The modern 5th generation Toyota Corolla was redesigned to be front-wheel drive and was the first to be engineered with the assistance of computers. The new Corolla was the first mass produced small car with twin-cam multi-valve engine technology. In 1986 the car won the SA Car of the Year award.
Launched in 1983, the fifth generation received some major changes. The front engine and front-wheel drive system layout replaced the front-engine and rear-wheel drive layout in this Toyota Corolla generation. The engine line-up of the fifth generation Toyota Corolla included the following:
- 1.3-litre SOHC
- 1.5-litre
- 1.6-litre EFI
- 1.8-litre diesel
For the first time in the history of Toyota Corolla, 4-speed automatic transmission was paired with the 1.6-litre EFI engine. The MacPherson suspension system in the front and rear improved the ride quality and handling. Furthermore, this generation was sportier than Toyota Corolla’s old models and featured an expanded head and legroom for the passengers. Besides, a sunroof was available as an option alongside the central locking car doors.
Developing the Fifth-Gen Corolla
With the incredible success of the previous Corolla model, Fumio Agetsuma retained his position as the head of the design team for the new car. Amazingly, the chief development engineer released his plans and visions for the fifth-gen model in the same month that the fourth-generation Corolla went on sale.
During the seventies it was becoming increasingly apparent that front-wheel drive layouts would play a massive role in the future of the automobile. Car manufacturers were finding out that front-wheel drive layouts tended to be cheaper to produce, lighter in weight and left more space in the cabin, all major plusses for mass produced family vehicles.
Toyota’s first front-wheel drive passenger car came in the form of the Tercel in 1978. This new vehicle showed the Japanese manufacturer the benefits of a front-wheel drive system for a family passenger vehicle.
Agetsuma realised that he could implement a front-wheel drive layout in the new Corolla design, however, not everyone was happy. Many in Toyota were worried that a front-wheel drive design would upset the Corolla’s loyal fan base and reduce sales.
Despite this, Agetsuma pressed ahead with the new drivetrain layout and eventually convinced Toyota’s board of directors that it was a good idea. Approval for a front-wheel drive Corolla came at the start of 1980, and immediately Agetsuma and his team started to work on a raft of new technologies and features for the vehicle.
A Range of New Power Units
As with many car manufacturers at the time, Toyota switched to full-scale use of computers for the majority of its development and design work. The fifth-gen Corolla would receive the full benefit of this computer aided design process with a number of world-firsts developed into the engine range.
At launch, Toyota offered several different engine options including the 1.3-litre 2A-LU power unit, the 1.5-litre 3A-LU, and the newly developed 1.6-litre 4A-ELU with electronic fuel injection.
While versions of the 2A and 3A power units had featured on earlier Corolla models, the engines in the fifth-generation car were reworked to provide better power and fuel economy. Some of the new features on these engines included the installation of a manifold converter, a swirl control valve and an integrated Ignition Assembly that was designed to optimise combustion efficiency at low to mid rpms.
With the changes made the 2A produced roughly 73 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 107 Nm (79 lb ft) of torque at 3,600 rpm, while the 3A produced 82 hp at 5,600 rpm and 118 Nm (87 lb ft) of torque at 3,600 rpm.
Toyota’s new 4A-ELU engine was essentially a derivative of the 3A motor, but with the displacement increased from 1.5 to 1.6-litres. The new engine also received electronic fuel injection and the company’s newly developed Toyota Computer Controlled System (TCCS). This new system electronically controlled the timing of the spark plugs and helped boost power to a respectable 99 hp 137 Nm (101 lb ft) of torque.
Later in the fifth-generation Corolla’s production lifecycle, Toyota would introduce the multi-valve 1.3-litre 2E-LU that replaced the 1.2-litre 2A engine. This new engine had a number of improvements over the 2A and power was boosted to 80 hp and 108 Nm (80 lb ft) of torque. In some markets buyers could opt for the 1.8-litre 1C-L diesel engine.
At the top of the engine range was the new 4A-GE Lightweight Advanced Super Response Engine (LASRE) that was designed as a replacement for the much loved 2T-GEU power unit. Toyota original designed the engine as a single overhead cam unit, but eventually converted it to a double overhead cam form with a 16-valve head to improve performance.
