Following the restructuring of one of its local joint-ventures, Toyota now plans to build the next-generation Corolla in China. As reported by Nikkei Asia, production is set to begin in 2028 and will use a platform that can accommodate multiple powertrain types—gasoline, hybrid, and electric.
Chinese production of the upcoming Toyota Corolla will be handled by FAW Toyota Motor, Toyota and China FAW Group’s joint venture. The next generation of the Japanese brand’s best-known model was previewed as a concept car at last year’s Japan Mobility Show, featuring an an aggressive direction for the compact sedan’s design with plenty of sharp angles.
PHOTO BY Toyota
More important, former Toyota president Koji Sato highlighted that the 13th-generation Corolla’s “multi-pathway” platform is engineered to accomodate the varying energy infrastructures of the markets it is destined for: “The Earth is vast, and the world is diverse. Roads differ, and so do energy realities.”
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Toyota has already launched vehicles built on multi-powertrain platforms under Lexus. This includes the Lexus ES, which can be had as either a hybrid or an electric vehicle. The multi-pathway approach being applied to the Corolla is expected to help speed up development and reduce costs for the automaker.
PHOTO BY Toyota
Besides the Corolla, Toyota is also preparing to build range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs) in China starting in 2027. While it is still unclear if these REEVs will be all-new models or new variants of existing nameplates, it’s possible that a range-extended powertrain is being considered for the next Corolla.
Additionally, while it is expected that a variant of the 13th-generation Corolla will arrive in the Philippines as the Corolla Altis, nothing currently indicates that the FAW Toyota Motor-built model will be brought to our market.