2017 Toyota Corolla

For 50 years, Toyota's steadfast Corolla has been providing Canadian consumers with reliable, practical transportation. Canadians have embraced the Corolla. Not only is it one of the country's bestselling small cars, the compact sedan is built at Toyota's plant in Cambridge, Ontario.

In celebration of this big milestone, the Corolla has been given a significant upgrade, even if its design is but a couple of years old.

All sedan models receive a brand new grille and bumper design, plus standard LED headlamps. Sporty SE trim level vehicles get a more aggressive front bumper design with broader honeycomb insert, vertical LED fog lamps, and aggressive horizontal spars. New wheel designs for 16 and 17-inch wheels are included, too. Inside, changes are less noticeable; circular air vents and a revised centre stack are the key differences.

Also new for 2017 is the Corolla XSE upgrade package for the sporty SE. Following in the footsteps of the Camry, the XSE offers added visual flair with premium content like a power driver's seat and proximity key with push-button start. Toyota has also made a heated steering wheel available as an upgrade on LE and SE trim levels, while two new colours have joined the range: Falcon Grey and Galactic Aqua.

Perhaps the most impressive feature addition for 2017 is the standard fitment of the Safety Sense P system on all trim levels. Safety Sense P system includes radar cruise control, pre-collision warning, emergency autonomous braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, and automatic high beams. With this move, Toyota has truly democratized active safety for all consumers, one-upping Honda and most other brands that limit this sort of technology exclusively to range-topping trims.

2017 also sees the former Scion iM compact hatchback integrate into the Corolla lineup. It's now called the Corolla iM and carries over unchanged, other than the fitment of Safety Sense P.

All Corollas are powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing. CE, LE, and SE trims generate 132 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque. The LE ECO gains Toyota's Valvematic technology for greater fuel efficiency; it makes a smidge more power (140 hp), but generates slightly less torque (126 lb-ft). A six-speed manual is standard on the CE and SE trims, while the LE, LE ECO, and SE with XSE package receive a CVT. The Corolla iM receives the Valvetronic engine as standard, though in this application, it produces 137 hp and 126 lb-ft of torque. It can be had with a six-speed manual or CVT transmissions.

Standard on most Corollas is a 6.1-inch touchscreen display system with Bluetooth and USB input; all but the base CE trim receive a reverse camera. The SE with XSE package adds a larger 7.0-inch display with navigation, among other premium features. The Corolla iM receives the larger screen setup as standard. Neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto are available at this time.

Pricing for the revised Corolla starts at $16,290 - a marginal $295 increase from last year's model - and tops out at $25,210 for the XSE. The Corolla iM starts at $22,540.