Toyota has unveiled a radically styled Corolla concept at this week’s Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.
The low and sporty four-door car is a sneak preview of what the next generation of the world’s best-selling car may look like, though Toyota hasn’t confirmed when it may reach production. The 12th generation Corolla is seven years old but Toyota has not said when it is due for replacement.
The Corolla has relied on quiet conservatism and small evolutionary steps to notch up more than 50-million sales since its 1966 launch, but the new Corolla concept adopts distinctly revolutionary styling mojo.
Underneath the futurustic, coupe-like design is a spacious interior with an innovative layout that replaces the traditional, button-intensive dashboard for a minimalist, digitised look.
Toyota said the concept’s platform is compatible with different powertrains including internal combustion engines, hybrids and electrics.
At the unveiling, Toyota designer Lance Scott said the concept was designed with the aim of totally reinventing the Corolla for a new era, rather than evolving what has gone before, according to Autocar.
Scott told the publication the concept is “a vision at the moment” but “a lot of nice comments” would influence the company’s decision on whether to put it into production.
In South Africa the 12th generation Corolla was launched as a hatchback in 2019 and a sedan in 2020, and while they have notched up mediocre sales due to declining consumer interest in the C-segment body styles, the Corolla Cross SUV launched in 2021 has become one of the country’s best-selling cars.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.