Spotted: a 1991 Toyota Corolla

The spotted specimen

This sixth generation Toyota Corolla was also once on every street corner in the Netherlands. In Wassenaar this is still the case on one street corner, because there we saw this 1991 Corolla 1.3 XLi Hatchback. Technically, Toyotas from this period are almost impossible to break down, and in other respects the car is apparently well liked, because it has been with its current owner since 2003.

The sixth generation Toyota Corolla

The sixth-generation Toyota Corolla was delivered in the Netherlands from 1987 through 1992. That is also the regular production period of this model, although production for some markets – with a local facelift – even continued until 2004. The spotted 1.3 XLi was introduced in 1990 and featured a 1.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with 60 kW (82 hp). Modest power by modern standards, but don’t forget that the car weighs only 935 kg. Thus, it still reached 100 km/h in an acceptable 11.5 seconds.

In short, this is typically an ordinary Toyota Corolla as it was once seen everywhere. That someone still keeps such an ordinary version driving after 34 years just makes it something special on the streets again.

Variants sixth-generation Toyota Corolla

In addition to this three-door hatchback, the sixth generation Corolla was also available as a five-door hatchback, five-door liftback, four-door sedan, five-door station wagon as well as a two-door coupe. The latter is a perhaps somewhat forgotten variant. It also looked quite different and actually fell under the Sprinter model family. In many markets outside Japan, however, the Sprinter was not delivered and some Sprinter models ended up in the already closely related Corolla family. By the way, the five-door liftback was actually a Sprinter family model as well.

As you can see, Toyota had a particularly large number of body styles for the Corolla at the time, with a lot of overlap. Not only were the five-door hatchback and five-door liftback somewhat in each other’s paths, but Toyota also offered two station wagons. In addition to the “regular” Corolla station wagon, there was also an estate version based on the Sprinter, with a distinctive straight rear end. In some countries that model was also delivered as a Corolla. Also in the Netherlands, where it was listed as a Corolla 4WD Wagon. Just as a variant of the “normal” station wagon, even though you were actually buying a completely different model.

Later Toyota Corollas

Apart from this jumble of body styles, the Toyota Corolla was just a familiar story. Another new model generation was ready in 1992, and the model line still runs – as one of the most successful in the world. Today, there are only three Corolla models to choose from: the five-door hatchback, the five-door station wagon and the four-door sedan. After the elimination of the latter, in the Netherlands we can even choose only two. Yes, and the Corolla Cross, but we see that SUV as a separate model line despite its name.