New Toyota Corolla SALOON to debut this month – not expected for the UK

The new Toyota Corolla Saloon will debut in China later this month to join the Corolla Hatch and Estate, but it’s not likely to make it to the UK.

Having changing the Corolla’s name in the UK and Europe to the Auris some years ago, Toyota made a, seemingly last minute, switch back to the Corolla name a few months ago, dubbing what had already been revealed as the new Auris the new Corolla instead, and revealing an Estate version to go with the Hatch at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

And now the new Toyota Corolla Saloon is about to make its debut at China’s Guangzhou Motor Show on the 16th of this month as the third piece of the Corolla model trilogy, ahead of which Toyota is teasing its arrival with a single photo (above) depicting an outline of the new Corolla Saloon together with outlines of both the Hatch and Estate.

Underpinned by the same TNGA Platform as its siblings and the Prius, the Corolla Saloon will be built in Turkey and, just like the Hatch and Estate, will be offered with a choice of two hybrid powertrains, the 121bhp 1.8 litre already found in the Prius and C-HR and a new 2.0 litre hybrid with a much livelier 178bhp, and a single 1.2 litre petrol.

It seems unlikely Toyota will offer the Corolla Saloon in the UK to sell alongside the Hatch and Estate – especially if the Corolla Crossover materialises –  although with Mercedes taking a chance on the new A-Class Saloon here, and Honda doing the same with the Civic Saloon, perhaps Toyota will decide it’s worth a punt?