Toyota introduced this compact hatchback nameplate in North America for the 2017 model year, giving Corolla shoppers a five-door alternative with a more youthful, utility-focused character than the sedan. The model arrived as part of Toyota’s post-Scion lineup reshuffle and carried the Corolla name to emphasize its place as a practical, mainstream small car rather than a standalone performance model. It continued unchanged in broad market position for the 2018 model year, serving as Toyota’s entry hatchback with an emphasis on everyday versatility, safety equipment, and value.
In historical context, the car represents a short-lived Toyota-branded chapter in the Corolla family. It was closely related to the earlier Scion iM, but Toyota marketed it under the Corolla nameplate in the United States for only two model years. The hatchback’s identity centered on being a compact, affordable, city-friendly car with a European-style five-door layout, while still fitting Toyota’s reputation for reliability and low-cost ownership.
The nameplate ended after the 2018 model year, when Toyota replaced it with the all-new Corolla Hatchback for 2019. That successor moved the Corolla hatch into a newer-generation platform and design language, making the Toyota Corolla iM a distinct but brief transitional chapter in the Corolla story rather than a long-running separate series.