Toyota Corolla News

You may or may not know Australia was the first export market for the world’s best ever selling car.The vehicle in question is the Toyota Corolla and this was the first country to receive exports when 15 examples of the first-gen E10 model were shipped here in November 1966, just a month after it was revealed in Japan.During the 1966 Tokyo Motor Show (October 26 to November 8) Toyota had pulled the covers off the diminutive two-door, 1.1-litre city car which over the next six decades and 12 generations would go on to comprehensively out-sell automotive icons like the Ford Model T, VW Beetle and original Mini.So, yep, the Corolla turns the big six-oh this year and Australia was a VIP guest at its first party.Less than a year after the original E10 series debuted, a four-door sedan and wagon type van joined the initial line-up and the Corolla die was cast, the newcomer quickly building its reputation as an affordable, versatile and economical small car, initially going into bat against the similarly-sized, not to mention similar-looking, Datsun (Datto) 1000 and Subaru 1000.Another Aussie milestone for Corolla was assembly of the E10 in Port Melbourne, the first manufacturing site for the model outside Japan. Toyota Australia went on to build more than 666,000 Corollas across its Port Melbourne, Dandenong and Altona plants.    Only four years later, in 1970, the chubbier E20 Corolla was introduced, retaining the original’s front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration but with more capacity, power and weight.The alpha-numeric model code convention continued in 1975 with the E30 / E50 ‘rolla, still rear-drive with later versions powered by a 1.3-litre four and the choice of manual shift or ‘ToyoGlide’ three-speed auto. The third-gen E40 / E60 Sprinter variants were JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) and (other) selected export markets only. A more mature E70 Corolla arrived in 1981 with a new coil-spring, five-link rear suspension, but still rear-wheel drive, with a relatively conservative appearance. A clear ‘white goods’ Toyota period.The E80 kicked off the front-wheel drive Corolla era in 1985 and the ground-breaking E90 became a hugely popular small car option in Australia from 1989, bringing more contemporary looks and the availability of 16-valve, twin-cam engines (anyone remember ‘The O2 Advantage’ slogan?), especially the high-performance ‘4A-GE’.The E100 from 1994 looked more like a substantial E90 upgrade than a new-generation model but the E110 in 1998 was a clear design departure with a distinctive quad headlight face morphing into a wide-eyed, dual-headlight expression following a facelift.In 2001, the now imported E120 ushered in a sturdier, high-waisted look for the ninth-generation, with sedans, wagons and hatchbacks available. The E140/E150 continued that design theme from 2006 to the E170 sedan and E180 hatch launched here in 2014.The Corolla reached a million Australian sales, in September 2007. And for completists, the E160 (Corolla Axio sedan and Fielder wagon) was never officially sold in Australia. Which brings us to the current 12-generation E210. Launched in 2018 it’s the longest-running Corolla model and has proved a huge success.It’s brought back hot hatch performance with GR and soon-to-arrive GRMN variants and looks set to soldier on until the 13th-generation Corolla arrives later this year, with (surprise, surprise) late October a short odds favourite for launch timing. Speaking of hot hatches, in terms of motorsport the Corolla has done everything from Bathurst (its first success was a Class A victory in 1968) to the World Rally Championship as well as multiple Australian Rally Championships (at the hands of Neal Bates and Coral Taylor) and a multitude of other competition appearances around the globe.It’s recently spawned the Corolla Cross SUV as well as a host of other variants throughout its life (AE86 anyone?). And the Corolla shows no sign of slowing down with efficient hybrid powertrains keeping it relevant with sales numbers continuing to tick over locally.Last year, 18,968 new Corollas found homes in Australia, and with another 6277 sold to the end of May this year it remains the country’s best-selling small car by a comfortable margin.   Toyota has all but confirmed the next-gen Corolla will be available with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, pure electric and possibly hydrogen fuel cell powertrain options.Speaking at the showing of a Corolla Concept at last year’s Japan Mobility Show, Toyota President & CEO Koji Sato said despite the new powertrain options, the Corolla must remain a car for “everyone”. “Whether it's a battery EV, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, or internal combustion engine vehicle - whatever the power source - let's make good-looking cars that everyone will want to drive,” Sato-san said. Hear, hear to that. But facing more challenges than ever before in its 60 years, the 13th-generation Toyota Corolla will possibly be the most important for the world’s biggest carmaker. Bring on the birthday party.

