BMW Engine Starts Powering Toyota Cars

Remember the deal announced years ago on collaboration between BMW and Toyota in the product development? The agreement covers the adaption of BMW excellent turbo diesel engine to Toyota cars, synergy of hybrid powertrain development which is a forte of Toyota and jointly develop sports car for both marque. Now the first product has hit the production stream.

Starting from January 2014, Toyota Verso MPV can be spesified with the BMW-sourced 1.6L diesel. The mill is currently used in the likes of Mini One D and BMW 114d. In this application, the 1,598cc mill produces 111bhp@4,000rpm and 270Nm of torque from 1,750 - 2,250rpm. 

Packaging the engine in the chassis it was never destinated to go is quite a challenge. The team has developed new gearbox housing to match the RFOB (rear face of block) of BMW engine block, and insert the dual mass fly wheel while on the go. The chassis also has received a modified engine mountings and it was mentioned about the optimization of NVH can only go as far as the chassis allows. Toyota also engineered a new idle-stop system for this new powertrain application.

Toyota Revamped 2014 Prius C - 37km/L

When Toyota Aqua, or Prius C was launched at the end of 2011, it has a fuel mileage of 35.4 km/L, a feat that no other hybrid in the world manage to beat. However, the new generation Honda Fit/Jazz Hybrid stole the throne when Honda ditched the old IMA system to match the advanced Toyota hybrid system, the new Jazz/Fit Hybrid achieved 36.4 km/L.

Not quite satisfied to be beaten, Toyota has upped the ante by improving the efficiency of its THS-II system in the form of quicker engine turn off during idling and a reduction in resistance upon a restart. It yields small improvement, but sufficient to beat the fellow Japanese maker at 37 km/L.

Is it part of the improvement introduced to Toyota Aqua/Prius C which will be on sale next week in Japan. Apart from the improved drivetrain unit, the revamped Prius C also features a retune suspension and upgraded sound insulation. New shade of purple color also has been added to the color scheme, making 11 shades available in total.

There's also new variant added to the family, called Aqua G. As can be observed above, Toyota Aqua G comes with an exclusive front and rear bumper, smoked headlamp, funky LED DRL in the lower lip and 17" alloy wheel. What can't be seen is the added bracing and spot welding to improve chassis rigidity to augment the retune suspension. The interior is an all-black item with sporty touch sprinkled over.

With the hybrid incentive in Malaysia is rumoured to be retract for CBU cars, it would be pity if we primitively missed the next round of Toyota Prius C enhancement. With no local facilities set up for this model, UMW can opt anytime to stop importing, especially if the price become prohibitively high for a small vehicle like this.

New Toyota Vios Tested - Polished Gem

Toyota Vios is no stranger when it comes to Malaysian sedan market. Since 2003, some 265,000 units has been sold between the first and second generation model. Despite the relatively young model for Toyota, the four generation (including Vios Soluna from late 90s) is a product which has been massaged over the years to meet the expectation of ever more demanding customer group. Over the years, Toyota Vios has grown from somewhat a recycled-old-Corolla (1st gen Soluna Vios) to a better product for the last generation which is more refined and lack the cheapskate look of the older model. The 2013 Toyota Vios is a further finesse of these, whereby Toyota has deployed in engineering and design prowess to come up with a better entry level sedan. MMN drive impression and lengthy observation on the car detail design yield a conclusion : This is a very polished product with full of high perceived quality and refinement way beyond the previous generation ever achieved.

First is the look. Gone is bulbous look of the previous generation, and in comes a more angular design that wears more intricate detailing for that pricier look. The headlamp, particularly the top two model, is a projector unit with inner detailing that extended from the grille. Expansive chromed bars has been used for the grille treatment, which is further helped by the angular bumper with textured central insert. Toyota tries here, it has not relaxed contrary to people's perception about Toyota stylist. The exterior panel is more chiseled with sharp character line and gives a sharper look to the new Vios. The side profile is also garnished with stronger character which more angular towards the back. The rear end has a mini Toyota Camry look with its chromed garnish and tail light with fancy lens detailing. In terms of dimension, the new Toyota Vios is 110mm longer than its forebear at 4,410mm and slightly taller at 1,475mm. Although the wheelbase is retained from previous car at 2,550mm, a newfound spaciousness can be attributed to cleverer packaging given the the increased in length. 

