Is it an urban SUV — or just good mood on four wheels?
For the next model year, Toyota’s little Japanese cabbage leaf gets a gentle makeover, first landing in North America.
Toyota has tried to inject a bit of life into its daily workhorse. The result? A Corolla with two faces: the hybrid gets a modern, color-matched grille that looks like it was designed by a Scandinavian minimalist. The gas-powered version, on the other hand, wears a wide-jawed front end that does its best to convince you it might actually be a rugged SUV. There are new paint options, too — and even a black roof, like a proper sports car.
The interior didn’t escape the scalpel either. The center console is no longer just a dull tray for candy wrappers — it now offers more space and less design boredom. The newly available Portobello color might sound like a mushroom stew, but in truth, it looks surprisingly tasteful.
On the technical side, hybrid models are treated to Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid system, combining a 2.0-liter petrol engine with three electric motors. The result is 196 horsepower and a zero-to-sixty time of eight seconds. It won’t outrun a sports car, but it’ll definitely get you to the bakery before the last pastries disappear.
The petrol-powered version holds its own as well — with 169 horses, a physical first gear that actually feels like you’re driving something mechanical, and a clever all-wheel-drive system that knows exactly when to wake up the rear wheels, and when to let them nap.
Inside, you’ll find everything you could reasonably expect in 2026: a 10.5-inch touchscreen, JBL sound system, heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, and wireless Apple CarPlay — because let’s be honest, no one wants to fiddle with USB cables anymore.
The boot? Big enough to swallow a golf bag — and maybe even a few lingering emotions. Rear seats split 60/40, because life is all about making choices.
And since it’s a Toyota, you get the full arsenal of safety wizardry. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 can read road signs, brake on its own, and keep you in your lane — even if your mind has wandered somewhere else entirely.
