A saloon variant of the new Toyota Toyota Corolla has been revealed at the Guangzhou motor show in China.
The Corolla Saloon will arrive in the UK in early 2019, sitting alongside the already-revealed hatchback and Touring Sports estate models.
A Toyota spokesperson suggested that, based on recent market trends in the UK, the hatchback will likely be the most popular of the three bodystyles, followed by the estate.
The Corolla is based on Toyota's TNGA modular platform, which is also used on the Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry, and will be built in the company's Turkish plant alongside the Toyota Toyota C-HR crossover.
It's the first Corolla saloon to be offered with hybrid powertrains: a 121bhp 1.8-litre set-up, which is also used in the C-HR and Prius, and a new 178bhp 2.0-litre version. UK buyers will be limited to the latter.
Where the hatchback and estate models are aimed at young couples and families respectively, Toyota hopes that the saloon variant will appeal to “young professionals who want more prestigious styling, space and comfort”.
Differentiated styling reflects Toyota’s upmarket ambitions for the Corolla saloon. At the front, a protruding lower bumper, combined with sharply defined headlights and a revised upper grille, emphasise the car's ‘firmly planted’ stance, while the rear gets different light clusters and chrome detailing.
The interior is largely identical to that of the hatchback, although, with the same 2.7-metre wheelbase as the estate, the saloon provides more leg room for passengers in the rear seats.