Second major upgrades over the current car is the interior. It is as if the old bunch of the senior designer/engineer has either retired, died or has been given the bottom 10% position of their appraisal and subsequently been given "Career Transfer Out" option and in comes a more enthusiastic and artistic bunch of motivated designer/engineer who is keen to produce a winner at a given cost constraint. First one to go is the central mounted meter binnacle, now repositioned in front of the driver. 

There is much more flair to the design. The meter is cowled while the centre console is mounted high up with the airconditioning vent and audio system encased in silver trimmed housing and trimmed with creative texturing. As can be seen above the dashboard is multi tiered, with the top surface adopt a simulated stitching edge, lend by Toyota Camry. Silver strip separates this part from the lower dash (G and E trim, black on TRD and unpainted on J trim), the same finish extend the the door trim as well (except for E which terminates at the vent). 

Despite having similar wheelbase to the current Vios, the new cabin is roomier thanks to a re-positioned A and C-pillar. Leg, head and shoulder room is class competitive, with comfort further aided by an enlarged seat surface. Seating position is great, and all control surfaces are within the ergonomics bound. Feel good factor is high. The chunky steering wheel has a fat rim, and the button feels substantial. Audio button and aircond vent feel solid, while the rotary dials for the manual aircond has a tactile rotation inertia. The gear knob is palm-full to grab, however it is too light in its movement for my liking.

Storage space is abundance. There's a slot in front of the gear console, sizable glovebox with partition and this is where the increased in length is justified. The boot volume has grown tremendously to 506L from 470L previously. This puts Toyota Vios boot space on part with Proton Preve (Read all about Proton Preve here) and Honda City which just 2L separates them. More juicy discussion after the jump.

Toyota 86 New TRD Parts Released

TRD has released a new set of kits for the Toyota 86 for October. However instead of giving it 100bhp increased in power or a leach-like-grip for suspension, they have given it a new, more extreme bodykit. The new kit consists of canard, front fender fin, wheelarch extension, rear side spoiler, quick shift, TRD label and engine oil. Gallery of the parts after the jump.

2014 Toyota Harrier - Photo Gallery

Toyota Harrier is traditionally available as an identical twin to Lexus RX-series right from the first generation. The trend however stops at the current generation of Lexus RX as Toyota stop selling the identical car in Japan, a move which also kills the like of Toyota Altezza, Toyota Windom, Toyota Aristo, Toyota Soarer and Toyota Celsior, all which are Lexus IS, ES, GS, SC and LS respectively.

For this year, Harrier is back, and it is wearing a different clothes from the current Lexus RX (at least for now as we don't know how the forthcoming Lexus RX is going to look like. While the front end looks entirely different, it still has the slim light unit near the fender like the RX, but devoid of the mega spindle grille of course. Side profile however, does bears some resemblance, especially the C-pillar and rear window line.

That's as far as any resemblance detected. The rest of the exterior are unique, including the rear end. The rear window cladding makes it appear less steeply raked compared to Lexus RX. The rear fascia has trendy looking clear lens tail light with fashionable light rays, but the rest of aesthetic is well restraint and imparts a degree of elegance touch. 

The interior is an all-new and carries several design cues like not unlike the other big Toyotas such as Toyota Crown and Mark X. The gear level retains the traditional position of gear knob in any previous Toyota Harrier which is mounted high up. Unlike the Lexus sibling, the centre stack is symmetrical. Interior finishing seems to have Lexus-level of craftmanship and design quality. High gloss centre console, classy wood insert and swooping leather line dashboard complete the interior.

