Aside from the sub-crossover SUV segment, Toyota lacks another model in its lineup - a hot-hatch. However, word is that the automaker might fill that gap soon.
In order to further increase its “waku-doki” excitement factor, Toyota Australia product planning manager Mark Dobson told CarAdvice that a hot-hatch Corolla model seems a logical step in the automaker’s lineup expansion.
The Toyota Corolla nameplate is currently formed up by two models in Australia - the very popular sedan which received a makeover for 2014 and the hatchback version, which is basically the 2014 Toyota Auris.
Since costs for re-bodying the model to a three-door version would be unfeasible for the project, we would expect only the five-door Auris to come out as a performance model, wearing both visual and handling mods, like a roof wing, slightly modified bumpers and side skirts as well as a tuned suspension.
Toyota had a hot-hatch Corolla back in 2002, powered by a 1.8-liter VVT-i engine making 192 hp, which you can see in the video bellow.
In order to keep up with rivals like Volkswagen Golf GTI and Subaru WRX, the Corolla (Auris) hot-hatch might be powered by the new 2-liter turbocharged unit specially developed for the Lexus NX, supposed to match the 3.5-liter V6’s performances of 270 hp and 248 lb-ft (340 Nm).
Another option would be the high-performance hybrid system we saw on the Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R which totals 420 hp, but that might be a bit far stretched.
Maybe it would be as cool as the Zeonic Auris from the Gundam anime.
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