Toyota explains why the new Corolla looks so radical.

Toyota explains why the new Corolla looks so radical.

Day two, Japan Mobility Show 2025 again here with the legend David Chowo Automotive Press. We are showing you the new Corolla concept. We cannot wait to share all the new details. Two of us so excited. We’re like kids in the candy store and this time we’re going to talk about the new Corolla because you guys love this design. So I was talking to the chief engineer, Mr. Hukushima, about the Corolla and then you spoke to the chief designer, right? So both of us got slightly different uh perspectives about the Corolla. So I’ll share my perspective what I learned and so and you will do the same. So let us walk through. So let’s start with the design of this new Corolla because it’s unlike anything else that Toyota has ever developed especially for kind of the everyday car, right? What did the designer say? Well, the first thing I notice and he mentioned is that the the hood’s very low and we know that that allows for better aerodynamics, better range, better efficiency. Um, but we know uh aside from this, Toyota’s developing new engines that are much more compact. So, we know that the power trains are going to be diverse on this ice hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully battery electric. And now they have the engine compactness to be able to put really anything underneath the hood. So we can have a greater choice with powertrains. Yeah. I mean in today’s modern age where we don’t know what’s happening with EVs and all that stuff, they have to find a way to be able to stuff anything in there. So chief engineer did confirm like you said that they can put any different combinations. So powertrain including pure gas is also possible because like you said the engine much smaller and they made the hood because of that they made the hood much smaller. the overhang is small and they brought the the windshield all the way forward, you know, that’s what he told me. And so so not only is the whole dash lower and the whole front end lower, you’ve got this massive window that starts all the way from here almost halfway through the hood and goes all the way to almost B-pillar. Yes. Yes. And so he said this provides not just beautiful amazing visibility but also this openness including this section which is almost the roof basically right the ceiling is also open. Did he say anything else about that? Very similar. They on the design aspect they wanted more visibility for safety. So the long windshield but you know the the engine technology applies there. But we see something very unique here that I don’t know if I’ve ever seen on a Toyota is you have this sloping window line. We hear sloping roof line a lot, but a window typically it’s all just horizontal. All right. So, we have really thin A-pillars here. Um, and an elongated um window and and B-pillar has been pushed back as well. So, this window length is is something we’ve never really seen in a production car from Toyota. Yeah. Yeah. So, they were saying that um well, first of all, you can see the front door is big. Like, this is huge for a compact car. And I mean, we’ll talk about a little bit more once the door is open, but he said that they want to make sure that the passenger side is like a proper place to rest, not not just like a place to just go from point A to B, but so it’s really big and roomy and open. So, we’ll talk about that once we open the door. Um, yeah. Anything else from the designer discussion? There’s a charging port here and and we’ve seen this with concepts 2 years ago. Toyota is starting to implement little screens on the side to let you know the state of charge, uh, charging rate, just information to be able to communicate with the vehicle while not while not being inside the vehicle. Yeah, actually makes a lot of sense. I can’t imagine how much it cost to replace it if you break it, but don’t Well, that’s anything in a car, right? Yeah, that’s anything. Yeah. So, then we’re going to I guess this door is open, so we can come back to the back. So, again, I’m not sure what the chief designer said to Kirk because we’re having separate conversations, but he said they wanted to individualize each seating. So driver side very supportive driver oriented passenger front open airy really big and comfortable and he said even the back seat they wanted to be comfortable enough that someone can sit there for many many hours and be comfortable right now is two individual semibucket seat of course that wouldn’t be the case right Kirk it would be like three rows it would just be a b typical bench instead of bucket seats back there but the design is unique so I like you said the sloping hood design sloping window gives it a very aggressive stance. Um, yeah. Did they Did he the designer say anything about the back there? Yeah, a little bit. One little fun fact is these this is a laminated acoustic glass. They didn’t need to do that on a concept car. That’s true. Yeah, you’re right. It is and this is just this is just a shell. This is not a working prototype other than, you know, cool lights and screens. But as we we come to the back, I did ask them, you know, could this this sort of general design that we see here with the lights, the low hood, etc. could we see a