Toyota Corolla review

Prices for the 1.8-litre start at £30,225, or £31,970 for the 2.0-litre in entry-level Icon trim. Then there's an uplift of £1,570 to Design, £1,240 again to GR Sport, and finally another £410 to the top-spec Excel.

On lease, you're looking at a starting price of £370 per month for the 1.8-litre or £415 per month for the 2.0-litre over three years, with a 10,000-mile yearly allowance and £5k down payment.

What's the difference between trims?

Icon's standard equipment includes 16in alloys, LED headlights, heated front seats, 12.3-inch instrument cluster, 10.5-inch infotainment display, wireless charging, a reversing camera, and front and rear parking sensors.

Design adds 17in wheels, rear privacy glass, auto fold door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, ambient interior lighting and the option of a panoramic roof. Then you’re onto GR Sport: don't be thrown by the badge here, there's no extra performance element thrown in. You just get a flurry of GR-badged bits for a sportier look.

Top-spec Excel introduces 18in wheels, adaptive headlights, a part-leather interior upholstery, head-up display and the option of a bi-tone paint finish.

What's the best spec?

We'd certainly be tempted by the larger 2.0 engine if your budget stretches that far, as it's noticeably faster than the 1.8 and doesn’t impact hugely on economy.

Meanwhile Icon trim comes equipped enough to keep most people happy – there’s no difference in interior tech nowadays unlike Corollas of the past. And it’s the only trim that keeps you on the 16in wheels, which help the ride and efficiency.