Following the debut of the handsome new Corolla earlier this year, Toyota is now rolling out the Sport variant. Though the 2019 Toyota Corolla Sport is supposed to be all about handling and good looks and driving fun, what with it being “Sport”, the focus with this model is on connectivity features. 

In fact, they call the 2019 Toyota Corolla Sport the first-gen connected car, by which they mean it is the first production model to feature sophisticated connected features with practical purposes. Well, sort of practical, anyways. Most of these features are gimmicks one can live without, as we’ve been doing for the past 100 years. The highlights include  e-Care Service and LINE My Car Account, DCM diagnostic, HELPNET, Toyota Operators giving you assistance, Health check, and Agent voice recognition.

We are more interested in the way 2019 Toyota Corolla Sport looks and drives. The car features a more aggressive face than the regular version and even gets its own front emblem with a “C” for Corolla (JDM version only). You also get a sporty rear bumper with double tailpipes at the back. Inside, the sporty cabin is decorated with coordinated silver accessories and black panels. There is a 7-inch TFT multi-information display and sporty bucket seats, plus a small steering wheel which adds to the driving fun.

In terms of powertrain, the new Corolla Sport launches with either a 122 PS 1.8 liter hybrid unit, or a 116 PS 1.2 liter turbo petrol unit. So no, engine-wise the car is not very sporty. But you do get a sporty suspension setup and drive mode select. So a determined driver could a lot of joy out of this cool little hatchback.