Saar: It packs more of nearly everything, including power, safety and style.

At the ongoing 2018 Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition, Japanese carmaker Toyota has unveiled the all-new, China-spec Corolla sedan. In its twelfth generation, the Corolla sedan packs more of nearly everything, including power, safety and style. No points for guessing, it is based on the Corolla hatchback which went on sale in serval international markets in summer of 2018. The way the Corolla and the new-gen Camry look, it is pretty clear that Toyota is on a mission to shrug-off its conservative, slightly boring image, and gain a more striking one in return.

Underpinning the all-new Toyota Corolla sedan is the TNGA platform, which stands for Toyota New Global Architecture and also does duty in other Toyota Group’s models such as the Camry and the Lexus ES. In the Corolla sedan, Toyota claims that “the new platform offers improved performance characterised by smooth driving, ride comfort, quietness, and safety.” In terms of dimensions, the front and rear tracks have been widened but the wheelbase, at 2,700mm, remains unchanged from its predecessor.

As you’d expect, the resemblance between the hatchback and the sedan derivatives of the Corolla marque is quite evident, inside and out. On the outside, the styling is quite similar right up to B-pillar. From thereon, the Corolla sedan’s roof and window lines descend smoothly and blend well towards the C-pillar. At the rear, the three-box design is finished with differently-styled taillamp units which feature LED elements.

Inside the cabin, the dashboard has the same simple design as the one on the Corolla hatchback. The kit of the China-spec Corolla sedan includes dynamic radar cruise control, a multifunction steering wheel, onboard Data Communication module, a large touchscreen infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay, several collision avoidance and mitigation systems and lane departure assist with active steering.

In the engines department, Toyota has introduced a new 2.0-litre petrol motor that produces 171PS/205Nm. The 1.8-litre petrol engine, from its predecessor, is carried forward in the US market. Toyota has also confirmed that a hybrid powertrain will also be introduced in the Corolla sedan in the near future. As far as transmission options go, the sedan will be offered with a new 6-speed manual transmission and a CVT.

The all-new Corolla sedan will go on sale in Europe and the USA in spring 2019. The new model will also be introduced to 150 other countries. When it comes to India, it will wear the Corolla Altis tag. The Indian arm of the Japanese carmaker launched the mid-life update of the Corolla Altis in March last year. By that calculation, the new Corolla Altis that we see here should arrive either by the end of next year or early the following year.