New Toyota Corolla to be shown on June 6

In January 2013, Toyota showcased the striking next generation Corolla Furia Concept at the Detroit Motor Show. With its angular design cues, flared bumpers and steeply raked windscreen, the Corolla Furia Concept appears to have been designed to appeal to a younger audience -- something much needed as its rivals including the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus are already available in their new avatars.

Like the exterior, the interiors of the new Toyota Corolla are brand new and will feature a new layout with more upmarket trim, a new infotainment system and more features. While the car in European markets will get all black interiors, the India-spec model could feature beige or dual-tone interiors. 

Under the modern exterior, the next generation Corolla is expected to be powered by the same 1.8-litre petrol engine and 1.5 litre diesel engine. The petrol engine has been upgraded with both variable intake and exhaust valves in an attempt to improve efficiency and performance. The diesel motor is expected to remain the same with power output being around the current 88PS of power mark. The engines will be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox while a CVT automatic gearbox will also be on offer. 

Since 1997, the Toyota Corolla has been the world’s bestselling car with 1.2 million units sold all over the world in 2012. Toyota aims to keep the Corolla’s No. 1 position on the sales charts with the new model as it seeks to appeal to a younger audience while maintaining its renowned bullet proof reliability factor. 

Toyota’s attempt at targeting the younger car buyer is a very valid point for India which has a phenomenal number of young car buyers. The current Toyota Corolla Altis is a good all round car no doubt, but its styling is a tad outdated. In 2012, Toyota sold just 6,912 Corollas compared to 9,283 in 2011, which is a 26 per cent fall.

The new model is just what Toyota needs to give the Corolla nameplate here in India to re-establish the strength of the world’s bestselling car on our shores. 

It's now time to get ready to set our eyes upon the final production version of the next generation Corolla when the company takes the wraps off the car on June 6, 2013. The new Toyota Corolla is expected to hit our market in early 2014.

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