Toyota rolls out Corolla Altis with hybrid variant

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMPC) has rolled out the new Corolla Altis model with a hybrid variant designed to encourage the shift to environment-friendly vehicles.

TMPC first vice president Rommel Gutierrez told reporters yesterday the company targets to sell an average of 200 units of the new Corolla Altis per month.

As the hybrid variant of the new Corolla Altis is being made available for the first time, TMPC expects 14 to 20 units of the monthly sales target accounted for by the hybrid vehicle.

TMPC president Satoru Suzuki said the company is stepping up efforts to promote the use of hybrid vehicles to encourage more customers to switch to these environmentfriendly and fuel-efficient vehicles.

“People or customers are not familiar with the hybrid so far. So, we don’t think the customer really appreciates the benefit of hybrid at this still high level of price. So, we need to promote hybrid more and familiarize these functions to customers then, maybe, customers will start to know or appreciate then, maybe our volume will become higher and higher,” he said.

He said in TMPC’s view, the use of hybrid vehicles would be the best first step to be taken by the country in moving to electric vehicles (EV) from gas-powered cars.

As the Corolla Altis hybrid variant is available at a price tag below P2 million and does not require infrastructure for charging as the battery charges while the vehicle is running, he said the company is hopeful the would be more receptive to this hybrid car.

“No infrastructure is required. No need to be concerned on the range of battery because this one, if battery runs out, it is automatically using the normal gasoline engines then, charging again the electricity to run, to drive,” he said.

Hybrid vehicle adoption in the country has been slow as the price of the vehicle is considered expensive by consumers.

Suzuki said the company would want government to provide the same kind of support being mulled for EVs to hybrid vehicles to bring down the price of such vehicles.

Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba earlier said the Department of Trade and Industry expects to release the incentives package for EV players this year.

The hybrid variant of the Corolla Altis retails for P1.580 million, while the 1.6 V CVT variant is available for P1.185 million; the 1.6 G CVT variant is priced at P1.115 million; the 1.6 G MT is being sold for P1.045 million and the 1.6 E MT is available for P999,000.

Customers can choose from celestite grey metallic, attitude black, red mica metallic, freedom white, and silver metallic colors. The white pearl color option is available only for the hybrid electric and V variants.

TMPC is targeting businessmen or professionals with a monthly household income of P125,000 for the new Corolla Altis.

Asked if TMPC would be introducing hybrid variants for other vehicle models, Suzuki said the company would want to see first how the market would respond to the Altis.

Apart from the Altis, TMPC also sells hybrid vehicles Prius and Prius C.