2008 Toyota Corolla Altis

HijauNature

detailed previewSubmitted by peter on 15 March, 2007 - 16:03.

• New Cars
• Toyota

The Toyota Corolla is a legendary car. Since the introduction of the first car sporting the Corolla name in 1966, over 30 million units have been sold. Everybody who knows what a car is has most likely heard of Corolla. If, like me, you live in Bangkok or have visited the Thai capital you have probably sat in one since the vast majority of Taxis in Bangkok are Corollas.
But while the Corolla has been synonymous with dependability, it has never been an exciting car. Toyota have played it safe with each successive generation of Corolla and while this has been a successful strategy, it seems that Toyota are keen to shake off the conservative image and the stigma that has begun to attach itself to the Corolla nameplate.
With the 10th generation Corolladue for a Thai release sometime this year, let's take the time to havea look at what we can expect from the 2008 Corolla Altis. How will itdiffer from the current model, and how well will it stack up againstthe Honda Civic.
10th Generation, all change!Toyota seem very keen to change the Corollaimage with the 10th generation sedan. And as you can see from theimages on this site the design for the new Corolla is a dramaticdeparture from the succession of dull, anonymously styled models thatwe've come to expect. Is it beautiful? No. But it is interesting, andwe will settle for that. Finally a Corolla with a personality of its own. Previously Corollas always looked like Toyotahad taken all the most boring design elements from other manufacturersand dulled them down even further to insure that there was nothingparticularly outstanding or different.

Recent model releases have revealed a new direction for Toyota, and the Corolla Altis will follow this trend with styling borrowed from the Camry.

But the exterior changes, though important and significant, areonly the beginning. And if the 2008 Altis isn't altered too much fromthe European/Japanese and American Corolla specifications, then it is going to be a very exciting car indeed.

Bigger and betterAt 4,540mm long, 1,760mm wide, and 1,470mm [url=]high[/url],the 2008 Altis will be 10mm longer, 60mm wider and 20mm lower than thecurrent model. The wheelbase will be unchanged at 2,600mm, but with thewider track and lower center of gravity the handling should benoticeably improved. The extra width should also improve cabin space,and although slightly lower, the Altis is still 50mm taller than theCivic.
Previously Toyota had been restricting the width of the Corolla to 1,700mm to avoid a higher tax in Japan, which had resulted in a awkwardly tall and ungainly looking stance for the current model.
Dual VVT-I Engine(s)Toyota engines have been leading the way in terms of refinementand efficiency of late, and this is set to continue with the use of newdual VVT-I engines in the 2008 Altis. While I'm not certain at thistime, it would seem logical for Toyotato make use of the new dual VVT-I technology in the Altis, with the 1.6liter 1ZR-FE and 1.8 liter 2ZR-FE being the two likely options for theThai market.
The 1.6 liter should produce a healthy 124 hp, while we can expectthe 1.8 to be around 140hp, on par with the 1.8 liter Civic poweroutput. But the 1.6 will represent the bulk of the sales here.
The dual VVT-I engines take Toyota's cam shaft variation one stepfurther, allowing independent cam shaft variation for both intake andexhaust timing using one electro-hydraulic variation [url=]system[/url] for each of the cam shafts.
In the case of the 1.6-liter the torque curve dual VVT-I systemenables a very flat torque curve, which stays above 140 Nm from 2,000rpm right up to 6,000 rpm, with peak torque of 157 Nm at 5,200 rpm.
This characteristic of the engine will mean smooth and powerfulacceleration from low engine speeds and excellent top-end power. Thenew European Corolla uses the 1.6 dual VVT-I engine to achieve fuel economy figures of 15km/l in the European combined fuel cycle.
Although the 1.8 liter will offer even more power, the 1.6 isplenty capable, with 0-100km in just under 10.5 seconds, and a topspeed of 195 km/h.
F1 inspired gear changesThe European Corollahas some interesting features that might be discarded for the Thaimodel. Among them is a Formula 1 style gear change indication lightwhich shows the driver the optimum moment to change gears. This featureis only on the manual version (obviously), and since manualtransmission are reserved for the budget trim levels in Thailand, it's safe to assume that we won't see this sort of feature. According to Toyota, following the advise of this system will result in around a 5% increase in fuel economy.
High end models which are fitted out with cruise control will havea "speed limiter" feature. The driver can set the maximum permittedspeed, for example 120 km/m for expressway driving, and will be able toaccelerate normally until the car reaches this speed. The system can beover ridden in case of emergency by simply kicking down on the gas.
Also on the high end models we can expect to see the MultiModetransmission with automatic selection, or manual sequential selectionavailable through steering wheel mounted shift paddles. This is akin tothe system in the top-of-the-range Civic, and will probably be a5-speed box.
All-new suspensionThe current Corolla Altis is excellent at smoothing out bumps in Bangkokroads, but this ride quality comes at the expense of driverinvolvement. The new 2008 Altis should change all that, thanks to brandnew suspension, and a new electric steering system.
A newly-developed L-arm MacPherson strut is a compact and rigidsolution, which brings the suspension strut in-board of the wheel hubto improve noise and vibration suppression. This design should alsoimprove straight line stability, and steering responsiveness.
Rear suspension is by way of a new torsion beam which is a populararrangement as it allows increased boot space. The suspension layoutseparates the coil spring and damper while allowing a wider track forthe cargo area.
The new Electric Power Steering (EPS) should provide a high levelof control, and make for easy work around town. Additionally, the EPSsystem contributes to fuel economy since it only uses power whensteering force assistance is needed, and since it doesn't requirehydraulic fluid, it is also more environmentally friendly thanconventional power steering systems.
SafetyThe Corollahas achieved a 5-star rating on the Euro NCAP safety test. However, itis unlikely that the Thai model will come with all nine (9) airbagsavailable in the European market, but it is possible that they will beoptional at the high end.
A standard feature that should carry over (as standard) is theAnti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution(EBD) and Brake Assist. There is really no good reason to skimp when itcomes to safety equipment, and ABS makes a big difference.
The Altis will also likely have Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Traction Control (TRC) on the options list.
InteriorThe interior should resemble these images quite closely, howeversome details could be borrowed from the Japanese model, which is alittle more conservative than the European Corolla.
Personally I hope that we get the European interior, but both areacceptable. The main difference is the steering wheel, and the dialswith central metering displays for the European market, with a moretraditional looking arrangement on the Japanese model.

