What Can We Expect from the All-New Toyota Corolla?
As we head into the final throes of 2026, the time has come to glance into the crystal ball labelled 2027, which for The Taxi Centre, is largely filled by anticipation around the all-new Toyota Corolla.
We won’t need to point out that the launch of a new Toyota Corolla – as significant as it is for motoring generally – is a particularly important moment for taxi drivers, such has been the ubiquitous popularity of current and previous generation models for decades now.
Strictly speaking, the 13th generation Corolla is primed to be one of the most significant new cars launches of 2027, if not the most significant of all.
A nameplate that has been in play since 1966, the Corolla has amassed an extraordinary 60-million sales on a global scale, earning it status as the best-selling vehicle of all-time.
While this sustained popularity has been made possible by the model being adapted for various markets – which means the Corolla that can be bought in Europe, or the Middle East or the United States, are often markedly different from one another – its byword for practicality, reliability and quality have been a consistent theme wherever the car appears.
However, the automotive market has evolved significantly since the 12th generation Corolla was launched, which means the step towards Mk.XIII is anticipated to be the biggest in the model’s long history.
Toyota Corolla: Will the Production Model Look Like the Concept?
While no-one has seen the new Corolla in final production form as yet, Toyota did give a glimpse of where it’s headed with the unveiling of a stunning concept car in 2025 that left many onlookers stunned.
The model shown revealed the next Corolla is likely to morph into a fastback body style bristling with a litany of striking design traits, most notably the huge windscreen that starts above the driver’s seat and plunges deep into the bonnet.
Evidently influenced by the Prius, the Corolla Concept has been designed to maximise aero efficiency, while the deep windscreen is intended to improve airflow while providing an airier cabin environment.
The Corolla Concept showcases a daring design direction for Toyota on a model that has – put kindly – erred on the more conservative side so as not to offend different tastes.
It should be noted, of course, that the model shown in each of these photos is a Concept car and there is every chance the final production model will not look like this at all.
However, all signs point towards it remaining faithful to this prototype, even if European specification models – which are expected to retain the hatchback and estate options – might differ from this model’s layout.
Indeed, Toyota has gone to lengths to insist that this concept is a genuine preview of what we will be able to buy in 18-months or so.
After all, the rakish roofline, deep windscreen and bluff ends are not simply for aesthetic reasons, they are there to eke out efficiency...
Toyota Corolla: Hybrid, PHEV, Electric and Hydrogen
...which brings us on to what will power the next-generation Corolla.
One of the primary attractions of the current Corolla is its flexible, convenient self-charging hybrid powertrain, which provides a modicum of electric-only driving at low speed/stop-start environments to ensure a notable increase in fuel economy while lowering emissions – a crucial commodity in city centre low emission zones.
The good news is that the Toyota has stated it has no plans to phase out the FHEV (Full Hybrid Electric Vehicle) powertrain, even going as far as to reveal the engine will be a 1.5-litre engine with hybrid capability.
While that is a smaller engine than the current 1.8 or 2.0-litre options, that slippery aero of the new model is likely to negate any loss in performance, while still improving overall fuel economy.
In fact, rumours suggest Toyota is pushing to get the new Corolla FHEV as close to 100mpg as it can – all without the fuss of recharging.
That said, the next generation Corolla is being designed around a more flexible powertrain system, which means it also plans to offer Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and – eventually – even a Fuel Cell Hydrogen (FCEV) version.
When Can We Expect the 13th Generation Toyota Corolla?
It has been just over a year since the Corolla Concept was unveiled to the world at the Mobility Show in Tokyo.
Since then, some renders of the final production model have been previewed but nothing from official sources.
However, we shouldn’t have too much longer to wait for the brand-new production-ready Corolla to appear with early to mid-2027 anticipated before it officially hits UK roads in 2028.
> Would You Consider a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Taxi? <
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