The 2020 Toyota Corolla Altis will soon be launched in the country. A few details about the model is tacked in this article.

The 2020 Toyota Corolla Altis will soon be launched in the country, but we already saw it coming. Thailand will be launching the 12^th generation Toyota Corolla Altis this month.

This means that the model will soon be launched in the Philippines as well. This is followed by some reports from different sites that there are already units in the Philippines.

The 2020 Toyota Corolla Altis will soon be launched in the country

We got a few details about the model and a surprise as well. According to our sources, the all-new Toyota Corolla Altis will finally offer a hybrid powertrain.

That's right! Toyota is about to launch the latest generation TNGA-platform Corolla with 3 engine options namely, 1.8-L inline-4, 1.6-L inline-4, and the 1.8-L Atkinson inline 4 hybrids.

Powering the base unit is the 1ZR-FAE 1.6-L Dual VVT-i mill that produces 132 PS at 6400 rpm and 156 Nm at 4200 rpm. It has more torque and more powerful compared to the current 1.6-liter that produces 122PS and 154 NM. 

The available gearbox options are still unclear however, given that the units will be made in Thailand, it could mean that a CVT or 6-speed manual can be offered.

Powering the base unit is the 1ZR-FAE 1.6-L Dual VVT-i mill

Instead of a 2.0 liter, the top-spec petrol unit will be powered by the smaller 2ZR-FE 1.8-L which produces 140 PS and torque of 173 Nm.

It’s expected that the 1.8-liter will produce lesser torque and power than this year's model that have 2.0-liter, producing 145 Ps and 187 Nm. This top-spec petrol unit is assumed to have the Super CVT-I transmission that will have paddle shifters and G AI Shift Control.

What we didn't foresee is that Toyota will launch a hybrid variant of the Thai-manufactured Corolla Altis.

This all-new model will have the same powertrain as the Prius, though Corolla Altis will offer a generally more appealing package. This variant has an efficient 1.8-L 2ZR-FXE mill running on the Atkinson cycle.

This means it will produce less power compared to the standard 1.8-L 2ZR-FE that runs on the Otto cycle. The Atkinson mill only produces 98 PS and 142 Nm, however, it works more efficiently for charging the electric drive system.

The 600-volt electric motor is the core of the hybrid. It gives off extra power of 72 Ps (coupled with gasoline: 170 PS) as well as extra 163 Nm of torque (coupled with 1.8-liter: 305 Nm).

It will have a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery unit that will be charged by regenerative braking and gasoline engine. 

It allows the model to solely run on battery power if there’s charge available. Any particular plug-in hardware such as expensive chargers is not needed in the Corolla Hybrid, unlike other electric cars.

Our sources also mentioned that the 2020 Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid is bound to have Toyota Safety Sense which has a pre-collision system. This system detects other cars, however, this is not a version which detects bicycles, motorcycles, and pedestrians.

The 2020 Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid is bound to have Toyota Safety Sense

It is not a secret that Toyota Motors Philippines (TMP) has been interested in increasing the sales and awareness of the gas-electric hybrid units of the company. It is evident by the range of conferences held by the company in promoting hybrids.

TMP has also been operating school tours, showcasing the technology to the academe and students. The key to this mission is the launching of the Corolla Altis’s hybrid version.

Based on our sources, the Corolla’s price might range from about Php 1 million to Php 1.6 million pesos. The value of the hybrid might be within Php 1.5 million to Php 1.6 million pesos. These prices, however, are not yet finalized.

You can see that the value of the Corolla hybrid is cheaper; this is because it will be produced in Thailand and not in Japan.

This means that this Hybrid is bound to benefit from the ASEAN Free Trade Area, together with the fifty percent excise tax discount for hybrids vehicles following the TRAIN tax reform law.

For Prius as well as Prius C that is Japan-made, it doesn't qualify for such special benefits under JPEPA, because the size of the engine is not anywhere near the 3.0L requirement. However, there are Lexus hybrids have 3.5-liter mill units that are qualified for JPEPA.

The value of the Corolla hybrid is cheaper

This Corolla Hybrid is expected to be the most affordable gas-electric hybrid offered by Toyota once they introduced it to the public, all thanks to AFTA. It will undercut the Prius that is priced at Php 2,289,000 and also the smaller Prius C that is priced at Php 1,907,000.