Toyota rolls out Furia concept for Corolla at Detroit Auto Show

Of all the automakers trying to generate buzz on the Detroit auto show's first day, Toyota Motor Co. made the most noise.

The company rolled out a concept design for the Corolla, one of its most important models, and announced preliminary sales figures showing that it has regained the title of world's largest automaker from General Motors Co.

Called the Furia, the new-concept Corolla, with its severely raked windshield and bulging fenders, marks a radical departure from the past and signals a wider effort by Toyota to shed its conservative image and make cars that ignite consumer passion.

"Iconic dynamism" is how the automaker describes the design language of the Furia concept. How much of that dynamism makes its way into the production model remains to be seen. Toyota offered no details on plans for horsepower, torque and handling capabilities. Nor did the company say when the next Corolla will hit the street.

Whenever it arrives, the car will have a huge effect on Toyota's future bottom line and its reputation in a hot and growing segment, analysts said.

"This car is very important to Toyota," said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with auto information company Edmunds.com. "With the explosion of subcompact cars in the past few years, coupled with the demise of large cars, compact cars suddenly find themselves as the 'middle size' for American consumers."

The more aggressive design philosophy applies across the company, said Mark Templin, the global product and marketing manager for the automaker's Lexus division. Toyota isn't so much chasing volume as it is trying to design compelling cars, he said. His marching orders from Chief Executive Akio Toyoda are to "build cars that are fun to drive."

"Akio expects us to change the way the company behaves," Templin said. "He wants us to show the rest of the company how we can move fast, how we can make quicker decisions, take risks. He expects us to have fantastic design and great driving dynamics."

Toyota executives say both the RAV4 and the Corolla concept unveiled Monday embody the automaker's desire to push the envelope. Though some concepts bear no resemblance to production cars, Toyota says the Corolla Furia "hints at the styling cues consumers can expect to see in the next Corolla."

Bill Fay, Toyota's group vice president and general manager, acknowledged in a statement that the Furia design study "will surprise a lot of people."


Courtesy of LA Times