GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Sportier, larger Toyota Corolla hatch

The new 2019 Toyota Corolla hatch has been unveiled at the Geneva motor show.

One of the more relevant unveilings at this year's Swiss event, the next-generation Corolla promises to be a sportier, more upmarket proposition when it arrives in Australian showrooms in August.

The replacement for the hatch version of Australia's top-selling car will also purportedly break away from the long-held conservative tag with a "bolder, more dynamic exterior design".

The new Corolla has been remade from scratch, according to Toyota, underpinned by the Japanese marque's new TNGA platform to make it longer, wider and lower than the car it replaces.

Overall, the hatch's length has increased 40mm to 4370mm and height has reduced 25mm to 1450mm.

A flatter 'clamshell bonnet' sits above a revised new upper grille with new LED headlight clusters and DRLs.

Further back, the car's rear windscreen rake has increased by 14 degrees in a bit to make the appearance more rounded than before.

The architecture (which also underpins the C-HR) enables a longer wheelbase than before which, teamed with a lower centre of gravity, new multilink rear suspension and more body rigidity, will purportedly contribute to enhanced ride and handling.

Toyota has committed to a new petrol engine in the Corolla that will "offer substantially more power and torque than the current car while requiring even less fuel".

A front-runner is the newly-unveiled 126kW/205Nm 2.0-litre engine shown last week, which would bring significant power and torque hikes of 23kW and 32Nm over the ageing 1.8-litre unit currently used.

Dubbed 'Dynamic Force', the new engine brings direct fuel-injection (D-4S) and delivers "world-leading thermal efficiency" of 40 per cent, claims Toyota. Importantly, the new engine will comply with upcoming global exhaust emissions regulations.

In addition, Toyota's proven 1.8-litre petrol four-cylinder hybrid will carry over with improved low-range torque and an extended all-electric driving range and efficiency.

Safety is another focal point, the new Corolla hatch incorporating modern safety functions including automated emergency braking.

Toyota Australia's vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, claimed the newcomer would "transform" Corolla hatch ownership.

"New Corolla hatch is a more premium and stylish car that guarantees a more rewarding driving experience and places a priority on the highest active and passive safety standards," Hanley said.

"These generational improvements have been made possible through TNGA, which is integral to the company's mission to build ever-better cars that will excite a new generation of buyers.

"At the same time, Corolla retains the proven, dependable and safe reputation that has made it Australia's top-selling car for the past five years in a row."

Stay tuned as motoring.com.au chases more details on the 2019 Corolla from the stands in Geneva this week.

The new Corolla sedan has already been spotted testing in Michigan, so expect it to follow the hatch in the coming months.