Do you have any idea what the world’s biggest-selling hairdryer is? No? OK, how about microwave oven, television or steam iron? Still struggling? Someone must know the answers to these questions, no matter how uninteresting they might be, but how about the world’s biggest-selling car? That’s easy: with sales of more than 40 million units since its inception 48 years ago, you’re looking right at it – the automotive equivalent of white goods.
It’s astonishing just how much excitement surrounds cars like the Toyota Corolla. I had always assumed they were bought by people who had no real interest in anything to do with cars; that buying one was akin to buying a fridge-freezer or a water dispenser. So long as it does the job, who cares? Right?
Wrong. The Corolla is evidently a car that people get very passionate about, entering heated online debates to champion against its perceived rivals from Japan and South Korea. But, as a fan of driving, I just don’t get it. So, during my few days with the “all-new” Corolla, I ask friends and family what they think of it.
Most give the exterior design a thumbs-up and, indeed, it’s a more grown-up-looking car than ever before. It looks like a Camry that’s been shrunk in the wash, and is quite smart, although Kia and Hyundai both operate with a design language that immediately makes it look old-fashioned. But it’s a step in the right direction, at least. And that continues with the interior, with a pleasing dashboard design that again emulates its bigger brother, although the materials are cheaper and hard, and the seats, on anything longer than a half-hour journey, reveal themselves as being far too firm on the posterior for driver and passengers alike.
Toyota is calling this an all-new car, but the truth of the matter is that underneath its bodywork is an old model in desperate need of modernisation. The gearbox is an old four-speed automatic, but it’s less grating on the nerves than those wretched CVTs, and the engines (1.4L and 2.0L four-pots) aren’t powerful enough to mix custard with. To get any forward movement whatsoever you need to get your foot flat on the floor and leave it there.
In so doing, you accidentally discover that the Corolla is pretty good at gluing itself to the road. Approaching a deserted roundabout in Dubai, carrying more speed than it should have been because of the fact that I was just trying to keep it moving, it lurched and leaned but refused to relinquish its grip on the dusty tarmac. On the straight-ahead, the steering is overly light and I find myself having to constantly make minor corrections, a bit like B A Baracus used to when driving his A-Team van.
That four-speed ’box makes for rather high revs when cruising, too, so there’s always a bit of a thrashing racket coming from up front at speeds over 100kph, and the wind-noise insulation could only be described as average.
So is it all bad? No, perhaps I’m being harsh, but I can’t, no matter how hard I try, shake off the impression that the Corolla is just some car. A nondescript method of getting from point A to point B without breaking down. And therein lies the secret of the model’s incredible success.
Toyotas are built to go on and on and on. Just look at the fleets of taxis that operate, not only throughout the UAE but the rest of the world. If they break down, their operators lose lots of money, so it’s a decent barometer of longevity to see where they spend their money. And the majority of taxis that I’ve spent seat time in since being here have been Toyotas.
Does their success at providing reliable public transportation, though, mean they’re a decent purchase for us as consumers? Obviously that depends on what you want out of a car and, personally, I can’t think of many things more soul destroying than having to drive one of these things every day. Like I said, I love driving. But if I had to, I’d be able to live with one provided that the journeys made in it were mercifully short.
The Corolla’s millions of adoring fans might read this and think “so what? It does what it says on the tin”. And they’d be right, because it’s white goods and it lives up to that premise. But coming from the world’s biggest car company, I was expecting more from it – a game-changer that offered a new, far better experience for the masses that will end up with one in their possession. If Toyota could just make it more youthful in its appearance (like the version that US buyers will get), make it more appealing to buyers who like a bit of tech and give it a bit more punch, then it could possibly be a really good car, rather than merely an adequate one.
khackett@thenational.ae
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PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
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Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
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Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
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