We are living in an unprecedented era of automotive innovation and change that is constantly reshaping what and how we drive.For that we should be grateful, since the ongoing electrification of everyday cars, SUVs and utes means we have cleaner air, quieter streets, safer vehicles that are cheaper to run and less reliance on petrol stations.But in Australia, we’ve also lost as well as gained due to this relentless march of progress.For proof, look at any new-car guide from 10 years ago. What’s gone is shocking.Here are seven reasons why motoring in 2016 was better than it is today.In 2016, Australians could buy a handful of new small cars costing under $20,000 when converted to today’s money.Sure, we’d steer clear of the Mitsubishi Mirage from $11,990 and Holden Barina Spark from $12,890, but the Suzuki Celerio from $12,990, Nissan Micra from $13,490 and Honda Jazz VTi, Hyundai Accent Active, Mazda 2 Neo and Toyota Yaris Ascent from $14,990 apiece back then all offered comfortable, capable and reliable transport for not much money.But the only new car under $20,000 in 2026 is the Kia Picanto Sport manual from $19,190 (all prices are before on-road costs unless otherwise stated), though the MG 3 Vibe from $21,990 drive-away is actually marginally cheaper in some states after taxes.Plus, all the old entry-level small cars have vanished from Australia except for the Mazda2 (which is essentially exactly the same car) and Yaris (one generation newer), coming in at a rude $27,290 and $29,190 respectively today.It’s worth noting that a number of light SUVs do cost less than the cheapest back in 2016 (Mazda CX-3 Neo manual from $19,990, or nearly $28K today), including the Chery Tiggo 4, MG ZS, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV 3XO, GAC Emzoom, Jaecoo J5 and Haval Jolion, but still cost more than the aforementioned small cars did a decade ago.At the start of 2016, there were 36 small cars of Toyota Corolla size available in Australia; that number has halved today. And they’re hanging around a lot longer than before.Toyota recently announced that it was extending the lifespan of most models from seven to nine years.We’d already noticed. The current Corolla launched in 2018 and is still going. The previous one was done in six years, while four years was common before that.Meanwhile, the Mazda 2, CX-3 and Mazda 3 arrived in 2014, 2015 and 2019 respectively and are still on-going. The Hyundai i30 hatch surfaced in 2017. As did the existing Volkswagen Polo. And even today’s VW Golf 8.5 is a reskin of the 2012 Mk7.What’s happened? Buyers have abandoned passenger cars for SUVs, so carmakers have been forced to keep their models in production longer for a better return on investment. Or, as in Ford’s case with the Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo, they drop them altogether, relying on utes and SUVs instead.In 2016, buyers could purchase a new large, rear-wheel-drive family car designed, developed and built in Australia, like the Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore from under $50,000 in today’s money, or the slightly-smaller, front-drive Toyota Camry-based Aurion as a locally-made alternative.Along with the Skoda Superb that is the only one left standing in 2026, all were defined by their size, space and power.Too large for you? There were another 16 mid-sized sedans that offered almost as much, for a little less. Camry, Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata are the only names that are hanging on today.Chrysler, meanwhile, imported the 300 series, while in the upper-large segment, the Holden Caprice faced the Hyundai Genesis and, from the following year, the woefully underrated Kia Stinger. Such sedans are now history.Likewise, consumers can no-longer buy a monocoque-bodied workhorse/weekend-plaything ute as defined