► Toyota unveils new Corolla Concept
► Drastic redesign for world’s best-selling car
► Can be hybrid, plug-in or electric
Toyota has rolled out a new ‘To You’ tag line ahead of the the 2025 Japan Mobility Show. Simply put, it’s all about creating something for the individual rather than the lowest common denominator – and it’s sticking to its new ethos. Toyota just put its money where its mouth is with an extreme, all-new Corolla Concept.
Corolla Concept is a future vision for Toyota’s cash cow, but it looks much more radical than we’d have expected. The new design was teased ahead of the show, and it’s now landed with a rakish look that marks a huge departure from what we’d expect from the admittedly tepid Corolla badge.
When Toyota said it didn’t want to create ‘safe products’ for the majority, it really meant it.
It’s a four-door saloon in body style, with design elements seen on former Toyota design studies like the Sport Crossover concept of 2023, as well as the Land Cruiser Se concept that previews an electric 4×4. The interior is clean and simple, with screens only surrounding the driver and a generally modern ambience.
At the stand, Toyota staff were keen to point out how each seat in the car catered toward a different use case. For example, the driver seat focuses on comfort and information, while the passenger seat is more about relaxation.
Toyota is keen to illustrate that a future Corolla production model based off this concept can become a car with a ‘multi-pathway’ approach to what powers it. Therefore, Toyota says the Corolla can be powered by a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery-electric powertrain. Crucially, this choice shouldn’t create any tech compromises – but it goes against the purely bespoke approach of other brands.
‘Whatever the power source, Toyota’s vision is to make good looking cars that everyone will want to own and drive,’ the brand said in a statement.
We’ll find out more about the Corolla Concept soon, as our coverage of the 2025 Tokyo motor show continues.
Jake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
By Jake Groves
CAR's news editor; gamer, trainer freak and serial Lego-ist