Toyota Just Showed Us The New Corolla Sedan In Concept Form

A few images made it unclear what this new sedan was, but in the accompanying advert, which traces Toyota's history and showcases its role in everyone's lives from an off-road brand to an enthusiast one, we catch a glimpse of the rear of the sedan, across which the 'COROLLA' lettering is clearly emblazoned. The license plate rears 

Limited Details, But The Next Corolla Will Be Electric
Toyota hasn't divulged full details yet - those will likely come at the official debut of the concept at the 2025 Japan Mobility show at the end of this month - but the images already give us a few clues that might leave some die-hard fans unhappy. For starters, this concept is electric. The clear absence of a grille is the dead giveaway here, along with a charge port on the front left fender. This will immediately incense the anti-EV crowd, but it's important to remember that Toyota has been vehemently against a single-pathway solution to combating emissions. While this concept is electric, a production version might not be.

Instead, we're expecting the new Corolla to follow a similar recipe to the new Lexus ES, which has been engineered as both an EV and a hybrid from the start. Toyota has already pivoted its core model lineup to be hybrid-only with the Camry, RAV4, and Sienna, and the Corolla was always expected to be hybrid in its next iteration. Not all markets are ready for EVs, and Toyota doesn't want to lose that market share.

As we discussed when the ES first arrived, the combination of hybrid and electric variants of the same nameplate is genius when those models are seen as appliances more than enthusiast machines. In doing so, Toyota can vary production to meet the powertrain demands of the moment without being left behind if and when EV demand increases.

A New Design Language That Will Shape Future Toyotas
The Corolla is a vital model for Toyota. Not only is it one of the brand's oldest nameplates, but it's also the best-selling vehicle nameplate in history, with more than 50 million Corollas sold globally. As such, any design changes on the Corolla will also be representative of other Toyota models in the lineup. The new design is sharp and futuristic, and while it's just a concept and concept design can change, we expect to see similar features on other models going forward.

The C-shaped headlight design with a full-width light bar we've seen on models like the new RAV4 is present here, too, but with a more angular approach and vertical lighting elements below the main signature. The overall design also leans into the benefits of an EV platform, with a lengthened wheelbase and the wheels pushed out to each corner to maximize space inside the car. As a result, the windshield has an extreme slant to it, amplified by a black panel on the hood. For EVs, aerodynamics are vital to maximize range, but we don't see this design making it to production quite as sleek as this.

At the rear, a full-width light bar is made up of rectangular pixel-like elements that will likely be simplified for production, but the wide hips may yet make it, as the Corolla will need a large trunk to be appealing to modern families.

More details will likely be announce ahead of the 2025 Japan Mobility show, which kicks off on 30 October. We'll keep you updated as we learn more.