by the Holden and Ford Falcon utes, though the KGM Musso EV is the start of something new.And there’s more. Where have all the coupes gone since 2016? There were nearly 30 under $100,000. Why are there only four convertibles left under $100K? And from a dozen people movers under $60,000, that number has also plummeted to four, losing icons like Tarago, Odyssey and Stavic along the way.All have been replaced by dozens of EVs in hatchback, liftback/sedan or SUVs of differing sizes, with sleek, homogenised silhouettes, screen-heavy dashboards featuring minimised buttons, silent electric powertrains and every shade of white through black, or silvery blues, greens and browns.Just remember: 20 years ago, your Commodore could be had as a sedan, wagon, Monaro coupe, Adventra crossover wagon, ute, cab-chassis, Crewman dual-cab ute and long-wheelbase Statesman or Caprice, in regular or HSV performance upgrade guises, some with all-wheel drive and all with V8 options to the standard V6, with the latter also offering a liquid petroleum gas alternative. Today Holden is history.Besides the locally-designed and developed Falcon and Commodore, we also had the Falcon-derived Ford Territory to call Australia’s Own (and only-ever) SUV.These vehicles, along with the T6 ute-based Ford Ranger, Ford Everest and Mazda BT-50 made in Thailand and elsewhere, were created and engineered across this country, and were thus better-suited to our environment than their imported alternatives.And many supported Australian suppliers as a result. Most of all that has now since also gone.This one’s heartbreaking for car enthusiasts – or those who want to feel more connected with their vehicle.In 2016, we counted over 170 different makes and models available with a manual gearbox. Today that number is down to around 30 and falling.Both tallies include everything from Morgans to Mahindra Pik-Ups.Earlier we said the least expensive Toyota today – the Yaris – started from nearly twice as much as the 2016 Ascent manual’s $14,990. At least it’s a much better model than back then. And hybrid to boot.But that’s nothing compared to how much the least-expensive new Ford costs today.The 2016 Fiesta Ambiente kicked off from $15,825 (about $21,300 in 2026), while its cheapest passenger vehicle equivalent today is the Everest Active 4WD SUV from $58,990.And if it’s a non-commercial vehicle-based Blue Oval product you desire, that would be the Mustang Mach-E Select from $65,990.The proliferation of touchscreens, with their distracting sub-menus and absorption of buttons that would previously have controlled the climate system, drive modes, side mirrors or even the glove box, has been so widespread – and we have Tesla to thank for starting this craze – that independent safety organisations like EuroNCAP now penalise new vehicles it tests that do not offer clear and unimpeded access to important functions.You wouldn’t read a book whilst driving along a highway. Staring at a screen instead of the road is much the same thing.The 2026 Toyota RAV4, meanwhile, scores highly for its user interface but then drops the ball with an infuriating trigger-happy and never-ending driver-distraction warning. No thanks.Countless other new vehicles suffer from advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) interference technologies. Designed to help, they also serve to harass and annoy the driver, leading to greater fatigue and further risk of distraction.Stupid electronic door handles that just do not work intuitively are another sore point, as is the deletion of a spare wheel because the electrification technology takes precedence over personal security when stranded with a blowout far away from home.Thoughtless excuses to help carmakers save money, this is not progress but the devolution of the car we never saw coming back in 2016.

