Toyota Corolla Hybrid Made in Thailand

Toyota continues its green plans in Thailand with a new hybrid. This time it's Corolla's turn to become more environmentally friendly as the Japanese manufacturer is reportedly working on a hybrid version of this particular model. Details are still in the early stage but it appears that the Corolla is likely to be powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine connected to electric units, an architecture similar to the one on the Prius.

"It won't necessarily be the next-generation model... it could be the existing one," a source familiar with the matter told edmunds.com.

Toyota is also developing a Yaris-based hybrid that might be built in France and likely to be more affordable than the company's flagship hybrid product, the Prius. First reports indicate the Yaris hybrid might be offered with a price tag of ($15,760) in Japan.

Additionally, a hybrid drivetrain for the Auris is also on the table, with the United Kingdom likely to host production of such a model. The UK government might approve a funding package for the Japanese manufacturer to build the Auris hybrid at the Burnaston facility but nothing has been decided yet.

"We are developing a low-priced hybrid vehicle like Honda's Insight," Akihiko Otsuka, chief engineer of the redesigned, third-generation Toyota Prius, said. in April. "We are going to compete by expanding our hybrid-vehicle lineup to smaller hybrids, in the class of the Vitz and Yaris," he said without providing details on the official launch date.

"The Auris platform was designed so it could also carry a hybrid system," Otsuka said. "By making it flexible, it can accommodate future overseas production and reduce costs."