About the Toyota Corolla Furia Concept
Concept vehicles are those models automakers love to show off at auto shows in a bid to gauge customer reaction. Most concepts are never built, but the styling cues, technological features and engineering attributes will oftentimes be used in one or more upcoming models. This year, the Toyota Corolla Furia Concept was rolled out, a model that may signal the direction that Toyota will take with its very popular compact car range. Indeed, Toyota sells approximately 1 million copies of the Corolla worldwide annually, thus the Furia Concept is not something that should be taken lightly. Read on to learn more about this stunning model.
Background
The Toyota Corolla is one of the most enduring names in all of autodom. Introduced to the US market in 1968, we have seen 10 generations of the Corolla come and go. More than 9 million Corollas have been sold in the United States alone with more than half of those still on the road. Toyota says that 38 percent of its US passenger vehicle sales have been the Corolla.
Toyota has been building the Corolla in the United States since 1984, initially at the NUMMI plant in California. That plant, then co-owned with General Motors, has spawned Chevrolet and GEO models, and has also built the Toyota Matrix, a five-door version of the Toyota Corolla. These days, Toyota uses plants in Ontario and Mississippi to build the Corolla, and by year end every Corolla sold in America will be built in North America. So much for its "import" tag.
Furia Concept
Toyota introduced its Corolla Furia Concept at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past January. The "Furia" name is made up, but Toyota has stressed that both its "ferocious" look and the "fury" of its design elements played a part in forming the Furia name.
Most noticeable about the concept is its extended wheelbase and short overhangs. An upswept windshield, a tapered roofline and exaggerated fender flares gives this vehicle a distinctive look. Essentially, you're looking at a five-passenger compact model that is big on sportiness and interior room.
The Face
Toyota has received criticism in the past for serving up bland body styles for some of its most popular cars including Corolla, Camry and RAV4. If the Corolla Furia Concept is any indication of where Toyota plans to take its compact line, then there is hope that the chain of subdued designs will finally be broken.
Sculpted LED headlamps and sporty LED tail lamps reveals that the Furia Concept is not bowing to accepted styling convention. Its front fascia consists of a blacked-out grille and has a carbon fiber lower spoiler. That look extends down and across the rocker panel and pushes back to the rear valance. An attention-getting rear spoiler adds drama to the rear of the vehicle.
Notably, the Furia Concept is outfitted with 19-inch wheels. These make for a design statement too as Toyota has pushed them out to the corners. With alloy treatments you get a look that is at once sporty as it is luxurious.
The Future
As with many concepts, the interior treatments are minimized to emphasize the body. Still, with its extended wheelbase and sloping roofline, the cabin is more in tune with what you might find in a luxury car, not unlike a compact Lexus. There is a reason for that, something Toyota will have to show us as this model gives rise to a production version.
And that production version may never be built. Instead, the styling cues of the Corolla Furia Concept may show us what the next generation Corolla will look like. The extended wheelbase theme may or may not make it to production, but the idea that such a nice looking package can be found on such a small car has Toyota enthusiasts dreaming about the possibilities if not the build realities of the Corolla Furia Concept.
Background
The Toyota Corolla is one of the most enduring names in all of autodom. Introduced to the US market in 1968, we have seen 10 generations of the Corolla come and go. More than 9 million Corollas have been sold in the United States alone with more than half of those still on the road. Toyota says that 38 percent of its US passenger vehicle sales have been the Corolla.
Toyota has been building the Corolla in the United States since 1984, initially at the NUMMI plant in California. That plant, then co-owned with General Motors, has spawned Chevrolet and GEO models, and has also built the Toyota Matrix, a five-door version of the Toyota Corolla. These days, Toyota uses plants in Ontario and Mississippi to build the Corolla, and by year end every Corolla sold in America will be built in North America. So much for its "import" tag.
Furia Concept
Toyota introduced its Corolla Furia Concept at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past January. The "Furia" name is made up, but Toyota has stressed that both its "ferocious" look and the "fury" of its design elements played a part in forming the Furia name.
Most noticeable about the concept is its extended wheelbase and short overhangs. An upswept windshield, a tapered roofline and exaggerated fender flares gives this vehicle a distinctive look. Essentially, you're looking at a five-passenger compact model that is big on sportiness and interior room.
The Face
Toyota has received criticism in the past for serving up bland body styles for some of its most popular cars including Corolla, Camry and RAV4. If the Corolla Furia Concept is any indication of where Toyota plans to take its compact line, then there is hope that the chain of subdued designs will finally be broken.
Sculpted LED headlamps and sporty LED tail lamps reveals that the Furia Concept is not bowing to accepted styling convention. Its front fascia consists of a blacked-out grille and has a carbon fiber lower spoiler. That look extends down and across the rocker panel and pushes back to the rear valance. An attention-getting rear spoiler adds drama to the rear of the vehicle.
Notably, the Furia Concept is outfitted with 19-inch wheels. These make for a design statement too as Toyota has pushed them out to the corners. With alloy treatments you get a look that is at once sporty as it is luxurious.
The Future
As with many concepts, the interior treatments are minimized to emphasize the body. Still, with its extended wheelbase and sloping roofline, the cabin is more in tune with what you might find in a luxury car, not unlike a compact Lexus. There is a reason for that, something Toyota will have to show us as this model gives rise to a production version.
And that production version may never be built. Instead, the styling cues of the Corolla Furia Concept may show us what the next generation Corolla will look like. The extended wheelbase theme may or may not make it to production, but the idea that such a nice looking package can be found on such a small car has Toyota enthusiasts dreaming about the possibilities if not the build realities of the Corolla Furia Concept.
Matt Keegan is a freelance automotive writer. He is also a contributing writer for Andy's Auto Sport and affiliated websites, an aftermarket supplier of quality auto parts including aftermarket auto parts and Scion tC rims.
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