2013 Detroit - Toyota previews next-gen Corolla with Furia Concept

Amidst the glitz and glamour that was the 2013 Detroit Motor Show, Toyota revealed the Corolla Furia Concept, which previews the design direction of the next-generation compact sedan from the Japanese manufacturer. Yes, this is how the next-generation Corolla, the world's largest selling car of all time and the most popular automobile nameplate ever, might end up looking like. And if that happens to be true, it might catapult Corolla to dizzying heights.

All through its existence, reliability and dependability have been Corolla's fortes, but good looks certainly weren't. With Toyota sticking to a conservative approach during each redesign to ensure that potential customers across continents aren't offended, the Corolla, over the last few generations, has always ended up looking bland and sober. Take the previous generation Corolla, for instance. Parked next to the Civic, it would hardly garner a second glance.

'But, why would they change the approach to a car that's already a global best-seller?' you might wonder. The answer, in a word, is 'competition'. Honda Civic, Corolla's chief competitor in most countries worldwide, has been the segment's benchmark when it comes to design, styling and engineering. To add to that, the recent rise of Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, Volkswagen Jetta and Kia Forte has made the Corolla increasingly vulnerable, necessitating a refreshing change in the next-generation model. And that change has to start from Toyota's design studios.

If Toyota's intent with the Corolla Furia Concept is to show the world that it can make great-looking cars, we aren't going to say a word against it.

The car is smashing to look at, with those thin LED headlights, octagonal grille, streaks of chrome on either sides of the Toyota logo and the striking taillight clusters making the Corolla Furia stand out in the crowd. The flared wheel arches, the twin exhaust pipes and the diffuser-style cladding in the rear bumper accentuates the sporty nature that Toyota intends to take with the next-generation Corolla. Those sculpted edges of the front and rear bumpers display a sense of aggression that was missing from the Corolla all these days. Though Toyota has not revealed a thing about the interiors or the powertrain options on the Furia Concept, we strongly smell record-smashing success written all over, even if the production model ends up looking just half as good as this concept car.

Beware Civic, Elantra and Focus! The Corolla is getting ready to make a splash!