Toyota Corolla review

I know a lot of you guys have been waiting for a review of the Toyota corolla altis.Check this link out for the detailed review.

Corolla test drive

My thoughts,frankly speaking Toyota has disappointed with the nod diesel for corolla policy.My only hope is they are following the Maruti strategy and shall launch the diesel version of the car in a few months time.A very likely possibility. As far as ground clearance and easy ingress and degress the corolla wins hands on compareed to the civic.

Yes the engine remains the same old unit,is it not sufficient enough definitely not but surely Toyota could have given us a more modern engine.Look at Honda they don't discriminate.

Lastly the ride quality,I would prefer the civic anyday when it comes to that and oh what about that futuristic meter when will Toyota learn to make their cars more interesting.

Think of the new corolla as the maruti 800 of luxury cars,yes it comes decked with features but just does not have that luxury car feeling[that x factor seems to be missing].If gizmos are what you are concerned with then this is certainly the car for you but if you are looking at dream car this somehow does not seem to fit the bill.

Toyota Launches New Corolla Altis

Toyota has finally launched the much awaited Corolla Altis in three different grades at a price between Rs 10.83 lakh and Rs 12.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Altis uses Toyota's 1.8 liter VVTi petrol engine, which produces a decent power of 132bhp@6000RPM and torque of 17.3KGM@4200RPM and is available with a 5 speed manual and a 4 speed automatic gearbox. The Civic has similar engine specifications. The new Corolla is really impressive, atleast on paper. It looks like a Mini Camry and has features un talked of in this segment.

We are really very impressed with the pricing of the car and the features it offers. The car has features like 8 way powered driver seat, lumbar support, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, multi information display, cruise control, audio controls and multi information switches on steering wheel, Hgh Intensity Discharge headlamps, headlamp washers, Electro Chromatic inside rear view mirror (auto dimming mirror) and all wheel disc brakes to name a few. It also has has flat rear floor, ABS, Dual SRS Airbags, Automatic Climate Control, ORVM Turn Signals, 195/65/R15 tires and Integrated Audio System like the Civic. There is no black colour yet. But at the price Toyota plans to sell the Altis, it seems extreme value for money. On paper it looks faster then the Civic with better brakes. Diesel is on the cards too. The Civic and the Jetta better run for cover. Stay tuned for a test drive report of the Corolla Altis.

P.S Looks like the timer on Toyota's site seems to be working overtime :) but you can check out the site here.

Source - Indian Cars And Bikes

Next generation corolla to hit the roads on 5th september

The next generation corolla will be seen on our roads from september 5th onwards.Expect a grand launch from toyota.Its predecessor did suprisingly rather poorly in India were it was beaten hands down by its rival the Honda Civic.

This time though Toyota seem to have an ace up its sleeve in the form of its D4D engines[diesel].If it were not for diesel even this corolla would not really have been much of a problem for the Honda.

Before the launch toyota seems to have shed their move forward tagline and have taken up quality revolution as their punchline.Now how much of a quality advantage does toyota enjoy over rivals like honda is upto you to decide.

Whats the use of quality if you have to sell your house off to buy a toyota car.

Further Toyota Fortuner and Corolla launch details

The Toyota fortuner could be here as early as by the end of this year[2008] is what ET says.Ofcourse the next generation corolla would be the first off the blocks and we should hear more of the corolla launch and specifications soon.

The next generation corolla is expected to have a diesel engine and going by the incentives offered by toyota dealers the launch of the next generation corolla seems to be very close.Regarding the pricing the expected bracket is in the range of Rs.10-14 lakhs.Now rarely do car companies manage to meet these predictions but if toyota do we have a clear winner on our hands especially with a diesel in the lineup.

Regarding the Fortuner it too is expected to be towards the end of the year 2008[or even early next year].It is expected to be in the price range of Rs.15-19 lakhs which again would be a fantastic price if toyota manage to keep it at that.However given that the fortuner is an ofshoot of the innova a more aggresive pricing could have been targetted.

However Toyota just seems to be at the wrong time at the wrong place once again,this certainly isn't the best time to sell cars.But then new cars and that too from toyota may just be a blessing in disguise and may actually revive interest in Automobiles.

[source:Economictimes]

The VW jetta is here

If you believe the tech specs you will certainly feel VW is selling a c-segment car for the price of a d-segment one.We have C -segment sedans with more powerful engines forget about competition like the Honda civic.Yes petrol prices are high but if you end up with the VW petrol something surely is wrong considering the cheaper rivals like the Honda Civic and the upcoming Toyota corolla.Guess this is the german joke VW are referring to in their ads.

