Toyota Corolla 2016 News

The greener new Corolla is set for an unveiling in Europe later this year and is more than just a dream machine for Australia. It could easily take one of the eight places confirmed for new hybrids inside the next four years, giving Toyota the starting-price rival to the upcoming Honda Insight being set for a $30,000 price point next year. Toyota has just confirmed plans for the eight new cars, from the new Prius and locally-made Camry hybrid that will hit the road in 2010 to replacements for the existing Lexus RX, GS and LS hybrids. It refuses to comment on the blank spaces in the product plan, but the chief of the Prius program confirms Toyota is looking for a Corolla- sized contender. He even gave a green light to sharing Corolla components with the all-new Prius to increase the commonality between the cars. "We are now studying. I'm sorry but I cannot give the exact name of the car, whether it is Corolla class," says the chief engineer of the Prius, Akihiko Otsuka. "That is the biggest reason why we adopted the platform, as it is easy to utilise for other hybrid models." The Corolla hybrid will star for Toyota at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, where it will be displayed with Auris badges. But it is also being readied for full-scale production as the Corolla and for a much broader range of countries. Toyota refuses to comment on the potential for a Corolla hybrid, but admits it needs to get a better price than the $39,900 tag for the new Prius to get younger buyers into petrol-electric cars. "We hae to expand the customer range. At the moment the Prius is still the hybrid entry model . . . so we have to make a smaller hybrid also," says Otsuka. "The biggest challenge is the cost itself. Because the cost of a small car is quite limited." In Australia, the focus now is on the locally made Camry with hybrid synergy drive. The sales forecast is 10,000 cars a year and it will be in showrooms early next year. "Camry hybrid is in production in December," says Toyota Australia's chief of sales and marketing, Dave Buttner. And the other hybrid models? "Three will be revealed as we get closer to each launch. Our expectation is that one will be completely new and two will be offered on exisitng models in our range." He is keen to get the cars coming but also looking forward to other carmakers landing their new hybrids in Australia. "As other manufacturers start to see the benefit of the technology we need to develop it. As you get more people releasing more products you get to critical mass," Buttner says. "The snowball has already started rolling down the hill. Toyota welcomes that because it puts hybrids more into the forefront and more into consumer minds. So long as we can continue our lead."  

Australians can definitely expect a diesel Corolla within the life of the current car, which has just hit local roads, and Toyota Australia is also keen to introduce a V6 model above the new 1.8-litre

The next update of the Toyota Corolla is likely to bring one of the biggest changes in the car's 40-year history, with the arrival of the first petrol/electric hybrid model.A Corolla hybrid is a high priority with the development team behind Toyota's global best-seller, even if there is no firm plan yet for the car expected in 2011.Australians can definitely expect a diesel Corolla within the life of the current car, which has just hit local roads. Toyota Australia is also keen to introduce a V6 model above the new 1.8-litre four-cylinder sedan and hatch. The diesel is probably coming in 2010.Executive chief engineer of the Corolla family Soichiro Okudaira says he wants a hybrid.“Maybe for the next generation of Corolla, as new systems are coming,” he says.“We cannot say when. I'm not sure. But my personal opinion is that I would like to have it. There is no firm plan. It is technically possible, but we have no plan yet.”Okudaira says the biggest problem will be cutting the cost of the petrol/electric drive system so it is affordable for Corolla customers.Toyota is committed to a huge expansion of its hybrids. It is already working on batteries that are lighter and cheaper than the exotic nickel-metal-hydride units it now uses.It is also working on more advanced powertrain systems morphed from the exotic all-wheel-drive unit just fitted to its new Lexus LS 600h flagship.A diesel-powered Corolla is much closer, even if Toyota Australia missed the cut for the introduction date to coincide with the 10th-generation car this year.An engine has been developed for Europe, where the new Corolla hatch is called Auris and aimed at much younger buyers. It could easily be picked up for local use. Toyota is also looking at the 2.4-litre V6 used in a Corolla-based car, the Blade, in Japan, McGregor says.