Toyota Corolla Furia Concept

The Toyota Corolla has always been an important brand for Toyota, perhaps even one of the most crucial cars in their line-up, especially stateside. It's never really been a line of cars that has stirred passion in the hearts of red-blooded car enthusiasts. The Corolla has, however, helped cement Toyota's reputation for producing economical cars that are reliable, practical, and sensible. They're famous for great gas mileage and durability that often lasts well past the 250,000 mile mark.

So imagine the dropped jaws at the Detroit auto show when Toyota Group Division Vice President Bill Fray revealed the new Furia concept. Our girl next door Corolla was sporting carbon fiber accenting, a sporty orange paint job, and 19-inch wheels. Fray reportedly said, “We want to move the brand from more of a rational brand to more of an emotional brand.” I can't help but imagine that he was smug as a cat when he said it.

Now, keep in mind that this is only a concept car and just “could” preview a flashier, sexier Corolla. There's no date when this aggressively body-kitted Corolla could look at edging into the production line, but we can dream, can't we? Specifically, we can dream of a Toyota Corolla with boxier, more aggressive styling, with its new 19-inch wheels pushed to the edge of the frame in a sprawling crouch. The new LED headlights and blacked out grill help round out that predatory look in a way totally unexpected from Toyota's economy car.

This unexpected new styling could really shake up the Corolla's image, but the rapacious new design is really only cosmetic. Mostly. There's probably an update to the current models 1.8 liter engine for the 2014 model year, but fuel efficiency is the bread and butter of the Corolla's market. It would be nearly unthinkable for Toyota (commonly noted to maintain ecologically thoughtful mileage across model lines) to leverage the bold and brisk new design into an equally bold thirst for gas.

Even the design changes show an economy of style. The Furia isn't a complete redesign of the Corolla's staid patterning. It's been squared-off and made boxier, and there's a few sharp lines that weren't there before, but it's still just an improved Corolla. Any new approach to this linchpin brand is more than likely only a new approach for a new market. Most of the hard edges will get sanded off for mainstream production, if I guess correctly. The idea is to expand market, not scare off mainstream car-buyers.

The sleek manipulation on display in the Furia is typical, and unsurprising, coming from Toyota. As a company, they've always been fairly good about having a finger on the market's pulse. I can only see this bold new direction, however much is left after corporate's pandering to mainstream, strengthening the brand. With more and more pressure placed on high fuel efficiency, the new Corolla won't translate rapacious design into gas-guzzling. It might, though, translate into a bigger bite of the marketshare.

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