Enter the (drivetrain) rumormill: V6, AWD Corolla on the horizon?

Our friends over at the Authority of all things Motored came across an interesting interview with Soichiro Okudaira, a Toyota technician, who maintains that the next Corolla may have a large enough engine bay to fit a 3.5-liter V6. The idea is being batted around ToMoCo's executive washroom, along with the possibility of offering an all-wheel-drive variant of Toyota's compact sedan.

AWD-equipped Corollas (named the Auris in other parts of the world) are nothing new, as they've been offered in Japan before, but aside from the Corolla 4Trac of yesteryear, we haven't had an AWD option for some time (Matrix excluded). Okudaira says that more R-and-D is necessary, as the rear wheel setup still has to be augmented to accept the new drivetrain components.

European buyers will surely get a diesel version when the new Corolla is released, while those of us in the U.S. are destined to get a petrol-powerplant. If the V6 gets the green light, Motor Authority expects the new Corolla to be launched in the States later this year.

[Source: AutoTelegraaf.nl via Motor Authority]

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