End of the line for Corolla

Toy­ota has decided its next compact family hatch won't be called Corolla, we can exclusively reveal.

It's an amazing decision to drop the badge, as the first Corolla went on sale in 1966, and the Japanese firm has sold a staggering 30 million examples across the globe. That makes it the world's most popular model range, even though sales in the UK have struggled to match class leaders such as the Ford Focus.

To emphasise what a radical departure the next model will represent, bosses have decided a name change is needed. There's no confirmation of what the new badge will be, but Toy­ota is hoping it will represent a similar shift in perception to that achieved by Ford when it dropped the Escort badge in favour of the Focus. The new Toyota will go on sale in the UK early next year. A four-door version will keep the Corolla name - although it won't make it here - but the three and five-door hatchbacks will be rebadged.

Designers are promising a radical new look both inside and out for the replacement model, as Toyota follows the lead of Honda's latest Civic in trying to attract younger buyers.