2014 Indian Auto Expo: Toyota showcases new Corolla Altis, bookings commence

Toyota has showcased the 11th generation Corolla Altis at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. We had reported recently in the buildup to the Auto Expo that the outgoing model’s production had stopped and Toyota was clearing stocks for this new car. The new Altis will take on Hyundai’s Elantra, the Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Jetta. Toyota has begun accepting bookings today and will launch and start delivering the first batch of cars in May 2014. 

The Corolla Altis in India has sold over 88,000 units since 2003 and Toyota will be looking to build on the reasonably strong foundation set by its previous generation models. With the new car, Toyota has a chance of bettering the outgoing model since it looks more desirable than the 10th gen car – a crucial aspect in the entry luxury segment. 

The new Corolla looks quite attractive in the flesh, far from the plain-jane styling of previous generation cars. The large swept-back headlights in line with the bold chrome grille and the chiseled rear certainly make the new car look contemporary.

The Corolla will be available with petrol and diesel engines. The new Corolla will be powered by the same 1.8-litre dual VVTi petrol engine and the 1.4-litre D4-D diesel engine producing the same 140 PS and 90 PS of power respectively. While both get six-speed manual gearboxes as standard, the petrol model will also get the 7-speed CVT gearbox with paddle shifters.

The Corolla Altis gets different alloy wheel designs from the EU spec version and comes shod with 16 inch wheels. On the inside, the Altis will get a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that also works as the navigation screen and display from the rear view camera. The new Altis is also longer by 100 mm over the outgoing model and so promises of increased rear legroom. It will be sold in seven new colours.