It's always a special treat to be allocated a test car for an extended period over the December/ January holidays. This year, Toyota obliged by providing us with the manual version of the new 12th Generation Corolla in top spec XR guise.

Our holiday plans included a week at the coast at the beginning of January and I was looking forward to the cruise with 4 aboard plus knowing that the 500L boot would swallow all our luggage with ease. Sadly, after the announcements just before New Year, it was necessary to cancel the trip.

Already, our driving was curtailed over the period, so the Corolla was limited to urban driving and limited freeway travel. No hardship as such because this car absolutely excels in this role. The 2L 4 cylinder petrol engine provides 125kW and 200Nm to the front wheels through a slick and easy 6 speed manual gearbox. This provides plenty of power and torque for all circumstances and allows easy driving under all conditions with plenty in reserve for overtaking.

The gearbox has a special "party trick" called iMT. This required quite a bit of research on my part to find out more detail. Activated by a button just in front of the gear lever, iMT activates an electronic rev matching mode that provides ultra smooth up and down shifts. When activated, you cannot feel the shifts at all. The surprise on my part is twofold. Firstly, why Toyota don't publicise this feature in all brochures and secondly, why this is not the default mode? Perhaps de-activating could then be deemed a "sports mode"?

Overall, the engine power, smooth gearbox and upgraded suspension on the latest model all combine to create a spacious car that is far more smooth and comfortable than I would ever have expected from the Corolla badge. It may have grown in size and power with each subsequent generation. The current car is also, in my opinion, the most stylish and non-conservative version yet. The front looks particularly aggressive with it's large grille and scoops and fins plus the slim LED headlights and daytime running lights.

The interior provides luxury levels with Active cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, reverse camera, 7 airbags and so much more that we have come to expect from top end vehicles today. Add in the infotainment system that includes Apple Carplay, Android Auto and the "My Toyota'" app. All new Toyota's even get a wi-fi hotspot loaded with 15gig of data.

Leather and cloth combination seats with electric adjustment for the drivers pew are standard along with climate control and Isofix fittings in the rear.

Fuel consumption for the test period was 7.7L/ 100km. The car gives a readout of trip consumption as you turn off the ignition. On a few occasions I noted 6.3L/ 100km after a freeway run so I'm sure my overall figure is very representative of what most owners can expect from this car and if used for less urban commuting then far better consumption can be achieved.

After living with the Corolla for more than a month, my biggest question must be why they don't swop the Toyota badge to Lexus? I truly believe that the overall quality of this car could justify the Lexus badge.

As tested, the current retail price is R420 500 and this includes the Toyota 6 Service or 90 000km service plan.

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