The car landscape has dramatically changed in the past 10 years, with new brands entering the fray and dynamic market conditions shifting buyer wants.Data from 2016 shows how different the cars were captivating the attention of Aussies only a decade ago.The Toyota HiLux led the way, and the Ford Ranger was not far behind, but there was a theme of hatchbacks dominating the other top places. The Toyota Corolla took out second place, while the Hyundai i30 was in third and the Mazda3 sat in fifth. Toyota continued to feature down the list with the Camry sedan, followed by the Australian built Holden Commodore. Further down list, the SUV revolution can be seen to take shape in Australia, starting with the Mazda CX-5. After the Mitsubishi Triton ute in ninth place, there were three SUVs in the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-3.The best-selling brands in 2016 has changed a lot compared to today. Toyota is still parked up at the top of the charts, but several big names have now been replaced by Chinese carmakers.Mazda and Hyundai occupied second and third, while Holden secured fourth. The Japanese duo of Mitsubishi and Nissan followed next, with Volkswagen being the only European brand in the top 10 after that. Subaru came ninth in the standings, with Kia finishing in 10th, highlighting the brand’s rapid development in Australia. Top selling cars 2016 Top selling brands 2016 In 2021, there were clear changes to the market, but also some consistent themes.The HiLux and Ranger duopoly was in full swing at the top of the standings, with Toyota’s ute still edging Ford’s.Third position showed SUVs were taking over as the RAV4 picked up a huge chunk of sales.There were still examples of a past market, with the i30 and the Toyota Corolla hatches sandwiching the D-Max ute.Further down, SUVs increase their presence further, with the Mazda CX-5, Toyota Prado and MG ZS all making up the top 10, along with the Triton ute. Pure internal combustion power remained a dominant player, with best-sellers such as the RAV4 and Corolla still yet to make its full hybrid transition. Top selling cars 2021 Toyota was still on top as a brand in Australia, while Mazda and Hyundai continued their holding in the top three. Ford was hot on the heels of Hyundai, followed by Kia which had surged up the sales charts in five years to claim a spot in the top five. Mitsubishi and Nissan still occupied high places in the standings as did Volkswagen. The big shift was the appearance of the only Chinese brand in the top 10, in MG. This foreshadowed what we see today where BYD is fast approaching a potential top-two finish in Australia.Subaru picked up a 10th place finish. Top selling brands 2021 Fast forward to 2026, and only three top 10 sellers from 2016 remain. The Ranger and HiLux continue their battle at the top of the standings, but they are in decline.Some unfamiliar names a few years ago are emerging as top choices for Aussie motorists.The Chery Tiggo 4 small SUV has emerged as the best-selling SUV in 2026 to date.Hyundai's Kona is next on the list followed by the D-Max Ute.Mitsubishi's Outlander large SUV is sitting sixth, while the long-awaited launch of the new Toyota RAV4 has resulted in a burst of sales for the popular family car.The Mazda CX-5 remains a regular feature at the top of the sales charts, with GWM's Haval Jolion sitting in ninth currently.Rounding out the top 10 is Ford Everest.This data only represents the first four months of the year, but it does show the general trends of where the market is headed.Top selling cars 2026 (up to April)Top selling brands 2026 (up to April)There are no surprises in the top four best-selling brands so far, with Toyota out in front, followed by Mazda, Kia and Ford.A monster month from BYD has pushed the Chinese giant brand into fifth, overtaking Hyundai. This is despite the brand not having a single car in the top 10 best sellers.The final four highlight the success of Chinese brands in Australia as GWM, Chery and MG are all present, along with Mitsubishi.Former mainstays Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen are gone, and Holden has closed up shop completely.

Toyota’s next Corolla is approaching, but the brand is keeping quiet on what we can expect from the next generation of on of the world’s highest selling cars.

Toyota’s new-gen Corolla Cross will be here in less than two years and it’ll look exactly like a baby RAV4, according to the almost-always-right Japanese motoring publication Best Car.Sure, Toyota has only just given the current Corolla Cross an update with a redesigned grille and upgraded cabin features, but Japan’s Best Car magazines’s latest issue reveals the totally new next-gen will arrive in 2028 and look just like it’s big sister - the RAV4.Dubbed "Baby RAV4" by Best Car, it adopts the new RAV4’s C-shaped LED headlight and daytime running light styling and grille treatment along with other exterior design elements.The magazine’s front page shows an artist's impression of the Corolla Cross looking a bit sleeker than the taller and larger RAV4 but the resemblance is striking — from the grille, which varies depending on the grade, to the tough looking black moulded wheel guards and sloping rear pillar.Best Car got word from those in the know that the new Corolla Cross will be slightly longer and wider. Currently the little SUV is just 4460mm long, 1825mm wide and 1620mm tall, or about the same size as rivals like the GWM Haval Jolion or Kia Seltos. Best Car says the next-gen Corolla Cross will be 4650mm long and 1850mm wide tall, but a smidge shorter in height at 1600mm. These new dimensions will give the Corolla Cross a sleeker, beefier, more planted look, and apart from having more visual appeal could help handling and dynamics, but what would it do to headroom inside?Best Car also hears the next-gen Corolla Cross GR Sport will have a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a plug-in hybrid system and share the same suspension as the new Corolla GR Sport with front struts and rear double wishbones.All new-gen variants of the new Corolla Cross will also use an upgraded version of the TNGA-C platform, with a sixth-generation hybrid system.The Corolla Cross is one of Toyota's best-selling models with 1687 sold in march this year, but that’s not enough to put it ahead of cheaper rivals such as the GWM Haval Jolion, Chery Tiggo 4 or Hyundai Kona. A new sportier look for the Corolla Cross and more fuel efficient powertrains would possibly go a long way to closing the sales gap.So when can we expect to see the new gen Corolla Cross in real life? Well Best Car reckons it will come not long after the arrival of the next-gen Corolla which we might see in late 2027. Best bet is 2028 and of course, we’ll only truly start to know what it looks like when Toyota starts testing it out in the wild.

