Spied - Old Toyota Corolla gets a facelift in China

It's not unusual for car makers to extend a vehicle's life cycle as long as possible in countries like India and China.

This tendency also means that different generations of same cars coexist in such markets. We showed you how Suzuki plans to preserve the old Swift in China with a cosmetic retouch.

The Toyota Corolla is another example and the older generation of the car is still available in China under the suffix 'EX'.

The aging Corolla EX has been given a new lease of life with a facelift. Here are the spy pictures of the same spotted without a disguise in China. The car gets few styling changes and minor improvements to the interiors.

The front fascia looks new with the sculpted front bumper and Superbesque headlamps which sport a sharp kink. The headlamps now use HID bulbs. The shape of the front grill is uninteresting and is overdosed with chrome. The lines on the bonnet are more pronounced now.

The profile of the Corolla is retained and the rear hasn't got much of a refresh except for the bigger tail lamp units and revised rear bumper. The interior gets new dials, chrome accents for aircon vents and subtle changes to the dashboard design.

The car is still powered by the old 1.6 litre petrol engine that generates 120 bhp and is mostly used for the taxi market rather than for personal use.

[Source: Autohome.com.cn via Carnewschina.com]