Toyota Ponders Hybrid, More Body Styles for Corolla

SANTA MONICA, CA – While many of its U.S. compact-car competitors offer a variety of powertrains and body styles, the revamped ’14 Toyota Corolla will come only as a sedan and with essentially one engine, a largely carryover 1.8L 4-cyl.

But Corolla chief engineer Shinichi Yasui tells WardsAuto he is studying expanding the car's U.S. lineup to include a hybrid-electric powertrain option, as well as additional body styles.

“I must study hybrids (and coupes and hatchbacks),” Yasui says following the '14 Corolla's unveiling here in an airplane hangar.

The Volkswagen Jetta now offers a hybrid powertrain, as well as a long-standing diesel-engine option, and a new Chevrolet Cruze diesel is now entering the market. Honda's Civic is available as a hybrid, and Ford's Focus comes with a variety of powertrain options, including an all-electric propulsion system.

Bill Fay, Toyota Div. general manager, told media last week he isn't as crazy about a hybrid option for the Corolla, because he believes it could cannibalize sales of the Prius lineup.

However, Toyota does have a directive to offer hybrid variants of all its models in the U.S. beginning sometime in the 2020s.

Meanwhile, the 4-door-only Corolla competes against the Focus, which has both sedan and hatchback body styles; the Civic, available as a 2- or 4-door; and Hyundai's Elantra, offered in 2-, 4- and 5-door configurations.

For Yasui, the Corolla has taken up a good chunk of his career. First assigned to the car in 2002, he helmed the current-generation model that debuted in the U.S. in 2007 and remained the Corolla’s chief engineer for the all-new 11th generation that debuted here last week, following an hour-long entertainment spectacle featuring acrobats, dancers and swimmers suspended from the ceiling.

The pre-reveal activities reflect Toyota's desire to "elevate" the car, which it considers the best-selling vehicle in the world, to a more exciting level.

This time around, after surveying current Corolla owners, Yasui knew the compact sedan had to break away from its dowdy, bland image.

“(The) current Corolla is not so exciting...the design is a little bit boring,” he says is the chief complaint of owners of the outgoing model.

Designers sculpted a new look for the sedan, which industry observers on hand here compare to a cross between a prior-gen Focus and current Kia Forte and Dodge Dart. Most agree the styling is improved from the current Corolla.

Corners now are sharply rounded, overhangs are short, and wheels are pushed out to the extremes.

Toyota also worked to improve the interior, per research showing the segment's buyers won't settle for hard plastics and fuzzy fabrics anymore, Yasui says.

The sporty S-grade Corolla shown here features woven-polyester seating material, and there’s an overall higher caliber of materials and attention to detail. For instance, grab-bar screws, although shiny and visible, are placed on the outer edges where passengers are least likely to see them.

There are a few befuddling elements, including rear outboard head restraints that are sewn to the seatbacks. Rear seatback releases are placed on the top inner side of the seat, adjacent the center head restraint, rather than the top outer edge, where they can be reached more easily.

Not only did Yasui have a design directive to meet, he also was tasked with improving the Corolla's fuel economy to a targeted 40-mpg (5.9 L/100 km) highway rating.

"We must get more than 40 highway, because Corolla competitors already (are there)," he says, referring to the Eco grades of the Focus and Cruze.

To achieve that performance with the Corolla, Yasui specified the auto maker's Valvematic technology, which allows continuously variable valve timing to operate over a wider range on the intake side.

Valvematic, only on the new LE Eco grade, boosts the 1.8L engine’s output to 140 hp, up from 132 hp in other ’14 Corollas.

Yasui agrees it is odd for the most fuel-efficient grade to also boast the highest horsepower, saying that was not expected when development began. He is studying whether to add Valvematic to the 1.8L in remaining Corolla models.

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