Australia is facing a used-car market black hole.With the number of affordable new small-car options shrinking annually due to more-expensive SUVs, so too will be the number of affordable used small-car options.Unless there is a big uptick in new small-car production, stocks will continue to contract, putting significant upward pressure on used-car prices.We’re already seeing this affordability catastrophe unfold. And the numbers tell a sobering story.The great small-car cullSince 2016, Australia has gone from having over 40 new light and small car options under $30,000 (in today’s money), to just 10 right now – and falling. And even if you add the proliferation of cheap new small SUVs (mostly from China), that only adds another 10. That’s a 50 per cent drop right there.This means that there will be far fewer affordable used smaller cars to go around as we head towards the 2030s and beyond.Or, in other words, Australia will soon run very low on affordable, low-mileage second-hand small cars under 10 years old, adding substantially to the cost-of-living pressures for many people who cannot or won't buy new.Since 2020, we’re already seen Toyota, Ford and Honda drop their sub-$20,000 models, namely the (non-hybrid) Yaris, Fiesta and Jazz hatchbacks respectively, creating a void filled by new Chinese brands MG, GWM and BYD.In Ford’s case, its cheapest new passenger vehicle in 2026 is the Everest Ambiente 4WD SUV from $58,990 (before on-road costs), having also abandoned the Puma and Focus, as well as the larger Mondeo, Escape and Endura, since the start of this decade.Why the small-car cull? A long-term sales slide against SUVs, coupled with the massive investment required in electric vehicles (EVs) to meet coming legislated zero-emissions targets, stalled decades of on-going small-car development and evolution.Some industry analysts even believe that the middle of last decade was the era of “peak small-car”, as defined the highly-successful Volkswagen Mk7 Golf – a model widely considered superior to its 2020 Mk8 successor.It’s been reported that VW cancelled scores of new-model projects in the aftermath of 2015’s Dieselgate emissions-cheating scandal, including shelving an advanced redesign of the Golf in favour of today’s reskin, pivoting instead to EVs to help atone for the disaster.Others seem to have followed suit. In fact, if you look at today’s remaining small cars, most sit on architectures that date back to last decade.The Mazda 3’s debuted in 2013; the Peugeot 308 in 2014; Subaru Impreza and Honda Civic in 2016; the Hyundai i30 in 2017; Toyota Corolla in 2018; and Kia K4 in 2020.Defying depreciationIncredibly, some high-quality used small cars with a few years under their belts are holding their value to an almost comical degree, especially with fewer than 100,000km.A 2016 Mazda 2 auto from $16,990 when new is still worth at least $13,000 today – and some lower-mileage examples match the original price. Likewise, a 2018 Honda Civic VTi from $22,390 is still a $20,000-plus proposition.But nothing beats the Toyota hybrid phenomenon.A 2019 Corolla Hybrid that new started from $25,870 is likely to cost upwards of $24,000 today, with some even nudging $30,000 in the right colour and specification.And a 2021 Yaris SX hybrid from $27,020 new… is still very nearly that amount today at its lowest point, even with 70,000km on the clock, meaning owners could be making a profit after all these years. Great news for them. Bad news for used-car buyers today.Your cheap choicesThe only quality, reliable and economical used small cars currently priced in the $10,000 to $15,000 bracket are now mostly older (pre-2015), higher-mileage (150,000km-plus) or ex-repairable write-offs (including flood/hail damaged cars, since fixed). Do not risk buying the latter.Otherwise, Australian used small-car buyers must roll the dice on niche European brands with (albeit at-times unfounded) reputations for expensive maintenance costs, orphaned Holdens like the (ex-Opel) Astra or newer Chinese small cars with below-par safety and/or driving dynamics, like a pre-2024, previous-generation MG 3.Unfortunately, with spiking fuel prices, hybrids are completely out of the question under $15,000 unless it’s a 15-year-old-plus Toyota or Honda with moon-shot mileages and/or ex-ride-share taxis.Finding a cheap used SUV alternativeSo, it is logical to conclude that, while the number of new small car options is declining, there must be more small SUV choices, right?Not for budget buyers in the sub-$15,000 bracket, sadly.Quality, second-hand