In its domestic market, Toyota sells a three and five-door Corolla hatchback that was launched in 2006 and is also sold in Europe as the Auris. The new North American market Corolla - unveiled previously in tuner form at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and shown at the LA Auto show - is a quite different design to this car: it is a sedan rather than a hatch, and is not as tall.

With the similarly-sized Matrix, based on the same platform and targeting the younger car buyer, the Corolla is clearly focusing on the older and more conservative small car buyer. Its design is exceptionally conservative, well executed and well proportioned, but forgettably bland. Look closer though and there are some subtle design solutions: note the soft body side crease that doubles back on itself in the front and rear fenders in a very controlled way.

The interior is also very conventional, if also consistently executed.

Unfortunately nobody is going to love this car for its design, but for the many people who don't want to love the design of their car - people who just want to not actively dislike their car - the design of the new Corolla is perhaps just as it should be.

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The Sequoia is a redesigned full-size SUV from Toyota, with a 5.7-liter V8, six-speed automatic transmission, five-ton towing capacity and three rows of seats.

The car has been conceived for large families who take long trips, and the interior practicality reflects this. Between the front seats is a cavernous storage compartment and, ahead of this, is an additional compartment. In the roof there are four drop down stowage containers for glasses and a rounded mirror in which the driver and/or front passenger can see the passengers in the rear. And there is a twin glove-box as well as capacious door pockets. The interior is also interesting for its heavily recessed separate five instrument dials and the four HVAC dials that run across two distinct areas of the instrument panel.

As well as class leading interior stowage, the Sequoia has more interior space than its direct competitors, but the perceived quality of the materials in the cabin is quite low, if at least consistent and robust. This is perhaps less of an issue with the Toyota having a premium sibling in the form of the Lexus LX570, which also made its debut in LA.

The exterior of the Sequoia is more conservative than the interior; it is very much a chunky, generic aesthetic that doesn't advance the genre at all: a rather brash grille design, large rounded surfaces and no distinct design elements. This is a very American market product, and one that appeals to a typically conservative profile of American car buyer. But beyond the class-leading packaging and the interior functionality this affords, there is little to get excited about in this new design.

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Lexus LX570 - Los Angeles 2007

This is the second-generation Vibe and, like the first-generation, this car is based on the Toyota Matrix, also debuting here at LA in its new form. The Vibe shares its interior with the Matrix but the exterior is different, and we think it is the better for it...

The front of the car is archetypal Pontiac with the classic twin grille and predatory lamp graphic. Sweeping around the leading edge of the lower front bumper and then up into the lamp can at the edge of the orange running light is a feature line that dips and fades below the A-pillar. Another feature line then picks up in the body side to run into the rear lamp cans and around the rear bumper. These two feature lines define much of the design theme of the car and work well with the gently blown surface in the rear fender. Only the cheap looking rear lamp cans detract from an otherwise impressively executed exterior, which is distinctive without being overdrawn.

The interior is almost identical to that of the Matrix, although the trunk of one of the show cars features a useful fold out system to secure small luggage loads - ideal for the younger car buyer that this car targets who often have small luggage loads. There are other specific elements conceived for the younger car buyer, such as a fold flat front passenger seat and split fold rear seats (ideal for surf boards or the occasional furniture purchase) and a powerful sound system.

Designs like the Pontiac Vibe rarely get the praise they should. It's a small practical car at the bottom of the automotive food chain, but it is nonetheless an impressive design.

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Toyota Matrix - Los Angeles 2007