The saving grace ofcourse is the 1.9L tdi [diesel engine] but again prices are still on the higher side with cars like the Honda accord within striking distance.The diesel engine after its success in the skoda laura should be the one most buyers would opt for.The VW family[includes skoda] believe that Indians ought to pay a significant premium for buying cars from their line-up and their strategy has not been a complete failure so far.

What are the goodies you get for the top of the range variant.For starters you get 8 airbags then there is the six speed auto-box[DSG] however that is only for the diesel variant.

Prices range between Rs.13 lakhs to Rs16.70 lakhs[ex-showroom delhi]

Tech specs:
1>1.6L petrol engine: Power 102ps@5600 rpm and torque 148Nm@3800rpm

2>1.9L TDi[diesel] engine: Power 105ps@4000 rpm and torque 250Nm@1900rpm

Is it worth the money.In my opinion no,I would stick with the cheaper japanese cars.I just hope Toyota don't get the wrong ideas from VW after the Jetta launch.Then ofcourse there is the skoda laura,why would you put your money on the VW.

[image source:wikipedia]

Toyota to launch Diesel Corolla after all.

Toyota have decided to bring in a diesel toyota corolla after all.Given the huge demand for diesel and the price difference between petrol and diesel this was bound to happen.

This would make India amongst the few markets where the corolla is sold with a diesel engine.

The next generation corolla is undergoing test runs at present and is expected to be launched within the next two months i.e. by august 2008.

Surprisingly ET reports there would be a 1.8L diesel engine and a 1.6L petrol option.Though in my opinion it is the other way round and we will get a 1.6L diesel and a 1.8L petrol engine.However with rising petrol prices a lower spec petrol option could perhaps be a possibility.

I am sure the Next generation corolla with a diesel heart would more or less blow away competition.Even Honda would have a tough time selling its civic.What perhaps could give good competition to the new corolla is the Hyundai avante[particularly the diesel version] which too is expected in a few months time.

[source:Economictimes]

Honda launches the Honda Civic Executive

After a relatively successful run in the Indian market ,the civic sales have taken some what of a beating of late[though not as much as the Toyota corolla].New competitors and a lack of a diesel option are the major factors working against the Honda civic.[No unlike popular perception, ground clearance or rather lack of it has so far not kept away any buyer]

Honda is now trying to attract new segments of customers and what best than existing Honda city buyers.The Honda civic executive is aimed at customers who would otherwise have ended up with the Honda city Vtec.Honda has badged the car,executive and says the car is aimed at executive.Honda have intelligently cut down on a few extras and have been able to price the car at Rs.10.80 lakhs.Things like the side protectors,leather wrapped steering wheel and chrome from some parts of the body have been removed in the executive version.Also you get a lower spec'ed Music system[all things things can easily be retrofitted at your accessories shop]. You also don't get climate control,alloy wheels and rear seat based audio controls.

However would this be enough for the Honda to save itself against the attack of the diesel toyota corolla,my opinion don't think so.Until the corolla arrives[expected by august,2008] sales of the civic will rise courtesy the executive variant.A very smart move from Honda indeed and it is homework well done.

[Source:Economictimes]

Toyota to launch CNG versions of the Corolla and Innova

In an interesting move Toyota are planning to launch CNG versions of the innova and corolla in areas where CNG would be available[Mumbai,Delhi initially].

This move is supposedly aimed at attracting the fleet owners and tourist operators.This may just be the final push toyota is looking at for the corolla sales before it introduces the newer generation model.What this also means is that the newer generation corolla has a chance of getting a diesel engine as well since Toyota now have realised petrol only will not sell.If there is any market where the corolla has performed disastrously it is India.

The saving grace for Toyota in India so far has been the utility vehicle segment first with the qualis and now the innova,toyota has been able to attract the taxi segment which has ensured good sales.Toyota seem fairly comfortable with the Taxi tag.However with more competition sales could take a hit and toyota knows that.Everybody however seems to be in the mood to know what the new utility vehicle that toyota is supposedly going to launch by the year end is before making a buying decision.

Is toyota playing the CNG card in anticipation of a shotage of diesel and petrol sales and thus an increased demand for CNG run vehicles I am not sure.

Minda auto gas is supposedly supplying the kits.

[source:merinews]

Hyundai could just steal the thunder from Toyota

We all know the new Toyota Corolla is due pretty soon.Just putting out a few pluses and negatives of the next generation corolla.

