2017 Toyota Corolla Release Date, Price: Ups Ante For Safety,

Sep 30, 2016 11:07 AM EDT

The 2017 Toyota Corolla continues the grand tradition of being Toyota’s best selling sedan, having achieved the half century mark for the model year and putting approximately 43 million Toyota Corollas on the road since its 1966 introduction. This makes the Toyota Corolla one of the best selling cars of all time. The 2017 Toyota Corolla is being prepared for a debut, and bear in mind that competition in this segment has gotten fiercer with the likes of the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and Kia K3 entering the picture.

It does seem that Toyota has placed plenty of emphasis on the externals with the 2017 Toyota Corolla, where it will come with redesigned headlights and front fascia. You might even need to take a second look at the 2017 Toyota Corolla before realizing that it is no Camry from afar, but will a family sedan that trumpets value for money over everything else need to keep up with the “angry looks” department that modern rides sport these days with their fierce, angled lines?

Looks is not everything, and thankfully Toyota has also ensured that what lies underneath the hood and within the chassis is more capable than ever before. The 2017 Toyota Corolla will come with a rear-view camera even in the base model in order to keep up with the Joneses, and Toyota’s forward collision prevention system with emergency auto braking will also be a standard feature on all trims. This would place Toyota in a league of its own for its market segment, being the only brand that offers this important safety system. According to the IIHS, the forward collision prevention system with emergency auto braking is able to reduce rear-impact crashes by up to 40%.

Do take note that the 2017 Toyota Corolla’s “Marginal” score it picked up in a key crash test in 2015 would mean it misses out on being the top safety pick including designation from IIHS, unless it undergoes a retest with a better score.

All trims of the 2017 Toyota Corolla will also come with dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist function, and automatic high beams. The bi-LED headlamps can be found on L, LE and LE Eco grades, while complex-LED is standard on the SE, XSE and XLE grades.

Other features thrown into the mix within the cabin include standard Bluetooth, Entune Audio, Entune Audio Plus with Connected Navigation (Scout GPS Link App) or available Entune Premium Audio with Integrated Navigation and App Suite, and a 7” display to keep you well connected.

Those who are interested in celebrating the 2017 Toyota Corolla’s debut can also pick the 50th anniversary Corolla, where it will arrive in the Black Cherry Pearl custom color as seen above. Similar to all other special editions from Toyota that we have seen lately, the 50th anniversary Corolla will also boast of key options such as integrated navigation capability.

Do take note that there will only be 8,000 units of the 50th Anniversary Special Edition sold in the US, where it will be extra romantic with a moonroof introduced as well. Available from Fall 2016, the 50th Anniversary Special Edition will also be available in Classic Silver and Blizzard Pearl shades.

The 2017 Toyota Corolla would start at $19,365 for the base L model, while the best selling LE trim will start at $19,800, with the LE Eco opening its price at $20,200. SE versions will list for $22,530, with the XSE trim kicking things off at a base Camry price of $23,545.