Toyota hopes to overtake Honda in car sales with Corolla's "sporty, cutting-edge design, exciting driving performance and comfort"

For the first time in history, Toyota was left sniffing the dust after being overtaken by Honda in passenger car sales last year. And despite brisk sales of its new Yaris eco-car during the final month of 2013, Toyota still failed to catch up with its arch rival. But things may be about to change.

Toyota, the country's largest automaker, is hoping to accelerate past Honda and win back the car-sales crown this year with the launch of its new Corolla Altis compact car.

With prices starting at Bt769,000 for the entry-level model, the Altis - which will be ready for sale in showrooms countrywide from Saturday - is expected to earn 4,000 orders for Toyota per month, said Toyota Motor Thailand president Kyoichi Tanada.

"We will target a younger generation of customers with the car's sporty, cutting-edge design and exciting driving performance, while its elegance, comfort and high equipment level is targeted at a more mature generation," he pointed out.

"With the distinct characters of the all-new Corolla that comes in various models for every customer, I am confident that the new model will respond to each customer's need and will play a significant role in increasing Toyota's sales and Thailand's passenger cars sales numbers as a whole," Tanada said.

The new Corolla is powered by 1.6- and 1.8-litre engines carried over from the previous model. The 122hp 1.6, which is also available with CNG versions, gets a new gearbox, while the 141hp 1.8 still relies on the old 7-speed CVT transmission. Both models have front strut and rear torsion beam suspension with stabilisers and disc brakes front and rear for improved roadholding and stopping performance.

The car's interior is larger than the outgoing model's, thanks to a 100mm increase in its wheelbase. As a result, the cabin is 80mm longer and 15mm wider. According to Toyota, rear passengers will be more comfortable with the increased cabin dimensions.

The interior also features a new soft-fabric cyber-carbon console, a new steering wheel and gauges, as well as a new air-conditioning system. There are four trim levels for the 1.8 and another four for the 1.6 (including two CNG models with automatic and manual transmissions).

The Corolla was first introduced in Thailand in 1966, and approximately 670,000 of the cars have been sold so far, making it the most popular passenger car in the country. Globally, more than 40 million Corollas have been sold to date, and it serves as a core model for the Japanese automaker.


-- The Nation 2014-1-17

hmmh, "exciting driving performance"....but same engines as previous models...why oh why doesn't Japan put a bit more effort in its engine range here...and not just the same old stuff. Cutting edge design....well...another hmmh.

Anyway, i guess they couldn't care less as it will sell in huge numbers, as it is a Toyota!!!

Lol@ the oxymoron 7 speed CVT

Some more pictures compared to the old model.. I would say an improvement in design compared to the outgoing model.. Engine model for the 1.8 is now 2ZE-FBE which is E85 compatible.

Some more pictures compared to the old model.. I would say an improvement in design compared to the outgoing model.. Engine model for the 1.8 is now 2ZE-FBE which is E85 compatible.

Agree, It's less of a snooze-fest, but it's still a total snooze-fest

Some more pictures compared to the old model.. I would say an improvement in design compared to the outgoing model.. Engine model for the 1.8 is now 2ZE-FBE which is E85 compatible.

Those exterior shots are not of the new model for Thailand.

Sorry, the photos are so bloody big I didn't even see the new Thai model alongside the old one! My mistake.

E85,. I have to do a 120 round trip to find the stuff. Those Headrests look like Tombstones in Black , Mazda mainly, and Honda must be having a a good laugh at this ALL NEW offering.. All Mazda need now is for Honda to fit a Rubber Band Auto in the Civic and Ruin It..

Non everybody lives in the boondocks Ace

Getting better though ,its only 50 cliks to get E20 Now.!!! Car wise Thailands the Pits, cant even get the V6 Turbo Accord. far as i know. .

oh yeah baby it's a "HUGE" improvement from the outgoing generation, which was a "HUGE" improvement from the one before that....but then again, it could not get any uglier or more boring then the outgoing Altis could it.

Therefore improvement is always very subjective to the starting point....

oh yeah baby it's a "HUGE" improvement from the outgoing generation, which was a "HUGE" improvement from the one before that....but then again, it could not get any uglier or more boring then the outgoing Altis could it.

Therefore improvement is always very subjective to the starting point....

Boring or not...Thais will oohh and ahh and lap it up. They even dropped the 2.0.

http://therapyfirst.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/lemmings-at-the-cliff.jpg

They wouldn't have lost their place in the rankings if they hadn't made such a 'pig's ear' of the replacement Camry...!

At least it looks better than the old taxi.

