Following the worldwide reveal and ongoing rollout of the 12th-generation Toyota Corolla, the Japanese automaker is now letting the world glimpse the car in its newest body style ahead of its planned reveal at the Paris Motor Show.
Like the name, the car itself is both a blend of the practical and the sporty, retaining the hatch’s more aggressive styling while packaging it in a body with a very commodious boot. And as evidenced here, it even offers buyers the option of a panoramic roof.
That would certainly add some zest to what could be a large (quoted at 598-litres with the seats up) but mostly drab area to spend time in. Toyota have extended the hatch’s wheelbase by 60mm to 2,700mm and is said to offer the best legroom in its class.
It’s a very specific claim as some other estate cars in this segment do offer an overall larger boot, at least when the rear seats are left upright, and it’s curious why Toyota has chosen to keep the fold-down cargo capacity a secret for now.
For now at least, Toyota is only announcing one ‘conventional’ engine choice for the Corolla estate, that being a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol unit that delivers 86kW. The rest of the powertrain combinations - a 1.8-litre with 90kW and a 2.0-litre with 134kW - are hybrids with varying degrees of sportiness being asked of them.
The Touring Sports, like the hatch, will be the most tech-laden and dynamically endowed Corolla in history, all featuring an all-new multi-link rear suspension built atop the new TNGA platform. Additionally, for the first time, Toyota will be its Adaptive Variable Suspension technology to its list of optional spec.
Inside, certain variants will also receive a 3D Driver’s meter, head-up display, wireless phone charging, Toyota’s Touch Multimedia System, and a JBL GreenEdge Premium Sound System. That’s all great, but don’t expect to see the Corolla Touring Sports on Australian roads - it’s a compact wagon, after all, and demand for this type of vehicle doesn’t really stretch much further than Europe.
For more on Toyota cars, check out our Showroom.
