Toyota has unveiled its new Corolla saloon, which will be launched in the UK alongside hatchback and estate variants early next year.

It will end a 15-year absence for the saloon variant of the lower-medium car, and will be available with either a 120PS hybrid engine offering fuel economy of 83.0mpg and CO2 from 77g/km, and a 130PS 1.6-litre petrol with 48.7mpg and 131g/km.

Details of the UK range, specifications and prices will be announced nearer the on-sale date.

The model will be based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) GA-C platform and has the same 2,700mm wheelbase as the Touring Sports estate model to provide greater rear legroom than the hatchback.

It wil also feature the latest Toyota Safety Sense systems.

These include Pre-Collision System that can detect pedestrians in the car’s path both in daylight and night-time driving, and also cyclists in daylight.

Full-range Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with steering assist, Road Sign Assist and Automatic High Beam are also provided.

In addition, a new Lane Tracing Assist system is introduced: when the full-range Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Tracing Assist are active, the system makes subtle steering inputs to keep the vehicle centred in its traffic lane, even through gentle highway bends.