I'd love to be able to convince myself to buy a Toyota saloon because of the reliability. My Vigo has been so good I almost feel guilty about buying a different brand. But the exterior styling of Toyota saloons is just so bland. This new Altis doesn't look much better to me.

oh yeah baby it's a "HUGE" improvement from the outgoing generation, which was a "HUGE" improvement from the one before that....but then again, it could not get any uglier or more boring then the outgoing Altis could it.

Therefore improvement is always very subjective to the starting point....

"Therefore improvement is always very subjective to the starting point...."

As is your "uglier" comment, purely subjective.

The styling is bland and there is zero innovation. They've carried the same crappy engines over combined with a lack of class leading safety or technology. But of course it will sell well here at least.

Still looks like a Taxi-meter !

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

They offer this Corolla as a Base Model to Taxi Companies at a very good rate,to be sprayed as desired.Naturally they are included in the Numbers Sold as Normal Cars. .

So why the fleet manager of the taxi rentals in BKK prefer to buy Toyota instead of Mazda or Honda?

So why the fleet manager of the taxi rentals in BKK prefer to buy Toyota instead of Mazda or Honda?

Firstly ,Mazda and Honda don't want to Reduce Price. One could also liken it to a Benz /BMW situation... BM in Europe dont want to be known as Taxis like the small Benz are regarded in Europe..It shocks Thais when they see their Status nonsense being hailed like a Toyota ..Managers here do as the Boss Says, unlike in Communist Europe these days where the tail wags the dog.

Can someone PLEASE resize those photos

Buy bigger monitor

I drove the new Corolla Altis today. I was rather impressed. It's bigger than before, and you kind of feel it. Feels like driving a small Camry more than anything else. So you bet it'll sell well in Thailand, and for good reason.

I forgot to ask about the fuel type, but if the 1.8 can take E85 then that's potentially a big saving I think?

And yes, it'll make an even better taxi for Bangkok, but then I don't live in Bangkok so the taxi stigma doesn't really apply.

I actually came in to look at the Yaris, but that one (being an eco car now) has really gone quite flimsy, quite different from the very solid little car I drove in the USA. The Thai Yaris is bigger though, I think it's the biggest eco car available currently, with plenty space in the back.

So why the fleet manager of the taxi rentals in BKK prefer to buy Toyota instead of Mazda or Honda?

Firstly ,Mazda and Honda don't want to Reduce Price. One could also liken it to a Benz /BMW situation... BM in Europe dont want to be known as Taxis like the small Benz are regarded in Europe..It shocks Thais when they see their Status nonsense being hailed like a Toyota ..Managers here do as the Boss Says, unlike in Communist Europe these days where the tail wags the dog.

I'm from Germany and it is true that a lot of Taxis in Europe are from Benz. But that has not much to do with the price to buy one ! Here you can download the price list for MB with the Taxi package:

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content/germany/mpc/mpc_germany_website/de/home_mpc/special_vehicles/home/gewerblich/taxi/Preise.html

The E200 CDI incl. tax 37366 Euro (without extras and the list is long)

A Honda Civic with the Taxi package is 17990 EURO:

http://www.focus.de/auto/news/offenbach-honda-insight-und-civic-als-taxi_aid_481272.html

So if the main reason is the price Honda should sell there Civic fast. On my last visit to Germany I saw very little (none) Honda as taxis, but plenty of Mercedes, VW and some Opel.

You write the most Taxis in Europe are small Benz. Most Taxis are E-Class. If you think a E Class is small I can not recommend you a trip in a Civic or a Altis.

Mercedes Benz has about 65% market share in the taxi segment in Germany, second is VW with about 15%.

Honda is not even mentioned in the statistic, despite they are among the cheapest Taxis available.

For the fleet manager three points are important:

1.) price per km over lets say 6 years (most important)

2.) reliabilty (very important)

3.) acceptance in the market from the paying customer (important)

Driver happy (totally unimportant)

It is true that BMW is not very interested in taxi business.

If you buy a Mercedes Taxi and your car needs a repair, they provide a free taxi loaner and the car has the highest priority in the garage, if you send your BMW taxi to service, you wait as everyone else.

In Thailand the strong point of Toyota is reliability and good quality, mechanics that are able to service the car and the price. It is the package.

Does it have a heater yet?

Buy bigger monitor

Learn how to post pictures

Sorted. Only had to add 2 members to my "ignore" list

I'm from Portugal, and you don't get a Taxi Loaner there. Germany you do , as you say. The Civic seems just the same as my C Class.An E Class is Accord/ Camry size near enough. All we had in numbers were Benz and Opals , the latter suprisng everyone with its value for money.I am going back a bit though.

More tosh from Toyota for people who don't enjoy driving.

I think chauvinism also plays a role here