> No idea what the author means with "lacking a Toyota Corolla equivalent".
An older metaphor for the same might be "The Model T Ford" of $product.
As in, the influential model that brought the product to the masses, because it was more affordable, had good reliability and sold in huge volume: "The Ford Model T Is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relatively low price ... The Ford Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century"
An older metaphor for the same might be "The Model T Ford" of $product.
As in, the influential model that brought the product to the masses, because it was more affordable, had good reliability and sold in huge volume: "The Ford Model T Is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relatively low price ... The Ford Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_T