Recently, Toyota’s Chairman Akio Toyoda released a teaser trailer for the brand’s conference on October 13, which ended with a glimpse of a never-before-seen mysterious vehicle. The word “COROLLA” appeared behind the car, leading to speculation that this could be the next-generation COROLLA, which has undergone a dramatic redesign. Akio Toyoda revealed that the car is planned to be showcased at the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show on October 29, but the teaser was released ahead of time.
From the teaser and official images, it’s clear that the new car differs significantly from the current Corolla. It appears to be more of a sports-oriented model. The all-new Corolla concept features a closed front design with an interrupted light strip in the center, and the front headlamps adopt a completely new look. The headlights have a 7-shaped design with a continuous daytime running light and a multi-bar light source structure in the details. The front hood is sleek and dynamic, with sharp angles, and the hood and windshield share a similar angle.
On the side, the new Corolla concept is expected to feature a charging port on the left front fender, suggesting it could be an electric vehicle. It also has semi-hidden door handles and larger wheels, possibly incorporating frameless doors. At the rear, the concept uses a continuous light strip, with a rear spoiler and the “Corolla” name in black on the tailgate, giving it an overall sportier look. As of now, there is no official information about the powertrain, but it is speculated that it may use a new energy power system.
Although the electric version seems almost certain, it’s hard to imagine a future Corolla without an internal combustion engine. After all, the Corolla is the best-selling car nameplate in automotive history, and Toyota switching it exclusively to electric would be a risky move. Given Toyota’s longstanding skepticism about whether electric vehicles will fully replace internal combustion engine cars, it’s likely that the Corolla will continue to offer both gasoline and electric versions. This could resemble the new Lexus ES, where the hybrid and electric models look nearly identical.
As a classic model under Toyota’s umbrella, the Corolla has now reached its 12th generation. While Toyota has not yet announced details about the production version of the new Corolla, this concept car gives us a glimpse of the brand’s future design direction. Notably, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has already released the declaration images of the new FAW Toyota Corolla, which features a completely new front-end design. The wheelbase has been extended by 50 mm compared to the current model, with power options including a 2.0-liter engine and a 1.8-liter hybrid system.
