AE90/2 Corolla

A new generation (number six), three new body shapes (again in four-door sedan and five-door hatch and Seca liftback), new drivetrains and a new manufacturing site (Port Melbourne) marked more big changes to Toyota’s popular small car.

Safety, refinement, comfort and quality all rose significantly, but so did weight.

Three new twin-cam multi-valve engines were introduced – a 60kW 6A-FC 1.4 (SE, CS hatch manual only), 67kW carburettor 4A-FC 1.6 (SE auto, CS, CS-X) and 100kW 4A-GE fuel-injected 1.6 (SX manual) – coupled to a five-speed manual, three-speed auto or four-speed auto gearboxes.

The SX also enjoyed bolstered seats, suspension and brakes.

In March ’90 Toyota introduced a value-added model called the Spirit.

This Corolla was also the first of the short-lived model-sharing cars with Holden, which unsuccessfully marketed it as the Nova.