Four-door partner to the hatch has been unveiled in China, but we'll be waiting a while for it touch down locally.

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Toyota has unveiled the new Corolla Sedan at Auto Guangzhou in China, ahead of its arrival in Australian showrooms "more than a year" later. Underpinned by the same Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) as the hatchback, the car will be offered with "many of the features and technology of the hatch" launched locally in August. Although the Corolla Sedan sports a wider track than its predecessor and rides 20mm lower, its 2700mm wheelbase remains unchanged. The bonnet line has been dropped by 35mm, giving the sedan a similar snout to its five-door sibling, although the grille and badge placement differs on the two cars. Where the hatchback integrates its air intakes into one shape, the sedan has a slimmer grille flanked by two low-set air intakes. Whether the car we get in Australia will have the same snout, or whether we'll get a version with a nose adapted from the hatchback, remains to be seen.

(UPDATE: Story now has pictures from Toyota Australia with a slightly different nose.) Down back, the sedan is – arguably – more conservative than the hatchback, with slim tail-lights and a similar signature to the larger Camry. There's a sporty faux diffuser and twin pipes on the 'XSE' grade car pictured here, which we'd suggest is a likely match for our ZR trim, along with a stuck-on lip spoiler. Toyota hasn't quoted boot space, but the current model offers 470L. Given the hatchback has a smaller boot than the model it replaces, there's no guarantee the new sedan will match its predecessor on the practicality front. Inside, the sedan's interior matches perfectly that of the hatchback, beside the fact these pictures show the steering wheel on the left-hand side. There's a high-set touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard, sitting above the air vents and a slimline row of controls.

Power comes from the same 2.0-litre 'Dynamic Force' petrol engine offered in the hatchback, making the same 125kW and 200Nm of torque. Along with the standard six-speed manual, it'll be offered with the company's latest CVT, complete with 10 'gears' and a mechanical launch gear for a more natural take-off. Although there's no mention of it in the press release, a hybrid powertrain is also likely to be offered on the sedan, given it shares its underpinnings with the hatch. Australia The sedan will join the Corolla hatchback in Australia "more than a year" after reveal. The company wouldn't provide more specific details about timing.

We'll update our coverage if more specific details about timing become available. MORE: Toyota Corolla news, reviews, comparisons and videos

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