The 4A-GE also incorporated a whole range of new technologies and features for a Toyota car such as an aluminium cylinder head, a forged crankshaft, a higher compression ratio and Toyota’s Variable Induction System. With all these updates, the 4A-GE produced as much as 128 hp at 6,600 rpm and 149 Nm (110 lb ft) at 5,200 rpm.
In October 1984 Toyota introduced a version of this engine known as the 4A-GEL for FF sedan and hatchback models.
New Transmission Options
Toyota not only reworked the Corolla’s engine lineup, but they also updated the car’s transmission options. They once again offered the car with a four or five-speed manual transmission (depending on the model), but the biggest changes occurred with the automatic lineup.
By this point, the automatic transmission was the preferred option in Japan and many other export markets. Toyota fitted lower end, front-wheel drive Corolla’s with a three-speed auto box, while higher end models (and coupe models with the 3A-U engine) had the option of a four-speed automatic. The three-speed auto was eventually replaced with a four-speed on all models in February 1984.
Rear-Wheel Drive & Front-Wheel Drive Options
As Toyota was unsure about how Corolla enthusiasts and buyers would respond to a front-wheel drive car, they decided to keep a rear-wheel drive lineup as well. Another factor in this decision was that the cost of converting the Corolla plant from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive would be far too expensive to justify the cost at the time.
Toyota decided to make front-wheel drive models more comfort orientated, while rear-wheel drive cars were more focused on performance and the overall driving experience. Rear-wheel drive coupe models were fitted with either 1.5- or 1.6-litre longitudinally mounted engines and were given the chassis designation of ‘AE86’.
The AE86 was the last Corolla model with a front-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive layout and the car quickly developed a cult like following. Drifters, racers and rally drivers all had massive success in the AE86 and it has gone onto to become one of Toyota’s most loved vehicles. The AE86 is arguably best known for its role in the Japanese TV anime series ‘Initial D’, where it is the vehicle of choice for the main character.
New Suspension
Corolla models with a front-wheel drive layout all received a new suspension design. Toyota adopted a MacPherson strut with an L-shaped lower arm for the front, while dual-link struts with two lower arms were used at the back.
Coupe models were given the same layout as was introduced on the third-generation Corolla. However, Toyota’s engineers reworked the suspension’s positioning and alignment to provide better handling performance and ride comfort.
An Up-To-Date Body
With the use of computer aided programs, Agetsuma and his team could rapidly create new designs and renderings of the fifth-generation Corolla. The new Corolla’s design was developed to be much more appealing to younger buyers, and, as such the older generation were not so keen on it. Still, despite this the fifth-generation Corolla was once again a sales success, becoming the world’s best-selling car.
The Toyota design team not only utilised their new computer aided design process to help with the styling, but they also used it to improve safety. During the development process, the Japanese automaker produced around 600 prototype vehicles with 100 of them being dedicated to collision research and tests.
During these tests they found that if certain sections of the body were allowed to crumple in a controlled way, they could dramatically reduce the impact load from the collision. Additionally, the polyurethane bumpers from the previous gen model were replaced with plastic ones that were integrated into the body.
Toyota offered the fifth-gen Corolla in a total of five different body styles: a three-door hatchback, a two or three-door coupe, a four-door sedan and a five-door liftback. Rear-wheel drive was only available on coupe models.
List of References
Rola, accessed 13 December 2023, https://www.rola.co.za/newsroom/86-the-toyota-corolla
Cars Blog,Car History:Toyota Corolla, accessed 13 December 2023, https://www.dubizzle.com/blog/cars/toyota-corolla-history
Autoweek:Here’s How Toyota Sold 50 Million Corollas In 55 Years, accessed 13 December 2023, https://www.autoweek.com/news/g37418790/how-toyota-sold-50-million-corollas/
Garage dreams: The complete history of Toyota Corolla, accessed 13 December 2023, https://garagedreams.net/history/the-complete-history-of-the-toyota-corolla
