30th August, 2012
The next generation of Toyota’s high-volume compact sedan, due next year, will undergo a bigger metamorphosis than it did at its last redesign, when the auto maker retained much of the look and feel of the previous model.
Car buyers and indeed Nigerian Toyota die-hards will see a big change in the Corolla when Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) unveils the next-generation Corolla next year, and according to Toyota and Scion Vice President, Bill Fay, in an interview with WardsAuto, the new Toyota C-segment sedan will be a clear departure from the outgoing model.
According to Fay, the new Toyota Corolla will have an even more dramatic change than the recently-launched Toyota Avalon. The new Avalon is Toyota’s flagship sedan in the USA, one size up from the Camry. The current-generation Corolla, introduced in late 2007, was a subtle redesign of the previous generation. However, Toyota managed to maintain sales volume and market share through this year even as newer, flashier competitor’s entered the fray.
Corolla deliveries this year rose 11.0% through June, compared with first-half 2011, according to WardsAuto data. The Corolla was the No.5 best-selling car in the U.S. last year, with 232,159 units, outselling by a wide margin the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus and Volkswagen Jetta. It also topped the Chevy Cruze, which saw 231,732 deliveries. The Corolla even outsold its long time rival, the Honda Civic, in 2011 by roughly 10,000 units.