It’s been a while since the world saw an all-new Toyota Corolla/Corolla Altis. The current generation dates back to 2018, meaning it’s now getting a little long in the tooth. It doesn’t help that its longtime rival, the Honda Civic, was totally redesigned in 2021. So not only is it six years old now, it’s also three years older than the Civic.
Despite its age, the Corolla is still one of Toyota’s moneymakers. Over 800,000 units were sold last year, but it also represents a sales decrease of around 19 percent. An all-new model is in order, then.
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Toyota has been fairly quiet when it comes to the Corolla range. However, a report from Japan claims that the thirteenth-generation model is underway. According to Best Car (via Drive), it could make its world premiere in 2026.
Great news, then, even if the Corolla, the Corolla Altis specifically, isn’t the massive seller it once was in the Philippines. But that’s not the only noteworthy bit of the report. It goes on to say that it could use a 1.5-liter turbo engine that’s based on one of the new modular engines showcased by Toyota recently.
On top of that, there might be a plug-in hybrid variant that will join the range. Not only that, it is said that it could use some electrification tech from BYD. Yes, you read that right.
You shouldn’t be too surprised about that though. Toyota and BYD have a joint venture when it comes to electrified vehicles. This venture is called BYD Toyota Electric Vehicle Technology and one of its first products is the Toyota bZ3.
Back to the next-gen Corolla, it is possible that it will pair Toyota’s new 1.5-liter engine to BYD’s Blade battery system and electric motors. It could work the same way as the one found in the upcoming Sealion 6 with the engine merely serving as a generator for the electric drive system. The claimed estimated range? Up to 2,100 kilometers.
2026 is still fairly far away, though. The future of the Toyota Corolla isn’t set in stone just yet. But it will be interesting to see how it all pans out, especially if the Toyota-BYD powertrain does become reality.