smaller SUVs and crossovers are also pricing themselves out of reach for lower-income groups and younger drivers seeking inexpensive yet reliable vehicles.Consider the case of a seven-year-old Mazda CX-3 or Suzuki Vitara 1.6 with reasonably-low mileage (under 100,000km).These current-shape models have been chosen as two of the better and more-reputable small SUVs on offer, due to their uncomplicated non-turbo engines and robust torque-converter automatics, instead of the usually problematic continuously variable transmission (CVT) or dual-clutch transmission (DCT) found in most alternatives.A 2019 CX-3 auto that cost $23,790 new (which is about $30,000 adjusted for inflation today) currently retails for between $20,000 and $25,000 depending on condition. Again, depreciation-defying.Likewise, a 2019 Vitara 1.6L 2WD that cost $24,490 new (about $32,500 in 2026 money) is still commanding between $19,000 and $25,000 today if well-maintained. We’re talking about seven-year-old models here.Little wonder consumers are forced into newer brands from China with long warranties and shiny touchscreens but unproven long-term reliability, resale and access to genuine spare parts/labour.The bottom line is that a generation of consumers seeking a cheap and economical used small car will be left wanting.At 18, Baby Boomers had their decade-old Datsun 1600s and Volkswagen Beetles; Gen X its Ford Lasers and Holden Geminis; and Millennials their Hyundai Excels and Mazda 323s to rely upon.What will next-gen used-car buyers be able to afford?

Fuel prices in Australia are soaring, meaning fuel efficiency in vehicles is a more important consideration than ever. Hybrid cars offer the potential for superior fuel efficiency compared to internal combustion power without the big price premium if fully electric or plug-in hybrid options. This makes them an increasingly attractive option for buyers given the current global climate. Hybrid sales are already booming in Australia, but will increases in fuel prices accelerate the shift away from pure internal combustion cars? NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said that while hybrid sales are increasing, an even swifter transition is less than clear. “If you’re driving a standard vehicle with a 55-litre tank, compared to what we were paying before the war began to now, it’s a $45 increase on one tank of petrol. That applies regardless of whether it’s hybrid or petrol,” Khoury said. “Historically speaking, looking at what happens after an oil shock, it certainly opens up their consideration. “No doubt that if this crisis continues and these prices hang around for weeks or months, Australians will look at those alternatives more seriously.” Below is a comparison between popular petrol and hybrid choices in each segment to see how they stack up in a changing fuel context. Fuel cost has been calculated using current data from the New South Wales’ government’s average fuel price for unleaded 95 petrol and diesel. Toyota’s Corolla hybrid hatch offers superior fuel efficiency and driving range compared to the Kia K4 petrol model. The Corolla is also cheaper to fill up with fuel thanks to its smaller tank and offers a substantially bigger driving range. The Kia Seltos is a petrol-only variant, but despite its bigger fuel tank, it has less driving range than the Toyota Corolla Cross, courtesy of the hybrid powertrain. The bigger fuel tank means the Seltos is also more expensive to fill up. The mid-size CX-5 has a non-turbo charged petrol engine, which sees it offer an impressive estimated driving range of more than 800km, but once again the Toyota competitor’s fuel efficiency wins out in the RAV4 hybrid. The Toyota Kluger continues the Japanese juggernaut’s fuel efficient theme, with a hybrid set-up offering a driving range of more than 1122km, which is significantly more than the MQ QS, despite both cars costing a similar amount to fill up at the bowser. Utes are some of the worst affected by the fuel price increase as many of them are powered using diesel engines, with diesel fuel rising more than petrol. It has now risen to well beyond the $2.60 mark per litre. The BYD Shark’s plug-in hybrid set-up uses petrol, which makes it an affordable option, given the price of diesel. It should be noted that the Shark 6’s fuel efficiency is significantly reduced when the battery is not charged. It’s a similar story for the GWM Cannon Alpha, which should be noted is no longer on sale, but remains one of limited plug-less hybrid utes in Australia. 

