Toyota ‘hatches’ new Corolla variant

There are three good reasons why Toyota's compact Corolla overtook the original VW Beetle, the VW Golf and even the Ford F-Series to become the top-selling vehicle nameplate ever built: It's sold virtually around the globe and it owns a reputation as being affordable, reliable and efficient.

But in those 52 years of Corolla history, very few iterations of the car have been sexy or exciting. Yet this new five-door hatchback variant of the 12th-generation E170 Corolla borders on both. Launched in Japan earlier this year as the Corolla Sport, it replaces the iM hatch in the U.S. that donned a Toyota badge when the Scion brand was waxxed in 2016. Except for its gaping bottom-feeder mouth, it actually looks pretty sporty. And the underpinnings are engineered for improved dynamic performance: the new hatch rides on a lighter, stiffer TNGA ‘modular’ platform with a sport-tuned suspension.