Nother CarGuy

Toyota rolled out the all-new Corolla in hatchback form earlier this year, and followed up with the European wagon version in Paris, and the sedan version at the Guangzhou show in China just a couple of weeks ago. Now it’s brought the new Corolla sedan to North America for its debut at the LA Auto Show, and revealed full details of its hybrid powertrain in the process. While the Japanese automaker will continue offering its mainstay economy sedan with conventional powertrain options, it’s also rolling it out with a hybrid for the first time. Adapted from the Prius, the powertrain combines a 1.8-liter naturally aspirated inline four with a pair of electric motors and a continuously variable transmission, The system delivers a combined output of 121 horsepower (90 kW) and fuel economy projected at upwards of 50 miles per gallon. It also employs a new Hyper-Prime Nickel battery that sits flat under the rear seats (instead of the trunk) for a lower center of gravity and better ...

After taking the Corolla nameplate global again with the introduction of the new generation hatchback and the good looking Touring Sports wagon, Toyota has completed the series with a new sedan model. Introduced at the Guangzhou International Auto Show in China today, the new Corolla Sedan will be offered in two different flavors. These include the (somewhat) self-explanatory Sporty in North America, China (called Levin), Japan and other regions, while China, Europe and other select markets will (also) get the higher-end Prestige. The 12th-generation Corolla sedan shares its mechanical and styling genes with the latest Corolla hatchback. Without trying to alienate its broad consumer base, the new compact sedan has a more angular and aggressive design, especially up front, though the rear is more conservative than the hatch. Inside, you won’t find any differences with the five-door model, with the sedan boasting the same design and tech-rich features, including the Ent...

Toyota has used the Beijing Motor Show to announce plans to launch ten electrified vehicles in China by 2020. As part of the announcement, Toyota unveiled plug-in hybrid versions of the Corolla and Levin. The company was tight-lipped on details but confirmed the models will be built in China and launched next year. The vehicles will become the first Toyota plug-in hybrids built outside of Japan and they are slated to have an electric-only range of at least 50 km (31 miles). On the styling front, there isn’t much to report as the models only receive minor modifications. Changes include a new charging port, purple accents and plug-in hybrid badging on the front fenders. Besides introducing the Corolla and Levin plug-in hybrids, Toyota revealed plans to offer an electric version of the C-HR / IZOA. Little is known about the model but it is scheduled to be launched in 2020. In related news, Toyota said it is working with its Chinese partners to build a local production bas...

Known as the Scion iM before Toyota axed its sub-brand and renamed it the Corolla iM, the brand’s compact hatchback is now in its 12th generation and will make its North America debut in New York next week. Essentially a rebadged version of the all-new Toyota Auris, the 2019 Corolla is all but identical to its European twin. Its exterior design is described as “a meticulously mixed cocktail of emotive lines, creases and surfaces”, and unlike the latest Auris, it reveals its cabin, too. The standard 8-inch high-res touchscreen display dominates the dashboard, sitting on top of the air vents and climate control. The car also gets Qi wireless charging, a 7-inch TFT multi-info display in the higher spec, smartphone connectivity, an optional JBL premium sound system, the usual USB and AUX ports and voice recognition, leather upholstery and more. By switching to the TNGA platform, the 2019 Corolla is now 1.5in (38mm) longer, 1.2in (31mm) wide and 1.0in (25mm) lower than its...

Toyota almost broke the internet today, revealing no less than 30 vehicles for this year’s SEMA show, and these are six of the most extreme builds.  In the Japanese car maker’s own words, each project either honors the past, explores the present, or reveals the future, being one of the biggest exhibits in the event’s history. That said, here are the vehicles Toyota took out of their comfort zone with a plethora of modifications. The   Land Speed Cruiser   may look like a lowered, slightly  modified Land Cruiser , but it actually takes the notion of the big SUV and throws it in the bin. Unlike its road-going counterpart, this concept was built for pure speed – hence the name – which may explain its 2000 hp 3UR-FE 5.7-liter V8 under the hood. The obscene amount of power makes it top out at 220 mph (354 km/h), leaving most sports car in the dust. Bentayga who? The   XTREME Corolla   takes the core values of Toyota’s compact vehicle to the extreme. Using a...