Toyota Kirloskar Motor today unveiled the latest version of its Corolla Altis at Greater Noida. The new Altis is the tenth generation of the Corolla.

The new car would come with a 1.8-petrol litre engine in three different grades and cost between Rs10.83 lakh and Rs12.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Corolla Altis was introduced in its earlier variant in India in 2003. Toyota says this introduction triggered a surge in demand for premium mid-sized sedan models in India. Since then, Corolla was awarded the top ranking in the JD Power IQS rankings for two consecutive years in 2003 and 2004.

This new version of the Corolla Altis is the second Corolla launched in India and the company expects to sell 2,000 vehicles every month during 2008.
Toyota says the launch would consolidate its position in the premium mid-size segment.

 Globally, Toyota sold 1.3 million units of the Corolla last year, accounting for more than 30 per cent of Toyota's global passenger car sales.

According to Yasuyuki Kawamoto, Toyota Motor's chief engineer of the Corolla Altis, the company set  two priorities for Indian customers. The first was styling. "We wanted to create a dynamic and distinctive feel for outstanding presence," Kawamoto says.

The second priority was luxury and advanced features. "For safety we have high intensity discharge head lamp, automatic electro chromatic inner mirror. For comfort we have developed 8-way power driver seat, audio controls and MID switch on the steering and many more," he adds.

"Towards the fun-to-drive aspect, we provided the sequential shift, which lets you enjoy the feel of manual driving even in the automatic variant." Cruise control, telescopic steering for all variants, electric power steering ensures a comfortable ride. "So I am confident that we have created a 'one class above' vehicle for the Indian customers.

The car has been priced between Rs10.83 lakh and Rs 12.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).  The new car would come with a 1.8 petrol litre engine in three different grades.

According to Vikram Kirloskar, vice chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, by fiscal 2015 the company is planning a market share of about 10 per cent.

"The Altis marks our big step towards the achievement of this goal," said Kirloskar. "We are also planning to introduce several new models in the near future to meet this goal. Regarding the small car that everyone has been waiting for, we aim to start production and sales around the end of 2010 or early 2011."

To achieve its marketing plans, the company said it would implement a two-phase plan of a pre-event and launch event strategy, starting wih a marketing blitz at 100 shopping malls, airports, and showrooms across the country.

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