Toyota Altis diesel launch in 2010: Confirmed!

We just may have some breaking news –  senior Toyota  Officials have just confirmed to us that the diesel variant of the Toyota Altis is currently being hard tested and would be launched later this year.

The Toyota Corolla Altis – as the proper name of the car is – sells currently in India with a 1800 cc 132 bhp petrol engine. Indian customers have demanded diesel versions of every car in the market, and the Corolla Altis was no exception. Worldwide, the Corolla Altis has both petrol and diesel options. It has taken a long wait indeed, but finally it is coming to India.

You can expect the new Toyota Corolla Altis diesel to have the 1.4 CRDI diesel plant which it sells around South East Asia. This engine can produce a minimum of 100 bhp to 120 bhp depending of its tuning. Also expect an Automatic variant from day one. Fuel economy of the Corolla Altis diesel is also said to be very high, in the range of 22-24 kmpl.

We hope it won’t be a 1.4 liter engine that produces 90 bhp, that is often rumoured about, when the Toyota Corolla Altis diesel makes its appearance. That just might be a tad too underpowered.

With the likes of the Chevrolet Cruze  (2.0 Diesel) selling rather well and also Skoda having just upgraded the Laura diesel’s engine to a high-spec CRDI unit – and did the same with the Jetta CRDI – it was getting a bit difficult for the Altis to fight the competition with just a petrol unit. This upgrade to a diesel unit should surely bring in fresh air and get the sales figures back on track. The Corolla has sold over 35 million cars as of 2007. And also theres an old saying that one Corolla car is sold, on average, every 40 seconds. Expect high refinement on the diesel Corolla Altis as Toyota are masters of diesel engines. The competition better watch-out for this King who is returning to claim his throne.

Expected specifications of the Toyota Corolla Altis diesel

Engine: 1.4 litre turbocharged  CRDI (same as the one available across South-East-Asia)
Power: 90-100bhp (depending on the tuning TKM does for India)
Overall Length: 4540mm (same as the current Petrol Altis)
Overall Width:1760mm
Overall Height:1480mm
Wheel Base: 2600mm
Ground Clearance: 176mm
Front Track :1530mm
Rear Track: 535mm
Boot Space: 475 litres
Pricing: 12-14lakhs expected

The company is currently working on the Toyota Etios and the Toyota Etios diesel, expected to be launched by the end of the year. Currently, TKM sells the SUV Toyota Fortuner, the Corolla Altis (petrol), the Camry and the Toyota Innova MPV in India.