New Toyota Corolla Altis Preview at Beijing 2006
UPDATE: The new 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis has been launched in Malaysia! - click for more details, specifications, photos and pricing.
Someone said in a previous comment on the Singapore auto show post that your country’s auto show is only important when a manufacturer decides to give the world a debut look at a new model at the show. This move by Toyota further emphasizes the importance of the Chinese market - it let the world see the new replacement for the Corolla Altis there, which will also be taking the place of the current USDM Corolla.
Not to be confused with the previously launched Corolla Axio/Fielder duo which serves the JDM market, the new Corolla is 4,540mm long, 1,760mm wide and 1,490mm tall. This means it’s grown 10mm longer and 55mm wider than the current Corolla Altis - being significantly wider the car will likely lose it’s current tall and unstable looks, giving the driver more confidence in the handling ability of the car.
You’ll also find Toyota’s new flagship 1.8 liter Dual VVT-i engine under the hood. A comparison with the previous generation 1.8 liter VVT-i can be found here. Although the new 2ZR-FE comes with a new CVT gearbox option, the Corolla for the Chinese market will come with either a 4-speed auto or a 6-speed manual. The previous Corolla only had a 5-speed manual, while the auto was also a 4-speed. A pity, the Civic has moved on to a 5-speed auto with two overdrive gears.
UPDATE: Added new photos. More shots after the jump.
Source
Not a clear shot of the interior, but expect it to be similiar to the Toyota Auris interior, even the orange backlit meters are there.
November 18, 2006 @ 6:48 pm
this new one resembles the old one especially the tail lamp. cool gauges tho…
November 18, 2006 @ 7:19 pm
the exterior colour looks funny at the front arch and rear end..
November 18, 2006 @ 7:21 pm
thats just shadows
November 18, 2006 @ 7:28 pm
mini camry!
November 18, 2006 @ 7:31 pm
the front look like borrowed from the new camry…
then its come with the “floating grill”, say….that two chormed fins…. ideas from Honda right…?
the rear same with current! just plain!
in total the external looks plain, just hope the new engine, transmission and chasiss would help it to sell!
Anyone know how many star rating for the current ALTIS get in NCAP ?
November 18, 2006 @ 8:45 pm
Toyota have clearly done almost nothing at all to the body! It’s pretty much the original Corolla with new lights, new grill, new rims, new interior, new this, new that but same old body.
November 18, 2006 @ 9:47 pm
great engine by toyota, long stroke torquey as well,2 vvt lagi
no wonder lotus uses toyota engine lately for exige S
November 18, 2006 @ 10:08 pm
lovelyness… i love how new toyotas have that arched profile at the side… looks lovely! gotta love those gauges… altho i kinda wished they’d be more original wif the rear. lovely car…hehe
November 18, 2006 @ 10:09 pm
55mm wider…sure it will take the corner easily at high speed…auris interior..I want one.
November 18, 2006 @ 10:15 pm
i hate the nose…and offering a 4speed only is not so smart…n we stil make fun of the wira bcos its stil using the 3speed auto box!!
like 99% of all toyotas…it looks boring n bland…not like the civic..thers a wow factor in it..bt this one….im abt to sleep…bt thn again..buyers wil only look at the logo on the grill n buy it…..for me its a boring offering….
November 18, 2006 @ 10:34 pm
boring…
November 18, 2006 @ 10:53 pm
I want this car if I cannot afford Camry!
November 18, 2006 @ 10:56 pm
copying mazda 3’s front is not really creative of toyota…..and as for the rear lights, looks like a add on accessory from brothers…zZZ zZZ ZZZ
November 19, 2006 @ 1:26 am
Certainly look like Camry in front.
Backside like the current model
The improve of the body does make it more appealing. Think “race boy car” might like to MOD it.
Hi Paul, any ideal whats the price for this new model and launching period in South East Asia?
November 19, 2006 @ 3:27 am
pretty nice. will it be available in myanmar?
November 19, 2006 @ 9:47 am
Wow, could not wait to see the actual. The driver of this car definately looks
professional !
November 19, 2006 @ 10:32 am
Although I do salute Toyota for refining their chassis over and over again like Porsche implements to all of it’s cars, The resemblence of their cars are a little sickening sometimes.
It seems like this Corolla Altis, Camry, Belta and Auris all look the same. Reaks of incest. It is sometimes hard to distinguish the cars from one another therefore each car lacks personality.
Darn shame we aren’t getting the 6 speed manual option, would be very interesting since this car has great torque.