There is plenty of storage space and cubby holes if that's what you are looking for in a D-segment sedan.This corolla is loaded with toys like cruise control,rain sensing wipers etc[Check this post for more details:Hottest corolla].We have a very roomy interior and a very refined engined but the list of negatives may just outweigh the positives.For starters Toyota plan to stick with their old engine line-up[slightly tuned up],OK this may not be such a big complaint but we certainly expected the global leader to show the way forward.Then there is the quality issue,as far as the interiors are concerned the civic feels more upmarket than the latest generation corolla.Even the instrument cluster is down to earth compared to the fighter jet like of the civics.

Now for even more bad news.The next generation corolla is going to be significantly more pricier than the existing corolla and we don't know if it will come with that diesel engine[I say that because the chances of a diesel seem pretty remote].To cut it short if you were to tell me to put my money on one of the two[corolla or civic],I'd stick with the civic as being the overall winner in this segment.The corolla will sell but looks unlikely to upset the Civic's leadership status unless Toyota change their strategy.


Now for the Hyundai part.Hyundai have so far not been able to sell high end cars in India.But the new elantra/avante could just change all that for Hyundai.There is a huge opportunity in the D-segment for a reasonably priced diesel sedan.Hyundai will definitely launch a diesel and if reasonably priced[make that priced much lower than the corolla] hyundai could just steal the thunder from Toyota.As for the Chevrolet optra diesel,If I were the GM boss I would soon start a marketing campaign emphasizing the diesel for it too has an opportunity to winover customers from the japanese camp.Make no mistake diesel is going to be king for a pretty long time to come in markets like ours.

[image source:autoblog]

Toyota Fortuner could be here soon

While speculation is rife that Toyota is going to launch the Fortuner in India soon,what has added fuel to the theory is the NDTV coverage of the Thailand motor show,where NDTV strongly hinted about a possible launch of the Fortuner soon in India.

What could spoil the party is the price tag.NDTV suggest it could initially only be assembled here and then according to demand could be manufactured in India at a later date.The Fortuner would thus be competing more with the Honda CRV,Chevrolet Captiva and the likes.The question is would you shell out a hefty premium for a vehicle which shares a major percentage of its DNA with the Innova.

The recent ad spree by toyota inspite of the Innova doing very well the previous month has got a few to suggest that a new vehicle is due soon.Whether its the fortuner,the new corolla or even a facelifted/an all new Innova is anybody's guess.

Update:
The latest is that Toyota plan to launch the fortuner only by 2009[between june-september to be precise],pricing expected within the range of Rs.16-20 lakhs.

PS:Sticking to the NDTV coverage of the Thai motor show,even NDTV confirmed the launch of the next generation honda city by the end of the year.

Preferably don't buy these cars in 2008

If you have any plans to buy the Skoda fabia this year I suggest you wait for a year if resale value is important to you.VW [skoda's Parent company] say that they will lower costs of the Fabia by manufacturing the fabia at the chakan plan [while VW plan to delay their debut vehicle in India to 2010].Skoda have already done this with the Laura where later on they launched cheaper models which severely affected resale value of the cars which were already sold.I came across one such Laura owner who says he lost close to 6-7 Lakhs in resale value in just an 8 month old car.

However I must add that nothing wrong with Skoda cars,infact the Octavia[Laura as we know it here] has just been voted the best car in the UK for the second consecutive year.Octavia[Laura in India] drivers are the most satisfied lot in terms of reliability,build quality,running costs and ease of driving.Skoda beat rivals like Honda,Toyota,BMW,Mercedes for the second consecutive year.The Fabia too should be more or less on these lines and will definitely not disappoint you. If the car is going to be with you for a long time or you are not bothered about resale value please do go ahead with your purchase decision.

But the case with the cars I discuss next is a bit different.In these cars you will see a major revamp pretty soon.

1>.The first car in the list is the present Toyota corolla which is currently one generation behind its main rival the Honda civic.It is confirmed that you will get the next generation in India in 2008[maybe a diesel option as well].

2>.The next car in the list is the Honda city.You can see pretty much the push both the company as well as dealers are giving to increase sales since a major revamp of the Honda city is expected by the end of the year[2008].You will be left with a model which would be one generation behind in just a matter of few months.

Now I go back to the title I say preferably because you could also take advantage of this situation since all the above mentioned cars are great cars as well and dealers would be pushing for sales by adding incentives for you to buy these cars.But yes you must be ready to accept the fact that you will be driving an outdated model soon.

If you ask me what is the best alternative at this moment ,well I suggest the Hyundai Verna CRDi.It is a relatively safe bet and a good car with good mileage[FE.].In case of a petrol car I suggest the Maruti SX4.I don't expect any drastic change very soon to either of the two.The Toyota Corolla is not in the C segment and its alternative would be the Honda Civic which too should not see anything drastic soon.