transfer to other variants of the Corolla? Um he said, well, he can’t say anything about hatchback or or a touring model. Yes. But he did say that this sort of design back here can be either a sedan with a traditional trunk or or a lift back. So, it is flexible in that design. Um and and we were talking about how it doesn’t look like a traditional threebox sedan, right? But we’re seeing manufacturers all over get away from traditional three box because this is a more efficient shape. It’s more aerodynamic crossover look, right? Yeah. Coupe crossover sort of look to it. Yeah. Yeah. So he absolutely true. What you said makes sense based on what the chief engineer told me, which means he said they haven’t made up their mind what the rear is going to be, but it’s configurable to being a sedan or hatchback or crossover design. And he said it’s going to be based on feedback from everyone from us from from the media from everyone. But I he also said based on different regions of the world they have different variant anyway. Sure. So which means I mean deciphering all that which means they already have in mind design for crossover for hatch for sedan wagon maybe across even they could but modify it to that. You know we both know they’re already doing that. Oh yeah they have to right. Curl is the the bestselling name plate of all time throughout the world. And so what we’re seeing here is revision one. I know they have lots of different revisions of it. And but as a preview, I mean, it’s shockingly good looking car. What is this? Alpha Romeo or Italian sports machine, you know, looks beautiful. It is. It’s beautiful. I mean, we we saw Toyota push the envelope with um the stablemate to the Corolla, which was the Prius, which is more of that wedge design. This is more of like a I wouldn’t say teardrop design, but more of like like that coupe design. So, it’s it’s not quite the same silhouette from the side. And it’s also uh the designer said it’s a little bit bigger than what we see in the Prius, right? Which makes sense. If they’re going to make it as a battery electric, it’s got to be a little bit bigger. Now, what uh you tell me if if your chief designer said something different, but I asked about this kind of very boxy design, boxy look. is so different from a normal Toyota models. And he said, well, they haven’t quite made up their mind if this is going to be the design. Yeah. But they wanted to push the envelope and make it look very different and very radical. Um, and he said, if the feedback is good, he actually said word word for word, then you’ll get this design. What what did he say? What did you Yeah, he did mention feedback is very important with this. So to me that means that what we see here is the the basic template and then they can modify based on feedback which is pretty crazy. I mean because we need a new Corolla soon. It’s old. Yes. So they got to finalize things quick. Um hey Roman. Hey guys. Say hi to that to our viewers. We’re not doing live but kind of like Yeah, it’s not live stream. Don’t worry. TFL saying hello. Yes. Sorry about that guys. So, anything else about the back? Did you say anything else? No, we didn’t really talk much about the back. So, I’m glad you you added your insight there. I like I like this. This is also going to be a communicator to what’s going on with the car. Okay. Okay. I see. Which is pretty neat. But again, that’s concept. I doubt that would make it to production. Let’s ask them to open the passenger seat door. Oh, the front seat. Yeah, front. Uh, and then we’ll talk about the which is weird, right? This is almost like a limousine seat in the back normally, but they pushed it to forward because the windshield is pushed forward. The front end is low and the power has been pushed to the forward as well. So, you get so much space here. You can see the leg room, but also very open uh very inviting, very comfortable. Yes. What else did he say? Yeah, I mean it when you when I look inside here reminds me of other BEVs like an Ionic 5 for example. just so much floor space, leg space. They pushed the dash really far forward to give you more space, but also the the designer was really excited about the the gear shift in there is is a replica of this car. It’s kind of like a crystal sort of glass shifter. Um, and you can move it forward for drive, you move it back for reverse, and you push it down for park, which is pretty intuitive compared to modern cars shifters. And the shifter is the shape of a car, right? That’s Yeah, this car on this on this particular car. Yeah. So, you know, like I I doubt very much that would show up in the production car, but I would love it. I think it’d be so cool. Have to be so cool, right? Like the whole It can’t I mean, it doesn’t cost that much. No, exactly. And if it’s like the crystal Oh my goodness, that’s so cute. So, with this headrest real quick, you can see that it kind of contours uh the the person’s head. He also says there’s speakers in it. Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah, I can see that. And there’s less bolstering here. So, it’s really uh tied in for comfort. And then on the driver’s side, it wraps you a little bit more, a little bit more support for uh spirited driving. Uh the headrest design is different. Uh and I’m sure that the padding even could be different depending on the model. And I guess it’s is it glass roof in the back there? Probably. Yep. It looks like it does. This is This looks like a glass roof. So, but at least we have rear windshield. We have a window in the back like some cars. Uh yeah, quite like the Century doesn’t have a window in the back. Century Coupe. But here’s the most important question. Would the production car look like this? How far would you know would it be? Like how far would they go to make it look like this? So what do you think? It it’s so hard to say. You know, when we were here 2 years ago at the Japan Mobility Show, we saw a couple concepts. One was a sports car, one was a kind of like a future Rav 4 FT3E, I think was what it was called, right? They were pretty radical. They were pretty radical. And this is kind of in the same line of of it’s it’s hard to believe. This is a Corolla we’re talking about. It’s got to be made to a cost. Corolla is one of the most affordable cars worldwide. And so what we’re seeing here, this is almost Lexus like attention to detail and sort of design forward. Uh I I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I I know most people love what they see. And if if they can pull off, let’s say 75% of what we see here, I think it’s going to be a home run. It’s going to be amazing. And you know, one thing I want to point out is the revised and evolved hammerhead design. So, you know, the Toyota has the traditional hammerhead, but this one’s kind of integrated flat. Still got the hammerhead design, but a bit different. So, I like that. And and also this kind of chiseled frontal look. Chisel look. That’s 100% where I was going for. Look, all the hard edges. Okay. The the current hammerhead design has a flow and a softness to it. These are really straight sharp lines all the way across this front end. So that’s the big departure from like the last several years where we saw car become like a jelly bean and very soft curbs and suddenly you know past I don’t know two years or so we’re seeing cars with lots of hard edges getting back to the 80s right same as Honda too their concept cars are hard edges a little bit Toyotaas are also lots of edgy designs so I I feel like I feel like this part here would really look like that with the new Corolla which I think will be 2027 um based on some feedback from Japanese media I stuff. I think 2027 for 2020 model year. Maybe could be 2020. I don’t think it’s next year. Yeah, I think the Corolla sales are fine right now. They’re no no hurry, no rush to haste bring it to the market. And uh since they’re still evolving this based off of feedback, that tells me they’re in no hurry. They can push it out to the end of the decade and and and as a result also be in a better position. they can take their time rolling out the new powertrains whether it’s beev plugin e-revs on on this sort of platform too in the future and and new engines too. So so maybe 2027 for 2028 model year or could be one or two years after that but either way you guys have a preview of what kind of basic Corolla could look like which is amazing because it’s no longer basic design. It’s a beautiful design edgy design even design uh we both love it. So, last last comment before we sign off, Kirk. Sure. If if it comes out anything close to this, what’s going to happen to the Prius? I’ll I’ll see you guys in the comments. Is this a Prius killer? We’ll find out. Yeah, there are stuff you like it because they want to know a feedback from you guys. So, give us lots of comments about the design, what you see here, and we’ll pass over directly to the two chief the chief engineer and the chief designer. We’ve got their we got their business cards. We met them in person. They’re still watching us right now. And we’ll give them a feedback. So, let us know. All right, guys. Anyway, don’t forget to subscribe to Kirk’s channel, which is my name, Kirk Rifles. Yeah, you’ll tag it. Well, you guys know him already. And then come back to my channel as well for Automotive Press. And we got a lot more to share with you guys from Japan. All right, guys. So, we’re signing off for now. Say guys.

@AutomotivePress #toyota #corolla #phev #hybrid #EV #ice

After speaking to the new Corolla designer and engineer, David and I discuss the radical new design of this Corolla Concept.

Here’s what Toyota CEO Koji Sato had to say about new Corolla
I think the Corolla is a symbol of “TO YOU,” of making cars for someone.
It has always changed shape to suit the times and people’s lifestyles, and to suit you right in front of you.
There were many different looks and body types, but they were all Corollas.
That’s why the Corolla is a car for everyone.
How do we need to change to continue doing so?
The earth is big and the world is wide. Roads are different, and energy situations are different.
However, there is one thing that we all have in common. That is, a “feeling of caring for the Earth.” And another thing, a desire to drive a “cool car.” I think we all share these feelings.
So whether it’s a battery EV, plug-in, hybrid, or gasoline engine, whatever the power source, let’s make it a cool car that everyone wants to drive!
This car is packed with inventions that make this possible.

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