We’re on the verge of Toyota revealing their all-new Auris (read: Corolla hatch) to the world, slated for the Geneva Motor Show this week. But before company execs can lift that veil, a convincing mage has surfaced on social media that could well be our first look at it.
The copper brown Auris Hybrid seen here certainly looks like a logical continuation of the outgoing Corolla hatch with the kind of design direction we see Toyota lean increasingly into, most visibly with the C-HR crossover and all-new Camry saloon.
Even it hybrid guise, the car emanates a sportier presence with squinty headlights, a large front intake, and low profile tyres. Just the mere fact that Toyota is proliferating dual-tone exteriors, possibly with additional customisation options to come further along, speaks volumes about where they reckon this new Auris/Corolla slots into the landscape.
The single image doesn’t tell us much beyond this, though we can speculate that it will feature a powertrain spread broadly similar to the C-HR. In certain markets, the entry-level variant may well be be powered by a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol before offering a step-up to a 1.2-litre turbocharged unit with more torque.
This Auris Hybrid, meanwhile, could be using that same 1.8-litre atmospheric motor, but operating on the more efficient Atkinson combustion cycle, paired to an electric motor and an their eCVT transmission. Given how sporty the Auris looks here, it’s like to have been tuned to produce more power than the Prius and C-HR hybrid.
As usual, there’s no diesel expected to be on the horizon in any trim or market. The car is to be underpinned by Toyota’s new TNGA platform, which it will share with pretty much every other passenger vehicle under the Japanese automaker’s near-term roadmap.
For more on Toyota cars, check out our Showroom.
