Toyota launches facelifted Corolla Altis in India at Rs 15.87 lakh

Toyota Kirloskar Motor has launched the Corolla Altis facelift at a starting price of Rs 15.87 lakh for the base petrol and going up to Rs 19.91 lakh for the top trim. With the facelift, Toyota has discontinued the old base J trim along with reducing the number of diesel variants from three to two. As before, there is no top-trim diesel car.

A rival to the likes of the Skoda Octavia and Hyundai Elantra, the Corolla gets sleeker styling with a revised front end and tweaked rear. The interior too gets updates with a revised dashboard with new circular side air-con vents, and the centre console featuring new air-con controls.

In terms of equipment, the facelifted Corolla Altis gets equipment such as new LED headlamps with daytime running lamps, LED tail-lamps and new design alloy wheels. A touchscreen infotainment system is offered as standard on the petrol model but is available as an option on the diesel and it now features MirrorLink connectivity. On the safety front, the top petrol trim features seven airbags along with stability control and hill start assist. Five airbags and ABS are offered as standard on the other petrol trims, while the diesel only gets three airbags across the range.

There are no changes under the hood, with the refreshed Corolla carrying forward the 1.8-litre petrol and the 1.4-litre diesel from the pre-facelift model.

The revised pricing positions the Corolla above its chief rival, the Hyundai Elantra which is priced from Rs 12.99 lakh. Since sales (April 2016-January 2017) of the Corolla and the executive sedan segment on the whole have fallen significantly compared to the previous year, with this facelift, Toyota hopes to arrest this decline and stave off the competition. The segment is also expected to see the launch of new models in the form of the facelifted Octavia and the return of the Honda Civic.

Commenting on the new launch, Akitoshi Takemura, senior VP, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said: “The new Corolla Altis has been developed keeping in mind the aspirations of a premium sedan customer. The Corolla Altis is one such true global Toyota model which is manufactured in 16 Toyota plants worldwide and owned and appreciated by customers. The Altis embodies a prestigious and luxurious real sedan in India and is preferred by an elite set of customers. The new Corolla Altis offers the best in design and comfort making it a compelling combination of design, exquisite interiors and host of safety and convenience features.”

N Raja, director and senior VP, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said: “A true sedan in the C-segment in India, the Altis has captivated its customers and the market alike with its features like prestigious styling, luxurious and spacious interiors and a dynamic performance. Over the years the Corolla Altis has emerged as one of our strongest products in the country enabling us to strengthen our position in the premium C sedan segment with an average of over 40 percent segment share. We are confident that the new Corolla Altis will be successful in maintaining its unshakeable presence in the segment and also reiterate Toyota’s safety leadership positioning in India.”