2019 Toyota Corolla Showcased: India Launch Expected Next Year

The new Corolla looks sportier than the existing version; will get hybrid version

• Unveiled at the Guangzhou Motor Show, the new Corolla is expected to enter India in 2019

• Based on the TNGA GA-C platform; Toyota claims the Corolla has a low center of gravity which should provide better driving dynamics

• Interiors follow a ‘Sensuous Minimalism’ concept with more space and features than before

• The new Corolla is expected to get a hybrid powertrain

Toyota has taken wraps off the 12th generation Corolla at the Guangzhou Motor Show in China. As we had reported earlier, it is based on the TNGA GA-C platform which not only underpins the hatchback and estate version of the Corolla sold in Europe, but also the Prius and Camry as well. The new Corolla is available in two versions - Prestige and Sporty. Both versions will be available in China where the  Prestige will be simply called the Corolla, while the Sporty will be named the Levin. Toyota has revealed a list of markets that get the two versions.

Sporty - North America, China (Levin), Japan and other countries/regions

Prestige - China (Corolla), Europe, and other countries/regions

There’s no official word on which model will come to India, but going by the past record, it will be the Prestige version coming our way, no matter how much we like the Sporty model.

Before we get into the design specifics, let's look at the dimension chart.

As the numbers suggest, the new Toyota Corolla is longer and wider but shorter than the India-spec version. Toyota says the lowered height, wider tread and low center of gravity of the new sedan should boost its driving dynamics when compared to the older version.

Upfront, the new Toyota Corolla looks a lot more sleeker with a sharp and aggressive design. The front air dam along with a slim honeycomb mesh grille topped off by the Toyota badge hold your attention. Its flanked by upswept LED projector headlamps with axe-shaped/edgy daytime running lamps (DRLs). Oddly enough, the projector fog lamps are placed at either ends of the air dam or either ends of the front bumper, depending on the version.

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The side profile is similar to the hatchback till the C-pillar. The boot seems to be well integrated and lends the sedan a sleek look. It gets machine-finished alloy wheels and wraparound LED tail lights, which are slimmer than the units of the current India-spec Corolla.   

On the inside, Toyota has gone for a minimalist design for the dashboard, which gets a central floating 8-inch touchscreen unit with Entune 3.0 system. The Corolla gets Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa connectivity in the US. Other features include an LCD instrument cluster, wireless charging, dual climate control and a sunroof as well.

Toyota has refrained from revealing engine details apart from mentioning that the Corolla gets a new ‘Dynamic Force’ engine. This 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine churns out 170PS of power and 200Nm of torque. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual and direct shift CVT. Since this platform supports hybridisation, we expect the sedan to be offered with a hybrid powertrain as well. Expect the hybrid version to make it to our shores.

In terms of competition, the Toyota Corolla will continue to lock horns with the Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Elantra and the upcoming Honda Civic in India. When launched, expect the sedan to sport a price tag that ranges from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

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