Radical new look previewed for the next-generation Toyota Corolla

Toyota has released pictures of an edgy-looking sedan concept with Corolla badges, ahead of the Tokyo Auto Show, which gets underway in late November.

While no further details on this, or any of the other show cars, were mentioned in the initial photo drop, it clearly shows that Toyota is working on a more radical look for the next generation of its best-selling car of all time.

It also shows that the thirteenth-generation model will still be offered as a sedan, while the existence of a charging port on the front fender shows it has an electric or plug-in hybrid powertrain.

This ties in with reports from 2024 that Toyota was planning to use BYD’s hybrid technology for future models, including the next-generation Corolla that’s due in 2026. Some reports suggest range figures in the region of 2,000km with a full battery and fuel tank.

The two companies have already collaborated to produce the Chinese-market bZ3 electric sedan, which uses BYD’s Blade LFP batteries.

While the next Corolla could use BYD batteries, they’re likely to be paired with Toyota’s own new-generation petrol engine range, Drive reports. These will be available in 1.5-litre normally aspirated and turbocharged, as well as 2.0-litre turbo guises.

Toyota has not yet confirmed that a new-generation Corolla sedan is on the cards for 2026. However, with the current version having been on the market since 2018 already, it is certainly due for replacement soon.

A new version of the Corolla Cross would likely join the line-up at a later stage, given that the current SUV model was launched in 2021, lagging behind its sedan sibling by a few years.

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