The 13th-generation Toyota Corolla has been previewed by an edgy, fresh concept car at the Tokyo motor show today – catering for multiple powertrains including a battery-electric option – ahead of the production version’s expected launch in 2026 and its Australian release in 2027.
The Mazda 3, Hyundai i30 and Kia Cerato sized Corolla Concept, which was previewed earlier this month, was revealed in full at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS), in the culmination of a project led by Toyota’s ED2 (European Design Squared) studio in France.
While it remains a show car that’s not yet confirmed for production, designers said the concept supports multiple powertrain choices, suggesting both petrol-electric hybrid versions and potentially the first Corolla electric vehicle (EV).
The design of the compact five-door hatchback is much edgier than the existing Corolla hatch, featuring a long, heavily raked windscreen, triangular LED headlights, and new design elements such as plunging lower window lines for the front doors to intensify the side profile of the once-humble Corolla.
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There’s also an integrated rear spoiler that snakes its way from the A-pillar up front and along the concept’s roofline, plus clever details across the C-pillar and thin tail-lights.
Lance Scott, head of Toyota’s European design centre, said the Corolla is “a car for the majority but the majority does not always want the same answer”.
Mr Scott said the Corolla Concept has been designed in line with Toyota’s multi-pathway powertrain approach, confirming that “you can choose the powertrain”. In Australia, it’s expected the current model’s 1.8-litre petrol-electric hybrid setup will continue for the next-generation Corolla.
However, it may also include electric power – hence the concept’s closed front-end design, which would be altered to suit the cooling requirements of an internal combustion engine.
Mr Scott said the Corolla Concept has the same cabin and cargo space “regardless of powertrain” and the next Corolla is once expected to be available in a wide variety of variants, potentially including another GR performance flagship further down the track.
“I’ve worked for Toyota for nearly 30 years; I’ve probably had the Corolla come across my desk – in the studio – maybe four times now,” Mr Scott told CarExpert.
“Each time it’s a new challenge because the world changes and you have to think ‘Where am I going to take Corolla this time? What can I do? How can I do it? What’s the most important factor?’”.
For this generation, the body appear to have less of a conventional five-door hatchback design than the existing Corolla hatch.
“We wanted to create a Corolla which people looked at and thought ‘Oh, I can’t believe that’s a Corolla’,” Mr Scott said. “The body type for us is not important – it’s what we wanted to express as a pure design direction for the future of Corolla.
“The dramatic proportions – they’re leading to not only functional design through visibility but also dramatic design. Also, the space inside, trying to think about what each occupant needs.”
The Corolla Concept has unique interior features such as a driver-specific front seat design, with the front passenger seat using a different top half.
The production version of the Corolla Concept is expected to be based on the same TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform as the current model, codenamed E210, which has been in showrooms since 2018.
Previous Corolla models have typically been replaced after six years, but with both COVID and the shrinking number of sales in the small car class still dominated by the Corolla, the current version has had a longer stay of execution.
It was the top-selling vehicle in Australia in 2014 – but so far in 2025 the Corolla is Toyota Australia’s fourth most popular nameplate (not including the Corolla Cross small SUV), behind the HiLux ute, the RAV4 mid-size SUV, and the Prado large SUV.
More than 50 million Corollas have been sold worldwide since the first model was introduced in 1966, making it the world’s best-selling nameplate from any auto manufacturer.