high gloss piano black plastic spiffs up the centre cluster. What’s more, the Corolla’s interior design

Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

is unlike anything else in the compact class. It’s a great looking horizontal layout that bucks against the longstanding vertical approach to car design, the primary gauge package and centre stack nicely tied together to form a totally cohesive look. If you can’t tell already, I really like it.

You can get into a base Corolla CE for as little as $15,995 plus $1,520 for freight and pre-delivery prep, while my top-line LE Eco tester with the Upgrade package retails at a very reasonable $22,200; the LE Eco without the extra equipment priced at $20,250.

Consider the attractive new Corolla’s easily attainable price and low running costs, factor in its long list of standard and optional features, then weigh its strong acceleration and enjoyable handling. All of this gets added to a car that’s legendary in reliability, making the 2014 Corolla a sure bet in the compact segment.
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