Toyota plans to start building the next-gen Corolla in China in 2028
Toyota Motor intends to begin producing the next-generation Corolla in China from 2028, according to plans reported from Nagoya, Japan. The company will use a platform that can support several different powertrain types, giving it more flexibility in a slowing market where it is currently finding the going tough.
The model will be built by FAW Toyota Motor, the joint venture between Toyota and China FAW Group. This will be the first Corolla to adopt what Toyota calls “multipathway” vehicle architecture—a setup designed to accommodate electric, hybrid, gasoline or other powertrain options. Toyota already uses this platform for some models, including vehicles under the Lexus brand. Applying it to the Corolla is expected to shorten development time and cut costs, while also allowing Toyota to respond more easily if demand shifts between different powertrain types.
Toyota first showed a concept version of the next-gen Corolla at the Japan Mobility Show in autumn last year. At the time, then-President Koji Sato—now vice chairman—said: “The Earth is vast, and the world is diverse. Roads differ, and so do energy realities.” He also indicated that, alongside a battery-electric version, Toyota planned to offer several alternative powertrains, including hybrid and gasoline variants.
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Toyota’s sales in China are under pressure. In August, the automaker sold 118,449 vehicles, including the Lexus brand, down 23% from the same month a year earlier. Electric vehicles and other new energy vehicles were once a growth engine in China, but domestic new-car sales are now slowing. Fierce competition is driving prices down and squeezing profitability.
Beyond plans to build longer-range, next-generation EVs for Lexus in China starting next year, Toyota will also make extended-range electric vehicles—EVs that carry an onboard combustion engine used solely to generate power. At the same time, the automaker is pushing ahead with advances in vehicle electrification and intelligence, including restructuring two of its local joint ventures
