Toyota Corolla Altis in India

Having enjoyed the status of a mere ‘speculation’ for a long time, Corolla Altis is here. Finally! Launched in 2003, the ninth-generation Corolla sold well initially but the fizz died down once Honda introduced the Civic in India. Honda Civic, owing to its killer looks, performance and futuristic interior has been an eye-candy and the best-selling car in the segment. Not to be outdone by its country-mate, Toyota has at last heard everyone’s cry and launched the much awaited Corolla Altis in India.

There are quite a few highlights and the one having an immediate impact on the eye is the styling. Corolla has always been a car with curves and smooth lines, and the theme continues on this 10th generation product too. The front end has been borrowed from Camry and given a little makeover to look good in the smaller offering. Strictly speaking, I for one, do not support any comments on the styling front primarily because the look of a car is a very personalized aspect. You might love the way the new Corolla looks, but I am not too impressed. I think designers at Toyota could have done a lot better, gone moronic with the styling even! Members of the community are getting increasingly comfortable with radical design ideas and accept a product if it is well worth it (read pre-facelift fourth-gen Honda City). So why make the Corolla drab knowing that it has Honda Civic to beat?

Toyota has done well though to equip the car with goodies. You get automatic headlamps and headlamp washer, a multi-information display tucked away neatly into the instrument panel, cruise control and power seats with lumbar support. The steering wheel comes from the Camry and sports control buttons on it. The fake wood inserts do their bit to enliven the interior. You can also choose from a list of unique accessories like legroom lamp and illuminated scruff plate to add the ‘disco’ look to your car. Door pockets look spacious enough and there’re cup holders in the rear armrest. A storage space next to the centre-console at the front is a novel and unique feature. There’s also a 6-CD MP3 player with six speakers complementing it.

There’s only one engine on offer, that being a 1.8L mill capable of 170Nm of turning force. The 4-pot, 16-valve, VVTi motor of Corolla Altis is essentially the same as that powering the previous model but the peak power is now rated at 130bhp@6000rpm which is seven more than the outgoing Corolla and same as that of the Civic. The wheelbase, at 2600mm, is 100mm less than Honda Civic though. Both cars wear same footwear and weigh roughly the same, so the performance advantage lies with which one will be known only after a thorough road-test evaluation. There are three variants on offer; 1.8G, 1.8GL and a 1.8V L with prices ranging from 10.83 lakh to 12.86 lakh (ex-showoom, Delhi).

Toyota Corolla has been the highest selling car in the world with sales of over 30 million. Toyota has set a sales target of 63,000 units for this fiscal and aims to capture 10% of the market by 2015, which stands at a meagre 2.7% currently. As is well known in the industry, TKM is keen to enter the small-car segment and plans are in place to initiate production and sales by 2010 with an investment of Rs 1,400 crore. Despite the sluggish market and higher interest rates, Toyota hopes to sell nearly 2,000 units of Corolla Altis.