With the recent price drop and a diesel heart transplant, the Corolla Altis is certainly outselling its competitors.
The December sales numbers show that the Toyota baby sold 917 units as opposed to arch rivals Honda Civic (275 units) Chevrolet Cruze (623 units) and Skoda Laura (403 units).
However, Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) is completing finishing touches on a facelifted version of the Altis and here we have pics of the car being tested in Bangalore.
At the outset, one can easily say that it is just a touch up job. No major modification to the product, just a little bit of tinkering here and there. The tail lamp design has been given some minor treatments and so has the grill been fiddled with.
Being just a minor facelift introduced in European markets last year, nothing should be different mechanically. So the same 1.8-litre petrol and the 1.4-litre diesel will do their duties under the hood. But speculations are rife that Toyota is working out the 1.6 petrol-engine for the Indian Altis to mount a sudden attack on the Honda City.
Is this the purpose of this unexpected facelift? Is Toyota planning on a sudden entrance in the segment that is dominated by the Honda City?
The cars that it is competing with (namely Cruze and Laura) are updated compared to the Altis and Toyota has already expressed aggression with the Corolla brand by pricing the Altis diesel in the range of 11 lakh rupees.
To know everything about the new Corolla, read the attached press release
New Toyota Corolla Press Release
The Toyota Corolla, the 10th generation of the world's best-selling car, will benefit from a model range update throughout Europe from May 2010. Toyota Corolla 2010 will offer customers revised, more sophisticated exterior styling and further enhanced, higher quality interior design.
* Sophisticated design, improved quality, advanced technology
* More dynamic exterior design
* Enhanced perceived interior quality
* Advanced Technology
* All engines feature Toyota Optimal Drive
Toyota Corolla 2010 - sophisticated design, improved quality, advanced technology
Toyota Corolla's distinctive, evolutionary design has become an icon of Toyota's core values of superior quality, style, driving pleasure and innovation. It offers European customers maximum interior space, a high quality passenger environment and impressive comfort levels.
With 62,000 units sold in 2009, the Toyota Corolla remains the world's best-selling C-segment sedan.
Toyota Corolla 2010 reinforces the superior quality, style and innovation of Toyota's best-selling sedan. It features a new, more sophisticated design, a higher quality interior and advanced, user-friendly equipment.
The up-dated Toyota Corolla 2010 will further enhance the Toyota sedan's reputation for offering outstanding value for money in the C-sedan segment. It will remain the company's core model in Eastern Europe, maintaining its best-selling status throughout the region.
More dynamic exterior design
The exterior of the Toyota Corolla has been revised to create a more advanced, sophisticated and dynamic image, reinforcing the Toyota sedan's premium quality status within the C-segment.
A new front features a redesigned bumper, radiator grille and lower grille. This emphasises the car's low centre of gravity and driving stability. The new headlamps further strengthen the Toyota Corolla's bold, resolute appearance.
To the rear, comprehensive changes to the license plate garnish, combination lamps, bumper and low-level reflectors have been incorporated. This creates an impression of increased width, emphasising the Toyota Corolla's broad rear stance.
Toyota Corolla 2010 also benefits from the enhanced product appeal of new, power retractable door mirrors with integral turn indicators and a new, sportier 16" wheel cap and alloy wheel design. A range of eight available body colours now includes new Red and Blue metallic finishes.
Enhanced perceived interior quality
The Toyota Corolla 2010's interior has been improved, strengthening the Toyota sedan's reputation for superior quality, style and innovation.
A new, flat bottomed steering wheel, finished in leather on higher grade models, features a thicker, more comfortable grip cross-section.
The combination meter design features a colour change from amber to white, and the instrument panel and door handle trim are now finished in a more sophisticated, high-brightness silver coating. The same high quality finish is also available on the centre console and door switch surrounds.
A wireless trunk opening function has been added, giving customers the additional convenience of remote operation via a button on the ignition key.
Two interior colour schemes are available - dark grey and light grey. Both interior designs feature a highly functional yet sophisticated dark grey finish to the upper dashboard area. Improved Mid and High grade seat fabric and a newly available, Alcantara upholstery further underline the superior quality of the Toyota Corolla 2010.
Advanced technology
The AM/FM/CD audio system, with a choice of four or six speakers is now available with Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity. The system features USB and AUX sockets for the connection of portable music playing devices. The USB jack is located within the centre storage box to allow for the secure stowage of MP3 players whilst on the move.
The Toyota Corolla also features an innovative, Gentex rear view mirror. With automatic anti-glare dipping, the mirror incorporates a 3.3 inch rear view monitor which displays an image from the rear view camera whenever reverse gear is engaged. The display incorporates static guidelines to further assist drivers with parking manoeuvres.
All engines feature Toyota Optimal Drive
The Toyota Corolla 2010 engine line-up offers customers a choice of 1.33 litre Dual VVT-i and 1.6 litre Valvematic petrol engines, and 1.4 and 2.0 litre D-4D diesel units. Every engine features the performance- and economy-enhancing benefits of Toyota Optimal Drive, and meets Euro 5 emissions standards .
Designed to optimise the balance of performance and driving enjoyment with fuel economy and low emissions, Toyota Optimal Drive focuses on several key aspects of powertrain development such as environmentally friendly technologies, low friction components, lightweight, compact design and enhanced combustion efficiency.
The application of Toyota Optimal Drive across the model range ensures that the Toyota Corolla 2010 not only demonstrates the optimum balance between performance and emissions, but also that its fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are amongst the lowest in the segment.
The Toyota Corolla 1.4 D-4D boasts CO2 emissions of just 125 g/km, and the 1.33 Dual VVT-i with Stop & Start technology only 133 g/km. These significant reductions in CO2 emissions will offer owners a tax advantage in many European markets.
Source - autocarindia.com