A combination of increasing component costs, ever-higher safety and emissions requirements as well as the need for new-generation tech to match fast-moving competitors has driven the domestic entry price for Toyota’s Corolla close to 60 per cent higher over the last decade.According to data from the Statistics Bureau of Japan (SBJ) as originally reported by Nikkei Asia the price of an entry-grade Corolla sat at ¥2.28 million yen (~$20,600) in 2025, up from ¥1.45 million (~$16,100*) in 2015. *Based on an average 2015 Yen/AUD exchange rate.For reference, in Australia a base Toyota Corolla Ascent auto cost $21,790, before on-road costs, in 2015. And in 2025 the entry-level Corolla Ascent Sport was $29,610, BOC, an increase of just over 35 per cent.As the statistical arm of the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the SBJ not only manages the country’s population census but tracks thousands of day-to-day consumer costs - from school fees and railway fares to baby clothes and soy sauce.A range of factors, including inflationary pressure driving up component supplier costs, increased standard safety requirements and tightening fuel economy and emissions legislation has driven the price rise.In recent years, emerging global competitors, particularly from China, have also placed greater emphasis on driver assist tech and multimedia functions driving the need for additional cameras, radars, microchips and more.Over the same 2015-2025 period, average Japanese worker income increased around 10 per cent and in early 2024 the Bank of Japan’s policy interest rate rose for the first time since 2007 and has been gradually rising since).Much of Japan’s car finance business is underpinned by residual loans (similar to a finance lease) at low interest rates and the rising cost of money is pushing car ownership out of reach for many potential buyers.SBJ data show even ‘kei’ city cars, the production of which is shaped by government incentives to provide low-price, fuel- and space-efficient new vehicle options to help keep the population mobile and the domestic car manufacturing business humming, have risen steeply in price.Specifically, 33 per cent from an average entry-price of ¥1.18 million yen in 2015 to 1.76 million yen (~$15,900) in 2025.And in heavily built-up areas car-sharing is an increasingly popular kei car alternative; a contributor to Japanese domestic market new-vehicle sales being down 10 per cent in 2025 compared to 2015.Evolving tastes have impacted relative pricing as Japanese consumers lean more towards full-size SUVs and people movers than compact cars.Prices of ‘Compact Passenger Cars’ increased 31 per cent to ¥2.39 million (~$21,500), while ‘Full-sized Passenger Cars’ rose 24 per cent to ¥3.72 million (~$33,500).At the same time, sales of full-sized passenger vehicles were up 30 per cent in 2025 compared to 2015, while compact passenger cars softened by 40 per cent.

