The Toyota Corolla… I mean, does the Toyota Corolla really still need any sort of introduction? We can just run through the cog-notes, right? Reliable, family-friendly, hybrid engines, global all-time best-seller, 50 million owners across 12 generations of the badge, etc, etc and so on. If you're looking for an all-time motoring great, this is it.
So how do you improve on that?
Well, quite. Follow that, etc. For 2026, Toyota is giving the Corolla a few small updates and tweaks, ahead of the expected arrival of an all-new Corolla by the end of 2027. The 2026 updates start with the debut of a new paint option, which is available on the Corolla before it spreads out to the rest of the Toyota lineup.
What's the paint?
It's a rather cool Onyx Grey matt finish, and not only does it look good, but there's also some kudos to Toyota's factory in Derby in the UK (where the Corolla hatch and estate are built - the four-door saloon comes from Turkey), which is breaking new ground in being able to apply this complex paint finish to a high-volume vehicle. Onyx Grey is available for the GR Sport versions of the Corolla hatch and Touring Sports estate, and there's also a new Storm Grey metallic which is "a deeply polished metallic shade with a timeless quality that creates a subtle high-tech impression” according to Toyota.
New colours? Is that it?
No, actually. The Corolla update also includes some new, more ecologically friendly materials. The Corolla now comes with a new interior fabric, called 'Samara', which is made from recycled materials. It's being deployed across the seatbacks and cushions in the hatchback and Touring Sports models, and there's a new Samara-based seat fabric design that's exclusive to the four-door saloon version.
Any mechanical changes?
Nope - for now, the Corolla sticks with the tried-and-trusted 1.8 and 2.0-litre hybrid petrol engines. Sales of this updated Corolla, with its new colour and recycled trim options, begin in March of 2026.