Like so many cars these days, the Corolla’s dimensions have increased over its multiple iterations. Toyota has sharpened the styling, too, and it’s really not a bad looking vehicle: the dark blue paint job contrasts well with the chrome and gloss black plastic. I like the honeycomb grill and the fact that Toyota gives you LEDs for both the daytime running lights and the low-beams. Those J-shaped bi-beam LED headlamps really give the car a distinctive look.

As a car for daily puttering it ticks the right boxes. Toyota fits it’s experienced 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine under the bonnet of our test XR model, with 125kW of power and 200Nm of torque. There’s both a CVT and a six-speed manual transmission, too, the latter having downshift rev-matching.

Things get less pleasant when you lean on the accelerator. The Corolla doesn’t lack speed, it’s 2.0 litres not reliant on the potentially-laggardly contributions of a turbocharger, but it’s soundtrack leaves much to be desired. Rough and faintly agricultural when pressed, rising and falling with the drunken glissando of the CVT, the engine note does more to encourage laid-back, economical driving than either rising petrol prices or weeping polar bears on shrinking icebergs ever could.

It’s a sharpened dagger to the heart when you consider the competition. Honda’s latest Civic, in 1.8-litre turbo form, is a gem of a car, it’s engine several leaps ahead of Toyota’s in refinement. The Civic gets better fuel economy, too, at least on paper.

Sport mode, I found, made the CVT more jumpy, though the Corolla is at least willing to rev all the way to its 6000 red line. Taking charge with the paddles – at which point the transmission feigns six traditional gears – avoids the hunting, and though its power won’t set your hair alight, the Toyota proved predicable in the corners as long as I ignored the body roll.

The Civic has a more salubrious interior, too, Toyota’s proving heavy on black and grey plastic, a sombre colour scheme only emphasised by the high, cliff-like slab that is the dashboard. There’s a little soft-touch plastic, and the steering wheel is leather-wrapped, but too many of the points at which your fingers naturally fall are hard and unforgiving.

In its favour, Toyota’s big buttons and clear display for the cockpit are easily navigated, and though it gets a large 7-inch touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The leather seats are comfortable and supportive, and there’s a surprising amount of rear legroom and boot space, despite this being a sedan not a hatchback.

Toyota buyers that weren’t expecting much in the way of technology or driver-assistance from the Corolla, are in for a surprise. Assistance tech includes adaptive cruise control, and all 2020 Corolla sedan trims get Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 on this very same XR model. That includes pre-collision brake assistance, lane departure alerts with steering assistance, and – on CVT cars – lane tracing assistance to keep the car in the center of the lane. Automatic high beam lighting is included, too, as is road sign assistance. Blind spot monitoring is optional.

In fact, beyond the infotainment upgrade, the only option not ticked ticked our sampler is the tilt/slide moonroof.

I suspect Corolla fans find much to appreciate in this latest model. It’s solid and predictable; the interior is spacious and the dark trim hides stains and dirt well, whether from pets or kids. It won’t shock or confuse; Toyota’s technology is tried and tested

Lingering in its favour is Toyota’s near-bulletproof reputation for reliability and its crisp, handsome appearance, just don’t expect too much in the way of fun as you cover the hundreds of thousands of complaint-free journeys the Corolla is undoubtedly capable of.

Tshegofatso Harmonix Phiri contributed his legendary photography work to this review.

Where the hatchback whet the appetite, the Corolla sedan is the main meal. It’s the best-selling body style of a car that, since the first Corolla launched in 1966, has sold more than 45 million units globally.

Like the surprisingly impressive hatchback, the all-new Corolla sedan is based on Toyota’s TNGA platform. It’s a big deal, not least because it should give the four-door a far more sporting feel from behind the wheel. From the outside, it’s lower and leaner than the old model, with bolder fender flares and a broader stance.

The wheelbase is the same as before, at 106.3-inches, but shorter front overhangs and longer rear overhangs combine with a lower height to leave the Corolla sedan looking more purposeful. The bonnet is a full 35mm lower, meanwhile, for better forward visibility. Depending on trim, there are different front fascia finishes, while J-shaped bi-beam LED headlamps give the car a distinctive look.

Adaptive front lighting is available, steering the beams around corners as you turn the wheel and depending on vehicle speed. At the rear, LED lamps are standard, with lens design varying by trim. As for paint, a new Celestite Grey Metallic has been added to the existing options: Pearl White, Glacier White, Satin Silver, Moonlight Ocean, Crimson Red, Dark Blue Metallic, and Scarlet.

16-inch alloy wheels kick off the XS trim, while the XR gets ultra-stylish turbine-shaped 18-inch alloys.

Inside, there’s a more streamlined cabin with a greater amount of tech. Silver and piano black accents can be paired with contrast stitching, and Toyota says it has tightened up the switchgear gaps and pared back the labelling to give it a cleaner overall finish. The options list gets a large 7-inch touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

For the driver, a 4.2-inch digital instrumentation display is standard; a 7-inch upgrade is optional. Assistance tech includes adaptive cruise control, and all 2020 Corolla sedan trims get Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 on the XR model.

That includes pre-collision brake assistance, lane departure alerts with steering assistance, and – on CVT cars – lane tracing assistance to keep the car in the center of the lane. Automatic high beam lighting is included, too, as is road sign assistance. Blind spot monitoring is optional.

As for the engine, the 2020 Corolla sedan XS carry over the 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol engine from before, though now delivering more power and better fuel economy. The 2020 Corolla sedan XR, meanwhile, get a new 2.0-liter Dynamic-Force inline four-cylinder engine, with 125kW of power and 200Nm of torque. There’s both a CVT and a six-speed manual transmission, too, the latter having downshift rev-matching.

All in all, the 2020 Corolla sedan sets out to strike a tricky balance: the dependability that the nameplate has been known for, but with more excitement to encourage new owners into the fold. We’ll see how well that works out when monthly figures come in. Pricing is as below.

Corolla 1.8 XS CVT – R 380 200
Corolla 2.0 XR 6MT – R 420 500
Corolla 2.0 XR CVT – R 433 700