Toyota reveals radical new look for Corolla concept that will come with four powertrain options

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This show used to be called the Tokyo Motor Show, but it changed its name a few years ago to the Japan Mobility Show to reflect more than just automobiles. These days, it features everything manufacturers can offer for the future of mobility, which includes hydrogen-powered motorcycles (Yamaha and Suzuki), multi-legged wheelchair alternatives (Toyota), ultra-luxurious minivans (Mercedes-Benz), passenger-carrying drones (Lexus) and even a space rocket (Honda). And some cars.

The Toyota Group is the largest exhibitor, taking up the entirety of one of the show’s three halls. It’s here to talk about the next generation of the Corolla, which was shown as a concept to be sold with a choice of powertrains: traditional gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric. Whatever powers the car, it will look the same and share the same basic architecture, which is a little lower and wider than the current, 12^th-generation Corolla.

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It’s still a concept because it’s in the early days of its development. Toyota announced a new generation of engines last year that are physically smaller than the current engines – this makes them easier to fit under the hood of a car that must also be designed to hold electric motors and batteries. The design shown here was sleek and sporty and looked far more upscale than the existing Corolla, so Toyota’s challenge will be to produce it as an affordable vehicle.

This is less of a challenge for Lexus, which is Toyota’s premium brand. It showed three very different concept vehicles that might carry the LS name of its flagship, which will end production as a large sedan next year. Sedans don’t sell well these days and Lexus needs a flagship for its brand, so it’s floating the idea of a luxurious, six-wheeled minivan, a sporty coupe or sports car and even a single passenger three-wheeled cocoon, all called LS Concept. Or all four.

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The minivan is the most brash, with four small wheels at the back that put the same amount of rubber on the road as the usual pair of larger wheels. This arrangement is less intrusive of space inside the cabin and allows far more interior room for the third row as well as additional stability in the rear.

“We thought, okay, what are we going to do?” said Ian Cartabiano, president of Toyota’s Calty Design Research company, based in California, speaking of his mandate to introduce a new LS flagship. “Sedans are maybe not in fashion or wanted anymore. People are getting tired of SUVs. What about the feeling of maximum space, serenity, calm, beauty, engagement, all in a luxury environment that’s almost like your own bespoke high-end apartment or hotel?

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“So, we thought, okay, LS is no more ‘luxury sedan’ – what it stands for is ‘luxury space.’ And so when you think about this vehicle, space is at the heart of what this concept is.”

There were no details about powertrains – this LS concept is still just a design exercise, as is the sleek and swoopy LS Sport. “The thing about the styling on this car is, if I have to explain it, then it’s not a great looking sports car,” said Cartabiano. “There’s not much to say about it, except that this thing is really beautiful. It’s really sexy.”

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There’s also the LS Coupe concept, though it has four doors and would probably qualify as an SUV. And then there’s the LS Micro, a single-passenger transporter intended to carry Tokyo’s wealthy through the city’s narrow streets. It was intentionally designed to not look like a car at all, and its two front wheels are hidden behind square panels to remove any automotive association. It doesn’t even have a steering wheel, just a crystalline joystick to input a destination. Don’t expect to see it on Canadian streets – any streets – any time soon.

“This is an opportunity for us at Lexus to re-evaluate who we are, what we’ve been doing and where we’re going, where we’re headed.” said Takashi Watanabe, president of Lexus International. “We feel that really adding and creating products that add new value – not just continuing one after another, but really trying to add these new things – is part of and has always been a part of our Lexus brand identity.”

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The writer was a guest of Toyota. Content was not subject to approval.