November 19, 2006 @ 12:15 pm
YAWNNN….. Zzz..Zzz…After all these wait, it still dissapoint me. All new Corolla? Rear is almost identical to current Corolla Altis. Front looks to me like a mixture of both Camry and Yaris. Interior no comment (cant see much). Before this, I am still skeptical if I shud get a Civic or wait for Corolla. It seems that, the choice is obvious for me now.
November 19, 2006 @ 12:37 pm
the tail lamp really like previous.
how to beat civic, i wonder?
November 19, 2006 @ 12:40 pm
Still ok, but the front part is weird….
November 19, 2006 @ 12:58 pm
YAWNNN.. Zzz..Zzz. It dissapoint me after all these wait. All new Corolla Altis? It seems to me that the rear is a cut and paste of current Altis. Front is a combination of Camry + Yaris. Interior no comment (can’t see much). Before this, I was still skeptical should I get a Civic or wait for Corolla. It seems that the choice is obvious for me now.
November 19, 2006 @ 2:17 pm
Hmm well can’t really expect much from the new Altis design, because the Axio’s base design is already quite bland!
imo toyotas are not meant to be exciting at all or whatever; just safe, reliable and well-built.
November 19, 2006 @ 7:24 pm
well, ain’t nothing to shout about…
i see a bland trend in toyota passenger cars nowadays… either it’s an altis, vios, camry, the new corolla, or even lexus. you see one, you can see the same trait in others… i think they lack the oomphhh in there…
and they sell a lot coz our mind is set to buy the more ‘common’ cars, rather than the ones with an ‘attitude’…
November 19, 2006 @ 8:52 pm
They did a great job with the new Camry. Was expecting more out of the Altis replacement but looks like a real bummer. Safe, unexciting, bland.
November 19, 2006 @ 10:23 pm
Wow… I like this one more than the USDM one.
When is Toyota Msia launching this one ? CKD or CBU for this time ?
November 20, 2006 @ 1:26 am
How come we are getting CVT, cuty got CVT, civic got 5-speed auto???
To save cost or toyota has no confident with their CVT, I think mostly save cost, no wonder toyota earn so much money, whatever, still people will buy it.
2007, still 4 speed…
November 20, 2006 @ 8:22 am
J said,
November 19, 2006 @ 10:23 pm
Wow… I like this one more than the USDM one.
When is Toyota Msia launching this one ? CKD or CBU for this time ?
Well, this is Supposed to be the USDM Corolla. Japan and Europe get different Corollas.
Bland maybe, but even the previous one was damn good. Decent power, decent space, quiet, reliable and good on gas. Sold well. Don’t expect Toyota to change its winning formula anytime soon.
November 20, 2006 @ 8:52 am
I guess those of you who are so in love with Honda’s 5 speed auto box should be aware that it has 2 overdrive gears and 3 main gears. True, The ideal box for a 5 speed gearbox is to have probably 4 usual gears complimented by just one overdrive gear. Having 2 overdrive gears certainly makes cruising a bit more relaxed and improved fuel consumption, but to me, the biggest drawback is that you are down with a box that’s often ‘confused’ in selecting the proper gears during acceleration.
This was very apparent in the Accord and the Civic when i drove the 1.8, the 2.0 and the 2.4 Accord. The same was also noted in a few local car mags when they tested Honda’s new 5 speed auto box and is more apparent in countries such as Australia and certain parts in euro where both the JDM and US Accords are on sale simultaneously. I was told by an OZ Honda salesperson that the Accord Euro or SiR, in auto form, comes with a different 5 speed auto gearbox, with a proper 4 speeder with 1 OD gear and hence, each gear feels more accelerative under increased torque load or hard acceleration as compared to the US model - which is the one we get here.
As for the new Altis, it’s a great move to maintain the new Toyota family look, but the rear appears to be a wide-kitted version of the previous model before the facelifts. I hope they ditch that when it comes to Malaysia or the ASEAN region.
November 20, 2006 @ 9:02 am
Yea! Finally the Toyota has managed to at least done ’something’ to the design of its boring, but yet reliable Altis!
I’ve been waiting for this moment… & am sure placing my booking to this new model when the Toyota is introducing it to the Malaysia market… next year? (can anybody update me when is Toyota goin to introduce this new Altis?).
Again, my personal preference… Toyota is always my better choice than Honda… [no hard feeling to Honda fans ('',)... ]
November 20, 2006 @ 9:16 am
Wow! This ALTIS is Nothing NEW! Great JOB TOYOTA, never ever Exciting your customers. KEEP CONVENTIONAL is TOYOTA’s WAY……
Sigh
November 20, 2006 @ 9:28 am
toyota is always so conservative in design.
