Toyota Corolla 2019 interior revealed with other details

Full details and interior images have been revealed for the 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback ahead of the car going on sale in Australia from August this year.

The new, 12th generation Corolla was initially revealed at the Geneva motor show took the world by surprise – even though the interior was unseen. Now we can share interior images and more details on the vital new small car.

As you can see, the cabin features what Toyota calls an "upscale interior", with sporty looking seats with a lower hip point to "provide a more natural body posture and positioning for ideal access to the new multifunction steering wheels, pedals, and gearshift".

Toyota says the quality has been improved, too, with

The cabin does look markedly better than the outgoing model, with the most prominent feature being the dash-top tablet-style media screen. We'd expect mid- and high-grade models to have in-built sat nav, but it's unclear as to whether the Corolla will usher in the introduction of Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto smartphone mirroring technology.

Toyota says the quality has been improved, too, with "smaller gaps between buttons and switches". Further, every Corolla will come with an electric parking brake and dual front USB ports.

Depending on the model, you'll get manual air-conditioning or dual-zone climate control, while other model-specific features include whether you get a 4.2-inch or 7.0-inch driver information screen. Fabric options will vary between grades, too.

The exterior of the Corolla hatch certainly looks considerably more dynamic than its sharply lined predecessor, and the Japanese brand claims the new small car embodies a "fun to drive identity".

The cabin does look markedly better than the outgoing model, with the most prominent feature being the dash-top tablet-style media screen.

If it looks more substantial in most ways, that's because of its dimensions – the new model is 4370mm long (up 40mm), while riding on a 2640mm wheelbase (also up 40mm). It's also wider at 1790mm (up 30mm) and sits more squat on the road, with its height pegged at 1435mm (down 25mm). Wheel options will range between 16- and 18-inches.

The front overhang has been reduced by 20mm, while the back is 20mm longer, and the new tailgate is made of a mix of super olefin polymer and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene... it's not metal, in other words, and that helps save weight.

As for lighting, it seems all Corollas will have slim bi-LED headlights and LED tail-lights.

The new model rides on the Toyota New Generation Architecture (TNGA), and utilises a new rigid platform that teams with a pair of new drivetrains – the most important of which is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder "Dynamic Force" unit.

Power outputs are not yet confirmed for the new engine, but unlike many other makers in this space it eschews turbocharging in favour of a high-tech, lightweight naturally aspirated engine that has Toyota's latest take on direct fuel injection. The system – which features high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure port fuel injection – is said be able to adapt to the situation, based on how it's being driven. Further, the engine has an electric motor that controls the variable valve timing, rather than relying on oil pressure to regulate that.

The exterior of the Corolla hatch certainly looks considerably more dynamic than its sharply lined predecessor.

That might all sound rather high-tech, but what matters is that the new engine is said to be more powerful and considerably more efficient than the outgoing 1.8-litre unit, and that the lightness and positioning of the new 2.0-litre will theoretically enhance its driving dynamics, too.

There's a new six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching, which Toyota says is one of the smallest transmissions in the world (and 6.8 kilograms lighter than the existing version), but the vast majority of buyers will get the new continuously variable transmission (CVT) auto, which has a simulated 10-speed sequential setup, sport mode and paddle shifters.

That CVT has another neat feature: a so-called "launch gear" that uses a gear drive to pull away from a standstill, and then uses the CVT's belt drive once at pace. That should mean less lag from a stop.

Toyota will also offer a new version of its 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain, which has been fettled for better torque delivery down low in the rev range, and will have "fuel efficiency to rival Prius", according to Toyota. Yes, you can expect it to use less than 4.0 litres per 100 kilometres.

As you can see, the cabin features what Toyota calls an

According to Toyota, the TNGA platform is 60 per cent stiffer than before, and has revised front suspension (MacPherson strut) and rear suspension (multi-link, rather than the existing torsion-beam). The company says it all combines to offer "high-quality steering feel, ride comfort and handling stability", with the new platform giving the 2019 Toyota Corolla hatch a lower centre of gravity.

The company has confirmed all Corolla models sold in Australia will be offered with a high-tech standard safety package, incorporating a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection and auto emergency braking (AEB), active cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assist, auto high-beam lights, seven airbags and a reversing camera.

More information – including pricing and full specifications – will be made available closer to the local launch date in August 2018. Stay tuned.