Update 1:
In the don't buy list I am adding the Skoda octavia,for reasons please refer to this post,Next generation Skoda Octavia due in 2009 .Also the more modern VW jetta is expected soon.I would avoid the Laura too for the moment since a price correction could be possible but I am not 100% sure and hence am not placing it in the don't buy list.Alternatives I suggest the Optra Magnum.


Update 2:
NDTV confirms launch of the next generation honda city by the end of the year[2008].

Update 3:
The hyundai getz is a car in the don't buy list since the all new I20 is expected by the year end.Search the post for more details.Alternative ford fusion diesel.

Update 4:
With competition expected to catch up with Toyota in the form of the mahindra ingenio and the tata Xover expect something drastic from Toyota,from talks of launching a cheaper UV to even discontinuing the present innova doing the rounds I suggest you go slow and postpone your buy.No alternative buys suggested for the moment.

Update5:
Mahindra Renault Logan is a new addition to the list,a Facelifted model is expected soon.

Update6:
Maruti to replace the alto with the A-star.

The don't buy cars list for 2008:
1>.Honda City
2>.Toyota Corolla
3>.Hyundai Getz
4>.Skoda Octavia
5>.Skoda Fabia
6>.Toyota Innova
7>.Mahindra Renaul Logan
8>.Maruti Suzuki Alto


Also read:
Honda confirms all new Honda city launch by end of this year

Also read:
Team-bhpian Spots possible new Honda City.

Toyota's customer unfriendly initiatives

Toyota have always looked at their profitability even at the cost of the Customers convienience and even compromising security of the vehicle.

As far as the inconvenience bit ,you have the option of power steering on the base model E but no air conditioning option even after paying close to Rs9 lakhs but the worst bit is the G1 model does not come with an intermittent wiper,something which cars much cheaper come with.

And this is not the case with Toyota India itself,I was going through this review about the american corolla and the first thing the reviewer was very critical was Toyota's attempt at cutting corners which was emphasized most in the fact that Toyota is only giving power windows as a standard feature on the top end corolla model compare this to Honda who have long made power windows standard across their entire civic range.

But these are things one can live with, what is not acceptable is the security bit.Toyota knew that its earlier MUV the Toyota qualis was one of the favorite amongst car thieves and this is precisely why they came up with immobilisers for the innova range but they kept this out from the base model innova[E].And what do we have now apart from the Tavera and the Indica,the Toyota innova is the favourite amongst car thieves according to a newspaper report.

Toyota have only to look at Maruti as an example,Maruti has given the immobiliser feature[icats] across its range even to the cheapest Maruti 800.This just costs the customer an added Rs.3000 surely somebody buying an innova could easily afford.

Hopefully these stolen cars were the ones which did not have immobilisers because believe me just yesterday came across a stolen Toyota innova top end model[v].Why I am so sure the number reads as MH-03 XXX .Now when was it when that series existed.

Coming soon-The Toyota Corolla Altis

So far Skoda has had a dream run in India but here's something which could seriously put and end to all that.There has been no real rival as such when it came to the D-segment cars[diesel].Yes the Optra magnum but brand Skoda seems to be too much stronger than GM as far as customers are concerned.

However all this could change because the Toyota Corolla Altis could be here very soon[remember a top official at Toyota had hinted an April Launch even] .The new corolla has been launched in most of the south east asian countries as the Corolla Altis and it looks like it could be the same for the Indian Markets too.What they have not got so far is the D4D engines which could very well come to India since Toyota knows more than you and me that there is huge potential for the diesel engine in India.It is precisely this engine which could give sleepless nights to Skoda since this car has the potential to even win over Skoda laura rivals forget the Octavia.
The Corolla Altis will get HID headlights,Rain sensing wipers,A multi information Display,Cruise control.Its how long the diesel engine would take to come here which may very well decide if the Altis is launched here by april or august[which I think is the worst case scenario].The only disappointment as such is that Toyota is most likely to leave out the Dual VVT-i engines for markets like ours.The existing engine could be tweaked a bit more as far as the petrol engine is concerned for the Altis.

So should Honda be worried,if the Diesel engine is launched in India then most definitely prospective Civic customers would move over to the Toyota camp and we will have a new leader in the segment ,else really speaking the Corolla[petrol] does not have that extra special ingredient which would help it overshadow the Civic.Without the diesel engine even Skoda would not be too worried.

So please Toyota do answer our prayers and get the D4D engines as well for the corolla.