November 20, 2006 @ 9:37 am
The Chinese who are giving full reign and freedom to top European designers (a blank canvas) to create goodlookers that will send the shivers down the spine of the Japanese giant.
Watch out for them soon in a showroom near you.
November 20, 2006 @ 9:49 am
big bumper…..too big
November 20, 2006 @ 10:22 am
Much better than the uncle-ish Axio.
But the butt seems like a hurried slap-on job! An after-thought of fussy lines and contours from the C-Pillar onwards…
With hints of the IS200 at the curved-angle of the rear lamps and rear bumper sections here, this new Altis got somewhat refreshed but what’s with the two-third of a pie signal lamps bilaterally?
Btw, the Spore mkt new Civic 1.6 has also got 5A/T…
November 20, 2006 @ 10:36 am
“Honey, I shrunk the Camry” :-p
November 20, 2006 @ 11:55 am
protonGL said,
November 18, 2006 @ 9:47 pm
great engine by toyota, long stroke torquey as well,2 vvt lagi
no wonder lotus uses toyota engine lately for exige S
can you change your nick..I know PAUL is fine with your nick ..but if I’m reading your comments(and others also) a little bit irritating la to use the SICK COPYCAT CAR COMPANY…OR THE TALKSHOW CAR COMPANY or NEW MODEL AFTER 5 YEARS ONLY or OUR CARS COME WITH STANDARD POWER WINDOW PROBLEM CAR COMPANy
November 20, 2006 @ 11:57 am
Auntie will like this car.
November 20, 2006 @ 12:23 pm
If it manage to look as sevelt as a JDM/USDM Camry, then a good chance you will want to buy one. I am seeing an equal number of new JDM Camrys and the new Thai Camry on Singapore roads.
November 20, 2006 @ 2:22 pm
ermm.. 4 speed auto… why arr??… may be old is better.. like vios super CTV gear transmission, they r very smooth (eventhough 4 speed).. but city owner said they r better.. but one of my fren who owns a city consider to sell his 3+ years old car quick, bcoz he said his gear suda mau kondem, one ori set wud cost him RM20K!!!, i can’t belive him also, but he is a mechanic, those who can’t believe me, can check this out too….
Sometimes old is just wonderful.. back to basic…..
November 20, 2006 @ 3:47 pm
Hey, sometimes cars would be better in the metal than on pictures. Although i do not deny that Altis is almost unrecognisable on the streets, i am sure the more agressive face and wider wheel arches would lend a bit more presence on the roads.
I am sure most of us have no seen it on the roads yet so let’s not judge the book by its cover. Cheers!
November 20, 2006 @ 6:06 pm
mycar_stolen said,
November 20, 2006 @ 11:55 am
can you change your nick..I know PAUL is fine with your nick ..but if I’m reading your comments(and others also) a little bit irritating la to use the SICK COPYCAT CAR COMPANY…OR THE TALKSHOW CAR COMPANY or NEW MODEL AFTER 5 YEARS ONLY or OUR CARS COME WITH STANDARD POWER WINDOW PROBLEM CAR COMPANy
————————————————————
doesnt matter with with the nick la my_car stolen, i’m just on a VESPA.
November 20, 2006 @ 9:09 pm
Thanks “4G63T DSM”..
I was confused over the Axio posted before that…
November 20, 2006 @ 11:10 pm
d trend can observe fr toyota is every new model they launch r more ‘bulky’ especially d front n back of d model….
November 21, 2006 @ 4:34 am
I wonder what is the interior dimension since ovarall the width is increase 55mm and long extended another 10mm? Will this corolla launched at 2007?
November 21, 2006 @ 8:55 am
It’s too early to see how well the interior will be. I mean these days, the interior of certain cars certainly doesn’t complement the outlook of the car. For instance, the new Civic’s interior isn’t as big as you’d envision when you first look at the exterior shape of the car. Most of its space has been taken up front at the dash and hence, at the end of the day, the cabin feels no diff than the previous one…
January 17, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
most of the follow body shape like Bimmer 5Series, even new 2008 honda accord…no creativity, but not for Civic…..great shape!!!
January 19, 2008 @ 7:20 am
Before this i thought new vios is a kid for camry.
both i hate on their butt. very ugly.
The shape is so geli.
But i like with the front. nice and new design.
This altis also has a problem with butt too.
Toyota cannot be a fashion designer on the butt la.
they only good in t-shirt design..