► New Toyota Corolla Touring Sports
► It’s the new name for Auris estate
► Now with Allroad-style Trek edition
Even the Japanese aren’t immune from the pressures to out-Volkswagen the Germans: meet the new Toyota Corolla Trek, an Allroad-style soft-roader that turns the Corolla Touring Sports estate car into a wagon in wellies.
It’s actually a special edition done in partnership with bicycle maker Trek and has the raised ride height, plastic body cladding and soft-roader undertrays we’ve come to expect of the genre. Does it work? The idea is to turn the Corolla tourer into an estate with a whiff of the SUV about it.
The 20mm ride hike and body addenda are supposed to allow for mild outdoors use, so it should be fine on gravel tracks and maybe even the local gymkhana. Just remember that there is no all-wheel drive, extra traction aids or specialised tyres offered here. This is a strictly cosmetic job.
Toyota Corolla hatchback: the full briefing
Both the 1.8- and 2.0-litre hybrids are offered in the Toyota Corolla Trek. Extra kit thrown in includes 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and a motorised tailgate function.
Read on for our briefing from the regular wagon’s world debut in 2018.
Everything you need to know about the regular Toyota Corolla Touring Sports
A blast from the past is back: the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports marks a return to an old name for what we thought would be called the new Auris.
Instead Toyota has elected to switch back to the big-selling global nameplate after failing to cut through with its Auris badge. And the Touring Sports is the estate version, unveiled in full at the Paris motor show 2018.
It went on UK sale in time for the new 19-reg number plate change in March 2019. And having had a good poke around at the Paris show and now driven the new estate, we can conclude that Toyota might just be back in the game with the new Corolla.
Everthing you need to know about the new Toyota Corolla hatchback (née Auris)
So what makes the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports a good estate car?
Toyota claims its new global TNGA architecture has enabled more variation from the hatchback, making it ‘a distinct, separate model in its own right.’ The platform, dubbed GA-C in this compact estate codename geeks, is sufficiently flexible that many of the key dimensions of the estate are different from the five-door.
A longer rear deck extends the boot space of the new Corolla wagon and Toyota claims a loadspace of 598 litres, which is pretty decent for a mid-sized estate. No figure has been issued yet for maximum loadspace with the rear seats folded but the loadbay has impressed at its Paris show debut.
The long wheelbase of 2700mm helps here and Toyota quotes class-leading rear legroom. This car was designed at the brand’s new styling studio in Belgium; look out for four dual-tone paint schemes which pitch the roof, pillars and lower grille surround in contrast black.
The interior is dominated by a big touchscreen, whose chunky ‘hard keys’ will make a doddle of navigating menus and infotainment details. It’s as well made as you’d expect of a Toyota.
Must be a hybrid, right?
You guessed right. The new Corolla range comes with a choice of hybrids (which just goes to show how much further ahead Toyota is in the electrified genre).
Choose from a pair of hybrids and just one conventional combustion engine:
- 114bhp 1.2 petrol turbo
- 120bhp 1.8 hybrid
- 178bhp 2.0 hybrid
The batteries are stowed under the rear seats, helping to give a lower centre of gravity. It’s not a plug-in though; remember Toyota refers to its hybrids as ‘self-charging’ models.
Suspension is by MacPherson struts up front and a new multi-link rear end, which includes adaptive variable dampers at the rear – a first for the Corolla. Other new features include full LED rear lamp clusters, head-up display, wireless phone charging and the intruigingly named ‘world-first 3D driver’s meter.’ Nope, us neither…
When can I buy the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports?
The car went on sale in spring 2019 and UK prices will be confirmed nearer the launch.
The new Toyota Corolla is manufactured at the Burnaston factory in Derbyshire, with engines coming from the Toyota engine plant in Deeside.
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