Why was the Corolla renamed from Huaguan?
2 Answers
Huaguan is the Corolla. The ninth-generation Toyota Corolla was known as Huaguan in China. Later, when the tenth generation was introduced as an upgraded model, the older Huaguan continued to be sold at a reduced price. To differentiate between the two, the tenth-generation Corolla was directly transliterated as "Corolla" in Chinese. Here are the details: 1. Corolla: Since its debut in 1966, the COROLLA has a history of over 40 years. For many years, it retained the Chinese name "Huaguan." As one of Toyota's core models, the COROLLA has consistently held the title of the world's best-selling single car brand, with global cumulative sales exceeding 32 million units. The tenth-generation COROLLA, unveiled at its global premiere, will be produced at Tianjin FAW Toyota's third plant. Starting from the Chinese market, it will gradually be sold in other global markets. 2. Configuration: Compared to the ninth-generation Toyota "Huaguan" currently on the market, the new COROLLA features a 1.8L inline 4-cylinder engine (Type 2ZR) equipped with dual VVT-i technology, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission.
I guess it's because Toyota wanted to unify global naming. When the ninth-generation model entered China, the name Corolla was pronounced as 'Corolla' in Europe and America, but it was always called 'Huaguan' domestically. The manufacturer probably felt that 'Huaguan' sounded like a name from the last century and wasn't international enough. The new name is closer to the original pronunciation and also aligns with the naming style of Lexus. You see, the old 'Camry' was later renamed 'Camry' for the same reason. Nowadays, automakers prefer using transliterated names to appear more upscale. In reality, the car is still the same car, with no changes to the three major components, but giving it a more fashionable name can make people feel like it's a brand-new generation. This tactic is quite clever in marketing.
