Toyota has announced that the car it makes at its Derbyshire factory will be offered purely as a hybrid from next year.
The Japanese manufacturer said that in 2020, as part of a revision of the Corolla range , it will just produce hybrid-powered cars following the discontinuation of the 1.2T turbo petrol engine.
As a result, all Corollas made at Burnaston will be offered with a choice of either 1.8 or 2.0-litre self-charging powertrains, which are manufactured at the firm’s engine-making plant at Deeside, North Wales.
The 1.8-litre system is capable of producing 120 bhp, while the 2.0-litre hybrid can produce 181 bhp.
The Burnaston factory started making the all-new Corolla at the start of this year, with the majority of its output exported to mainland Europe.
However, since being introduced in March, Toyota has sold more than 13,000 Corollas in the UK alone.
To build on its early success, next year the company will be selling two new versions of the car.
The Corolla GR Sport has been developed in conjunction with Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s global championship-winning motorsport arm.
It will feature design and specification details that give the car “a wider, more planted and powerful look and a sportier cabin ambience”.
The Corolla Touring Sports TREK celebrates a partnership between Toyota and the internationally renowned bicycle manufacturer TREK and has an “SUV-influenced look”.
A further change for 2020 will be the introduction of Apple Car Play and Android Auto smartphone integration fitted as standard on all new Corolla models.
The revision of the Corolla range comes after the car was recently elected as a finalist for the 2020 European Car of the Year Award.
It will be one of seven finalists for the title, the winner of which will be announced at the Geneva Motor Show on March 2.
In a statement, Toyota said: “The impressive popularity of the British-built Hatchback and Touring Sports, plus the elegant Corolla Saloon, is now being enriched with a series of upgrades and new model versions for 2020.
“The dual hybrid strategy – also applied to the new C-HR crossover – gives drivers the traditional rewards of Toyota’s self-charging hybrid technology with low emissions, fuel efficiency and a relaxing drive, plus improved response and, with the 2.0-litre, greater power on demand, effortless acceleration and added fun-to-drive quality."
The new Corolla line-up is now available to buy, with deliveries of the GR Sport and TREK models due to start in January.