Update:
Please read:
Toyota to launch Diesel Corolla after all.

Also read:
Toyota claim the next generation corolla is the hottest ever-Here's some of the reasons why

Honda Civic sales take a hit

While December sales have not really been good for most automobile manufacturers[hyundai have reported double digit growth thanks largely to the exports] what catches the eye is that honda civic sales in India seem to have taken a drastic hit.

Honda were only able to sell 995 units of the civic as compared to the 1274 units they sold last year for the same month.What is interesting is that skoda sales have increased so does that mean all the curiosity the fabia is creating is helping the skoda brand very unlikely,in all probability its that 1.9tdi engine.Then there is also the recently launched optra magnum[diesel].Diesel seems to be the way forward for most cutomers in India too.Would the D-segment customers force Honda to have a relook at their petrol only strategy in India,well hopefully yes atleast.Don't have the sales figures for the Toyota corolla which again is available only with a petrol engine but it would be suprising if toyota is able to win back customers from honda with their older generation corolla.

Come on Honda,bring your i-ctdi range of diesel engines to India too.

More pics of the 2009 Corolla

In this Post I am just going to let the pics do the talking,I think have covered details about the car in the related posts below,heres the Honda civic competitor which would be available in India by march 2008 at the earliest.A more sportier version than the earlier pics.




[Image source: autoblog]

Related Post:
Toyota claim the next generation corolla is the hottest ever-Here's some of the reasons why

Toyota claim the next generation corolla is the hottest ever-Here's some of the reasons why

The new corolla is going to hit the indian shores and we have talked about its camry like exteriors,now a bit more with regards to the interiors and features.

AB-i is standard on all new Corolla models, and delivers uncompromising stopping power in virtually any conditions.AB-i braking system combines Anti-skid Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA) and Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD).



Now heres something the new corolla owners would like to show around a bit,


The Smart Entry and Start System -No need to physically use your key to unlock and start the car. Simply have it on you, and the car unlocks when you use the door handle, and starts at the push of a button.



The top end corolla will come with HID Auto-levelling headlamps, headlamp cleaners, rain-sensing wipers,16” alloy wheels and a flat rear floor, multi-function trip computer and anti-glare electro-chromatic interior mirrors,lexus like optitron combimeter, 6 speaker MP3 compatible CD player,Aux-in, steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth compatibility.7 Airbags wonder how many that will become to when it comes to India.

It would have a six speed manual but auto -gearbox enthusiasts may be in for a disappointment with a 4 speed auto-gearbox.



Probable engines[for India]:
Diesel
2.0L D4D
Power-126bhp
Torque-300Nm

Petrol
1.8L Dual VVT-i
Power-130bhp@6,000rpm
Torque-173Nm@4400rpm

Dual VVT-i meaning valve timing is adjusted on both intake and exhaust valves,toyota claim this improves fuel efficiency and this car could even give the honda city[a C segment car] a run for its money in this area at the same time it is very powerful as D segmenter's should be.

For india however expect a lot more beige in the interiors:


Now thats a lot of toys ,have to see how toyota manages the pricing for India without compromising too much on the features cause toyota really need the corolla to click this time round.There's a car very much in this mold the skoda laura now again and again I ask would toyota do a skoda[sell both older generation and newer generation cars side by side].

Update 1:The dual VVT-i engines will not make it to markets like India.

Update 2:
Expect toyota to be miserly with the toys it gives in the Indian corolla.

Exterior pics here:
New toyota corolla to head to India

New toyota corolla to head to India,Thailand

After the drubbing toyota have received at the hands of honda in the form of the latest generation Honda civic,toyota finally has decided to move forward and introduce the latest genereation corolla.

Sticking in line with toyota tradition the car will not be anything radical to look at and is more or less a baby camry created to please youngters as well as the older generation.


For India the best part would be the 2.0L d4d diesel engine which will help toyota maintain an edge over honda and also help it compete better with rivals like skoda,chevrolet.




The car is expected to hit Thai shores by the end of this year and Indian one by approx mid of next year[read as around diwali time]


The interesting bit is it that there are plans to shelve the corolla brand and instead use the auris but I have a feeling the corolla legacy will continue

Probable engines[for India]:
Diesel
2.0L D4D
Power-126bhp
Torque-300Nm

Petrol
1.8L Dual VVT-i
Power-130bhp@6,000rpm
Torque-173Nm@4400rpm

Dual VVT-i meaning valve timing is adjusted on both intake and exhaust valves

Update:
Please read:
Toyota to launch Diesel Corolla after all.

Also read:
Coming soon-The Toyota Corolla Altis