2014 Toyota Corolla loses Furia's flair, but theme remains

The all-new 2014 Toyota Corolla debuted last week with a fresh look, confirming that the Furia concept Toyota brought to the Detroit auto show was more than just an exercise in styling.

The Furia concept's sporty and flashy design intrigued us, and while the 2014 Corolla is an upgrade from the bland Corollas of the past, it also glosses over most of the flair of the Furia.

So, what hints did Toyota reveal with the Furia concept, and what got cut on the design-room floor?

The Toyota Furia concept and 2014 Corolla are lower and wider than the previous-generation Corolla.

-- The new Corolla and the Furia concept both became lower, wider and longer compared with the previous-generation Corolla.

Concept: The Furia is 2 inches longer overall than the last Corolla, with a 4-inch longer wheelbase.

Conception: The 2014 Corolla also grew, with a wheelbase that's 3.93-inches longer. The car is 3.9 inches longer overall.

For 2014 Toyota made LED headlights standard on the Corolla.

-- Adding LED lights was a major part of both the Furia and Corolla design.

Concept: Full LED headlights and sweeping LED accent lights up front and in the rear brought bling to the compact sedan.

Conception: The 2014 Corolla offers standard LED low-beam headlamps, unique among compact sedans. Toyota says the LEDs accentuate the new tapered, rounded front corners.

The 2014 Toyota Corolla's entire front end is a toned down version of the Furia.

-- Toyota focused on the front end to deliver their new "iconic dynamism" (really?) design theme seen on the redesigned Camry and Avalon.

Concept: A bigger front air dam, carbon-fiber trim and blacked-out grille gave the Furia a sporty look.

Conception: The bigger front air dam carried over to the production Corolla, but the grille was more Avalon-inspired and, as expected, we lost the carbon-fiber trim.

The new Corolla kept the Furia's athletic sculpture.

-- More prominent side-character lines give the Corolla more athletic appeal

Concept: A swept windshield with a sloping roofline and 19-inch wheels pushed out to the corners helped convey sportiness on the Furia concept.

Conception: Most of the character lines were carried over, with a sloping roofline, base 15-inch wheels, and plenty of bulges in the sheetmetal.

As expected, Toyota scrapped the carbon fiber and flashy LEDs on the Furia concept.

-- Large taillight assemblies highlight the redesigned back end.

Concept: Carbon fiber decorated the rear spoiler and rear valance, while vertical LED accent lighting stretched nearly to the license-plate surround. Chrome dual tailpipes balanced out the lower half.

Conception: The carbon fiber and flashy LEDs are gone, but the 2014 Corolla's rear remains tapered like the concept, and maintains the focus on larger taillights.

The last time the Corolla saw a makeover was in 2009, so we will see if the best-selling compact sedan can continue its sales success with this new design when it goes on sale this fall.

By Angie Fisher