Toyota Corolla 2018 teased ahead of Geneva

Our first taste of the new 12th-generation Corolla appears before its global reveal in Switzerland next week.

Toyota has released a single teaser image of the next-generation Corolla hatch, aiming to whet our appetites before its full reveal at the Geneva motor show next Tuesday evening.

Little is known about the all-new model at this stage, but it is set to share the new TNGA platform with the existing Prius, C-HR and Camry.

Little is known about the all-new model at this stage, but it is set to share the new TNGA platform with the existing Prius, C-HR and Camry.

Based on the silhouette evident in the image above, the new model looks to continue with the sloping roofline of the existing model, but will no doubt adopt edgy details similar to the C-HR small SUV.

On the global stage, the new model’s toughest rivals are likely to be the impending new Ford Focus, next year’s fourth-generation Mazda3, and the Volkswagen Golf that still forms the small hatch benchmark by several measures.

The new Corolla is particularly important for Australia, given its mantle as the best-selling passenger vehicle for the past five years. The HiLux ute has pipped it for overall market top honours in 2016 and 2017.

According to the latest press info, the new Corolla will share the Geneva stand with displays of future electric, fuel cell, autonomous and artificial intelligence technology, along with a racing concept tipped to preview the new Supra sports car developed in conjunction with BMW.

UPDATE 27/2/18: Toyota Australia spokesperson Orlando Rodriguez has confirmed with CarsGuide that the new Corolla hatch is due to launch in Australia in the third quarter of 2018, and has been developed separately to the next-generation Corolla sedan we spied testing last year.

Will the new Corolla finally shed its cardigan image for good? Tell us what you think in the comments below.