NAIAS: Corolla Furia Concept Hints at Toyota’s New U.S-Bound Compact Sedan [Updated]

There used to be a time when journalists and the public alike were speculating whether concepts launched at auto shows might indeed make it to production and, if yes, in what form.

Not anymore: automakers are increasingly spilling the beans out themselves. Just like Honda made no secret that its Urban SUV Concept is a small crossover in disguise, even providing a launch date, Toyota revealed what its Furia Concept, which has been teasing before, is all about.

After its world debut at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show, it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. All it takes is to read its full name: it’s the Corolla Furia Concept, which as Toyota readily admits, “hints at the styling cues consumers can expect to see” on the next-generation of its North American market compact sedan.

“The Corolla Furia Concept is an early indicator of where our compact car design may lead in the future”, commented Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division. “It blends a heightened emphasis on dramatic design and modern elements of high technology to generate curb appeal that will surprise a lot of people.”

Not to sound too cynic but a Corolla with curb appeal will surely be a surprise…

The concept features a futuristic front end with a blacked-out lower air intake, slim LED headlamps and steeply raked windshield, pronounced wheel arches that house 19-inch alloys, LED rear lights and short front and rear overhangs.

The Corolla Furia Concept is 4,620 mm (181.9 in) long, 1,805 mm (71 in) wide and 1,425 mm (56.1 in) high and sports a relatively long 2,700 mm (106.3 in) wheelbase.

If we downsize the wheels, take out the carbon fiber trim from the wheel arches, rocker panels and rear valance and the LED lighting strip that runs across the bonnet, and if Toyota doesn’t pull an FT-Concept trick on us, we can almost visualize the next-gen Corolla that doesn’t look too bad.

So much for motoring journalist cynicism, then…

By Andrew Tsaousis

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