Toyota has taken the wraps off the new Corolla Sport hatchback. Initially targeted at the Japanese market, the new Toyota Corolla Sport is essentially a sportier, right-hand-drive version of the latest-gen Corolla hatchback that was unveiled at the New York Auto show some time ago.
The Toyota Corolla sport is available with two engine options – a 114hp 1.2-litre turbo-petrol and a 120hp petrol-hybrid powertrian which is essentially the same as on the Toyota Prius. While gearbox duties will be carried out by a 10-step CVT for now, a manual gearbox will be added later to lower trims. Additionally, Toyota will also sell the higher-spec Corolla Sport with all-wheel drive. The Toyota Corolla Sport for Japan features a unique ‘C’ emblem for the domestic market model.
The new Corolla Sport features Toyota’s data communication module as standard for the Japanese-spec model. This feature offers 24x7 connectivity services focused on safety, security, comfort and convenience based on real-time driving data.
The car also gets Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 – a suite of features that includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, intelligent cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and even auto high beams.
The hatchback is underpinned by the Japanese carmaker’s latest modular TNGA architecture, just like the Auris sold in Europe. This new platform is more rigid than its predecessor and has a lower centre of gravity as well. The new Corolla Sport’s styling is based on the company’s latest design theme, which is also seen on the popular C-HR crossover. It comes with a long list of features and LED lights as standard.
The Toyota Corolla hatchback takes on the Hyundai i30 and the Honda Civic hatchback, internationally. While there is no news of the Toyota Corolla hatchback making it to our shores, the company will bring in an all-new Corolla sedan based on the new TNGA platform to India. Additionally, as part of the recent partnership between Toyota and Maruti, the new Corolla will be built in India for Maruti as well. This will help Maruti expand its line-up and give the carmaker a premium offering that could be retailed from the Nexa sales network.