Maruti Suzuki’s version of the Toyota Corolla Altis sedan CANCELLED: Here’s why

Toyota India has shelved the plan of launching the all-new Corolla in the Indian market later this year. The Japanese manufacturer has decided not to launch the all-new Corolla in the Indian market and not to upgrade the model to the BS-VI emission compliant norms that will come into effect from next year in the Indian market. The new plan also hampers Maruti’s plan to introduce an all-new sedan in the D-Segment as the manufacturer was planning to re-engineer the all-new Corolla and sell it under its own brand name.

The all-new Toyota Corolla was expected to be launched in the Indian market later this year but due to the dropping sales in the segment, Toyota has decided to go against the decision. In the meantime, Toyota will start receiving Maruti Suzuki products by the second half of 2019 that will be rebadged and sold through Toyota dealerships in India.

One of the reasons for Toyota’s decision can be the falling sales of the D-Segment sedans. The D-Segment sedans are not as popular as they used to be before the arrival of SUVs. The vehicles like Mahindra XUV 500 and Tata Harrier are much more popular than the D-Segment sedans in the Indian market. While the Corolla Altis may get culled in the Indian market, it may give way to an all-new crossover from Toyota in India. Toyota has not confirmed the launch of a new vehicle in the segment but earlier in an interview, they revealed that a new crossover and a compact MPV is being planned for the Indian market. After the Corolla gets discontinued in the market, space can be filled by one of the new products from the brand.

In the meantime, Toyota and Maruti have declined to comment on the development according to the ETAuto. Maruti Suzuki was to get the Corolla Altis in the Indian market but with the new decision, the largest car seller in India may go back rethinking the strategy again. Maruti Suzuki currently offers the Ciaz as its most expensive sedan in the Indian market and it is likely to remain so for a long time to come.

Toyota may launch the all-new Avanza and the Rush in the Indian market to fill the gap. Currently, SUVs are much more popular than the sedans in the Indian market as they offer a better road presence, spacious interior and comfortable ride quality. The trend is likely to continue in the future too.

Recently, Honda launched the all-new Civic in the segment that takes on the likes Corolla Altis, Hyundai Elantra and Skoda Octavia in the Indian market. In the first month, Honda has dispatched more than 2,000 units of the Civic but the sales figures are likely to settle down in the coming months in the market.