Toyota Corolla China-spec Vs US-spec: What’s The Difference?

While the US-spec and China-spec Corolla sedans might differ in how the look, they are both built on Toyota’s new TNGA platform

• US-spec Corolla to get a hybrid option for the first time ever.

• In a bid to make it sporty, the US-spec car misses out on chrome while the China-spec car has bling all around.

• The China-spec Corolla could be what will make it to India in the near future.

Toyota recently revealed the latest generation of the Corolla sedan simultaneously in the US and China. Traditionally, the Corolla sold in the US has differed from its Asian counterparts in terms of styling. The new generation sedan is no different. Here’s how the new generation US-spec and China-spec Corolla sedan differ from each other:

• Front fascia: The biggest difference of them all has to be the front end. While the new Corolla features a tighter design language than before, the China-spec sedan still features horizontal slats in the front grille seen on the previous generation Corolla. The US-spec model looks much more sporty with its wide honeycomb grille and strips of LEDs that should be fog lamps. The China-spec car gets round fog lamps instead. Toyota has showcased a sporty version of the Corolla in China called the Levin. And although it gets a honeycomb grille, it too is offered with round fog lamps. The headlamps are similar on both the cars.

• Rear end: While the profile of both cars are similar, things change again once we reach the back. The tail lamps have also been tweaked to differentiate the two cars. Apart from that, the rear bumpers differ in their styling. Also, the US-spec car gets a black honeycomb insert in the rear bumper which matches the front. To go with the sporty theme, the US-spec Corolla gets twin exhaust pipes that are visible while the China-spec car only gets a single exhaust pipe that is hidden underneath the rear bumper.

• No chrome on the US-spec: One look at the US-spec car and you will realise Toyota has forgotten all about the bling factor. While the China-spec car gets a healthy amount of chrome all around the car, the shiny bits have been omitted from the US-spec car.

• Engines: The US-spec car will be offered with the 1.8-litre unit that was present under the bonnet of the last-gen Corolla (it has been revised to offer better efficiency and more power). The China-spec car will be offered with a new 2.0-litre engine that produces 169PS of max power and 204Nm of peak torque. It can be had with a 6-speed manual or a CVT. While Toyota has sold the hybrid Corolla previously in Asia, it will for the first time sell a hybrid Corolla in the US market with the new generation model.

• Interior: The dashboard design of both the China- and US-spec Corolla appears to be similar with the only striking difference being the interior colour combination. While the China-spec Corolla gets a dark interior theme, the US-spec sedan gets dual-tone beige-black interior scheme.

As always, we expect the the Asia-spec model of the Corolla to come to India, but not right away. The US-spec car will be sold exclusively in North America and the China-spec car could come to India by the end of 2019 or beginning of 2020.

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