Toyota Motor Corp. is rolling out a redesigned version of its top selling Corolla in Japan even as the automaker pushes back the U.S. debut of the car at least one year in a effort to maintain quality control.
Sales of the remodeled Corolla are scheduled to begin in Japan soon and Toyota wanted to reduce the gap between domestic and overseas sales of the Corolla from two years to just one.
At a news conference to introduce the car, Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe declined to specify when production of the redesigned Corolla would begin in North America, saying only that it would proceed as planned.
The Corolla is currently manufactured at a plant in Canada and a joint venture plant with General Motors in California where Corolla production is up roughly 10 percent this year.
Toyota hopes to attract younger buyers with the new Corolla. The average age of a Corolla consumer is now 60. Toyota has modified the name of the Corolla, now in its 10th generation, to the to Corolla Axio for the sedan and Corolla Fielder for the wagon.
The name change is part of the effort to attract younger buyers. "With the new name, we want to expand our customer base and increase volume," Watanabe said.
The tried and true Corolla series is sold in 140 markets around the world and is built in 16 countries, with global sales nearing 32 million units since the little car's 1966 launch 40 year ago.
The new Corolla comes with a rearview monitor for parking that will be standard on all Corolla Axio sedans and pre-crash safety systems such as a seat belt pre-tensioner.
The car will be powered by a recently developed 1.8-liter engine with continuously variable transmission. The Corolla, when it reaches the U.S. market, will sell for $11,760 for the sedan and $12,595 for the wagon.