Regardless, the quality of the interior and the styling looks likea step in the right direction, but still a bit conservative whencompared to the Honda Civic.
When?Well that is the big question. The 2008 Altis should hit the Toyotashowrooms before the end of 2007. Most likely the launch will be beforethe 2007 Thailand International Motor Expo in November, so perhaps anOctober unveiling is likely.
I would definitely recommend holding out for the new Altis if youare currently considering a purchase. Check back for more news andupdates as we get them.




pergh corolla baru ndak kuar dah.....

d34n

depan ada sket cam viossss.....

waksir

toyota pun kluarkan keta cut&paste je .......... altis nak ikut cam camry, vios plak mcm yariz sedan ..... tp ramai dok kata best.
Tp bila proton pun benda yg sama ... apsal plak ramai yg kutuk

kecimpret

keta ni nak lwn civic???..babai la toyota

HijauNature

X POWER KER CAM COVIC?HEHEHEEE.

slax

cantik..  kat us pun tak masuk lagi model nih uyk 2008

girlphg

suka toyota camry lagi...

sedondon

DARI SEGI DESIGN, CIVIC MENANG....

jezz12

apesal aku tengok montot keter neh cam muke transformers jek?

True-X

tuh hanyer permainan perasan ko jer...

haliem

walaupun aku peminat kereta Toyota tapi dalam kes ni aku rasa model Civic 2006 baru ni lagi mengancam!

mukmin101

pergghh mantap !!!!!

AzusaFuyutsuki

hoh...making ah beng design Altis nie...toyota, you dissapoint me yet again:@

corona87

corolla jdm mode

l

corona87

kualiti bang .....macam kuali.....toyota banyak design yang baru..yang kat malaysia memang kau nampak cam cut& paste cam proton....tapi diorang xde masalah kualiti ........

shianghorng

Not an impressive design at all!

The back looks very similar to the previous Altis!

audydotnet

hey what's the price huh? anyway... so not my type. what a design? back view teruk bebenor..

takde_name

agaknye designer toyota dah kering kepale otak pkir nk wt design baru...

shianghorng

Hanya design Camry boleh tahan...