New Toyota Corolla Touring Sports Is A Stretched Wagon Slated For Paris

The wagon may be a dying breed, slowly bled out by the rise of the crossover – but it’s not dead yet. At least not as far as Toyota is concerned, for the European market.

The Japanese automaker has revealed the first images and details of the new Corolla Touring Sports, a longer version of the hatchback revealed at the Geneva show earlier this year.

Now stretched out to offer increased versatility and interior space, the all-new Toyota Corolla Touring Sports is set to debut a month from now at the Paris Auto Show. It’s been developed in Europe for the European market at the company’s new Zaventem Design Centre in Belgium.

The elongated roofline rides on a 2700mm (106”) wheelbase to offer what the manufacturer touts as “best-in-class rear seat passenger legroom” and 598 liters (21 cubic feet) of cargo capacity. That may not be as much as a taller crossover SUV, but it ought to make the new Corolla an even more enticing prospect to those seeking a bit more space in their compact car.

Otherwise it’s essentially the same car as the hatchback, offering an array of powertrain options. No diesels, just one gasoline engine – a 1.2-liter turbo with 116 hp (86 kW) – joined by two hybrid options: a 1.8-liter unit with 122 hp (91 kW) or a 2.0 with 180 hp (134 kW). The multilink rear suspension and available adaptive variable setup ought to help keep it stable, even with a full load in the back.

The Touring Sports model will also offer four two-tone finishes, thanks to the availability of a black roof and pillars. We’ll have to wait on further details to be revealed closer to its debut in Paris, but the bottom line is that European wagon fans can rest easy with the imminent arrival of the new model on the marketplace.