Toyota India stops Corolla Altis production ahead of next-generation model’s launch

Snapshot: Toyota Kirloskar Motors Limited has stopped CKD assembly of the Corolla Altis D-Segment sedan. The car maker has been assembling 400 units of the Corolla Altis each month at its Bidadi factory, on the outskirts of Bangalore. The discontinuation comes in the wake of the car maker readying up the next-generation 2014 Corolla sedan for launch in the Indian car market. The 2014 Corolla sedan will be showcased at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, with a launch likely to happen in April.

With Toyota stopping production of the Corolla Altis, expect sharp discounting of the car to happen at the dealer level over the next few weeks. Given that the 2014 Corolla is likely to be more expensive than the outgoing version, buyers interested in a chauffeur driven, ultra reliable and inexpensive-to-maintain D-Segment sedan may still consider the outgoing model. Therefore, the combination of hefty discounts and the higher price tag of the upcoming 2014 Corolla makes the outgoing car more attractive.

The Corolla Altis sedan is available with petrol and turbo diesel engine options. The petrol motor is a 1.8 liter VVT unit that outputs 138 Bhp-173 Nm while the diesel engine is a 1.4 liter turbocharged unit that outputs 87 Bhp-205 Nm. Both engines get 6 speed manual gearboxes as standard with the petrol motor getting a CVT automatic transmission with 7 stepped ratios as an option. The Toyota Corolla was first launched in India during 2003 and ever since, the car has managed to clock sales of 85,000 units.

Notably, the upcoming 2014 Corolla sedan’s engine and transmission line up with largely remain the same save for the CVT automatic gearbox which gets a boost in fuel efficiency. What will change though is the overall size of the car. The 2014 Corolla – the 11th generation version of the best selling car – gets a 75 mm bump up in terms of wheelbase. The larger wheelbase gives the car additional space on the inside. The car’s interiors also see a comprehensive revamp, with a new dashboard and instrumentation cluster.

Click here for additional details about the all-new 2014 Toyota Corolla

The exteriors of the car now adopt Toyota’s latest design languages which focuses on sharpening the looks of all new cars. A push button start, start-stop system and bluetooth connectivity are three new features on the 2014 Corolla. The car also gets airbags and ABS+EBD as standard safety features. The 2014 Corolla will be Toyota’s star attraction at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, which will also see the Japanese car maker unveiling the Etios Cross crossover styled hatchback. Apart from these cars, Toyota plans to launch all-new products in India only from 2015.

Click here to learn more about the Toyota Etios Cross

Via Profit.NDTV