Fifth Generation (1984-1987)
Toyota finally succumbed to the emerging front-drive orthodoxy of the '80s with the introduction of the front-drive Corolla sedan for 1984. However, the SR5 Coupe and Liftback and the station wagon continued atop the previous-generation Corolla's rear-drive chassis.
The front-drive Corolla was as conventional as it had been in a rear-driver layout. The same 1.6-liter, SOHC engine used in the rear-drive Corolla sat transversely in the front-driver's engine bay feeding either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The rear was held up on coil springs. A few early fifth-generation front-drive Corollas were powered by a four-cylinder diesel.
Midway through the 1984 model year, the rear-drive Corolla coupe and Liftback were offered with a new dual-overhead cam, 16-valve version of the 1.6-liter four rated at a robust 124 horsepower. The resulting Corolla GT-S is now a classic of sorts, a highly tossable, fun-to-drive vehicle that has attracted a cult following of "drifters" who slide their vehicles through corners as a motorsport form in Japan. This DOHC engine, along with the front-drive Corolla's five-speed transaxle, also served as the drivetrain in the midengine MR2, which came to America in early 1985.
Through 1985 and 1986, the Corolla lineup stayed pretty much intact. Then in 1987 a new front-drive Corolla "FX" coupe was introduced. Produced at the NUMMI joint venture production plant in California (run by both Toyota and General Motors), the FX was a conventional hatchback in the Volkswagen Rabbit mold and was available with either the SOHC or DOHC, 1.6-liter engine. When equipped with the DOHC engine, it was known as the FX16. The FX also marked the start of Corolla production in North America.