Cathy, Thorpey, Kylie and Nikki had just shown the world that Australia can hold its own in sports and culture, we’d given quite a few of our guns away, the Millenial Bug wasn’t such a concern anymore… and three sedans dominated Aussie roads.A quarter of a century ago, the year 2000 was just in the rear-view, and the sales charts looked very different to today.What better time than 25 years later to look back at the cars and brands Australians were heading to the showroom for?Not only were there fewer utes and SUVs being sold, they didn’t even make up a third of the new vehicle sales in the country combined that year. Utes and SUVs were lumped together in the same section of the VFACTS report (the sales figures industry stakeholders, pundits and media receive each month) alongside heavy trucks.Only 8413 new Toyota RAV4s were sold, making the Daewoo Lanos (9029 sales) more popular that year. Compare that to 2025, when the RAV4 ranked second in sales for the year with a whopping 51,947 units, only topped by the Ranger (56,555).Speaking of which, how did our now-favourite utes fare in 2000? The Ford Courier, the Ranger’s predecessor, sold just 6769 units, while the HiLux managed to hop into the top 10 with 21,509 sales. Still somewhat short of its 51,297 in 2025.To be fair, if you’d asked someone if they were buying a Ford ute, the Courier wouldn’t have been the first thing to come to mind. Ford sold 13,698 Falcon utes in the year 2000, putting it well ahead of its Commodore rival’s 6361.That can be explained easily, Holden didn't build a new ute for the VT generation Commodore of the late-’90s, instead continuing to sell the VS ute alongside the VT sedan.The near-new AU Falcon ute (released in mid-1999) had the car-based ute market covered for the turn of the century.Those two now-gone badges, along with the enduring Toyota Camry and the impressive Mitsubishi Magna, were impossible to avoid on Aussie roads then, with the Commodore, Falcon, Camry and Magna being first, second, third and fifth (thanks to the Corolla in fourth) most popular cars in the country in 2000.Between them they contributed to the total 198,766 large passenger cars sold in 2000, which made up 35.9 per cent of the year’s new vehicle sales. In 2025, large passenger cars made up just 2285 sales, or 0.2 per cent of the market.Small cars made up the other major chunk of sales back in 2000, with 154,050 sales being 27.8 per cent of the market. They were 72,222 sales and 6.0 per cent of last year’s market share.The aforementioned Daewoo was in the top 10 brands (just) in terms of sales for the year 2000, but was the only brand in that list that no longer exists.A scroll through the list shows other long-gone names like Daihatsu, Saab and Proton, and one not-so-long-gone name — Citroen.Daewoo Nubira? Daihatsu Sirion? Even the Proton Satria? These forgotten cars all sold in the thousands back then.Giants like Kia and Hyundai have come a long way, too. The brands once known for the Excel or Accent, plus the Kia Rio in its most ‘cheap and cheerful’ phase (RIP) are now global powerhouses with new technology and reliability commonly in the same sentence as their badge names. Hyundai, at least, was still a top-10 player back then.Below, there are tables with the most popular models and brands from the year 2000 and the figures we gleaned from the data — note the badge names have been consolidated so that cars with Commodore (for example) includes all body types.Top 10 cars sold in Australia in 2000Top 10 cars brands in Australia in 2000  

The current Toyota Corolla is almost done for, it is eight years old now and a new version is just around the corner.Toyota previewed the next-generation small car at the 2025 Tokyo Mobility Show, with a head-turning concept car.A production version will feature watered down looks from the edgy and wild looking concept — as is the case with most concept to production transitions.New digital renders from KDesign AG on Instagram shows the next-gen Corolla adopting the company’s hammerhead design with its distinct C-shaped headlights, wide mouth frill and pinched front end.There aren't many concrete details on the new Corolla, but we know there will be something for everyone.It will be the new people’s car, available with the option petrol hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and even hydrogen power in the future.Toyota is working on a new series of turbocharged petrol engines, which could be installed in the petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the Corolla. These engines are supposed to be high output units that are compatible with carbon neutral fuels.The most obvious one would be the 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit, with the 2.0-litre motor rumoured to make up to 300kW when paired with hybrid power.The final look isn’t known but it will likely follow a similar design path as the Camry and C-HR, which is shown in the digital renders.The renders show the Corolla in a sedan shape, but it has a softer shaped rear end with the sloping rear roofline better integrated into the boot, giving it more of a liftback than sedan appeal.This new look also ties into recent images of a new Corolla-sized sedan in China.There is a good chance the Chinese version is different from the one we will see, as it is built by the company’s joint venture with FAW.It is not unusual for China to get unique looking vehicles compared to the rest of the world.Expect to learn more about the next-gen Corolla over the course of 2026.