When it comes to Corolla, you might have already thought of the versions Toyota created for its current generation – so far, there are global, North-American, Hybrid, and Levin. However, the Japanese maker has actually gone way further. Camry and Supra, for example, first appeared as versions of Celica; the former spawned a coupé itself few decades later, called Solara. Carina and Corona were the exact same product at some moments. And when it comes to Corolla, buckle up: Compact, FX and II were hatchbacks; GT-S, Levin (not related to the previous one) and SR5 were two and three-door coupés; Spacio and Verso were minivans; and Ceres was a bigger sedan. Besides all those, there are still all the badge-engineered models, including those released under Lexus and Scion.
In the very unlikely case you haven’t seen this coming, this article’s vehicles are just another case of that. They exist only in Japan, the sedan with the surname Axio and the station wagon using Fielder. They first appeared three years ago, featuring a much more practical character than the global product. This used to be expressed in two big ways: a trim list which gives huge importance to hybrid powertrain and accessibility equipments, and external lines which doesn’t exactly worry with turning heads on the street. However, since it was time to give them the typical midlife facelift, the Japanese decided to eliminate the flaw while keeping the advantage. And just like this, they managed to create the cars you’re about to meet.
The Japanese Corollas had their entire front fascia refreshed. Toyota’s current design language starts with the sleek headlights, which are visually connected by a thin upper grille and a thick chrome bar. Below them, the main grille became hexagonal and much bigger, reminding of Camry and Avensis. As usual, the sides haven’t changed much. At the rear, in turn, the station wagon combined the previous bumper and door to bigger lights which look much better. The same variation also offers an upscale trim level with design accessories such as chrome inserts, new mesh for the front grille, rear spoiler and exclusive wheels. Since the sedan seems to be the conservative counterpart, there were only internal retouches to the same tail lights.
Going to the cabin, the coating received materials with higher quality, and the standard equipment list was enlarged with Toyota Safety Sense: this is a safety package which bundles lane-departure warning and collision alert. These vehicles are always equipped with a 1.5-liter engine, although it comes in two variations: the one which only burns gasoline uses start/stop system and CVT, in order to reach the combined consumption figure of 23.8 kpl. If you want electricity to join in, the hybrid one increases that number to 34.5 kpl. There’s also all-wheel-drive as optional, but only to the first one. These vehicles are already on sale. The station wagon is also sold in New Zealand, as Corolla GX and only in entry-level trim.