The new Toyota Harrier will be hybrid powered although we don't know the detail of the powertrain unit. However, it is very likely it is the same unit as the one powering the latest bunch of Lexus hybrid series. The SUV is due to be launched in Japanese market this winter. A gallery can be found after the jump, thanks to Response and Autoc-one.

Toyota Vios 2013 Arrived in Malaysia - 4 Trims, 1 Engine, RM73k - RM93k

Toyota Vios has arrived in Malaysia. Judging by how many units are running, crawling and parking in Malaysian street, surely the whole nation is rocking in excitement as their much awaited small sedan has arrived. Make no mistake about it, this is by far the most desirable car in our market today. Most people buy Toyota Vios by default, and referral happen every minute in office pantry conversation and even the quiet person who speak to one will drop by the showroom today and place a booking. Such is the sheer popularity of Toyota Vios in our market.

So, what do you get exactly. Firstly, the look. For 3 generation (4 if the Soluna Vios is taken into account), Toyota Vios has evolved from el-cheapo looking to bulbous to a refined-matured-classy look. Edgier Toyota styling language has made an appearance here. The headlamp is sharply chiseled, and seamlessly blend into the the upper grille assembly giving it a well cohesive look. Slight boxy, amalgamate with tasteful chrome application is right recipe here and it sure set to win thousands of heart. Side and rear profile also has been entirely redesigned, and a more upmarket looks is a surety.

The car is larger in every vital dimension. Length is up by 110mm to 4,410mm and height increased by 15mm at 1,475mm. Width and wheelbase remain status quo at 1,700mm and 2,550mm respectively. Toyota has updated the body structure with greater use of high tensile strength steel and increased overall stiffness with greater number of spot welds, contributing to significant 30kg weight reduction compared to the existing Vios. The new Toyota Vios is more crash-worthy too, thanks to the new ECE R94 and R95 regulation which demands a safer car for the masses.

The cabin has been given a major makeover. One drastic change is the relocation of meter binnacle from the centre of the dashboard to a more conventional location in front of the driver. The two-tiered dash layout adopts black top part, complete with the moulded stitch for an opulence touch. The top and bottom layer of the dashboard is separated by the garnish piece, which runs into the door trim, itself is far more elaborately designed than the existing Toyota Vios. The control system (steering, gearknob, audio and airconditioning) are designed with ease of use, ergonomics and good looks in mind, and Toyota is successful in it. The seats are larger too at the front, and offers more minute adjustability. Thanks to the enlarged body, legroom has increased too. Boot volume has gone from class competitive to class leading (almost) with 506L in VDA method. 

In theory, everyone is aiming for 1000bhp thunder-sedan and capable of lapping Sepang Circuit in 1minute 35 seconds. Or at least for an easier bragging rights, a turbo-engine with renowned suspension tuning will do. But in reality what matters is the reliability, driveability and serviceability. Thus, Toyota Vios is equipped with the fame carry over 1.5L in-line 4 mill hooked up to a 4 speeder auto (or optionally 5 speed manual in the cheapest version). Suspension has been retuned for greater comfort and stability. Stopping power is four-wheeled disc on top two variant, while the bottom two makes do with rear drums.

Variants available are J, E, G and TRD Sportivo. Vios J is available in either 5 speed manual or 4 speed auto while the rest of the range is auto only. The trims are differentiated by equipment level. Starting with the front, Vios J and E is equipped with halogen headlight, while Vios G and TRD Sportivo comes with projector item. Moving rearwards, all version bar Vios J gets fog lamp, electrically-folded side mirror with indicator and integrated audio system. The interior is differently colored, with the based J model is an all-black affair, almost similar to E version however the latter comes two tone black and grey fabric. Vios G adopts a two tone black and beige interior color while the TRD Sportivo is black with red accents, in leather no less. Vios G and TRD gets multi-info display, 6 speaker setup (4 for the rest) and the gear knob and steering wheel is leather wrapped ( with audio control button too) which the lower two version is equipped with none of this. Tyre and wheel size is identical across the board, shod with 185/60 R15. Three rims design are available exclusive for each variant (J and E share the design).

Standard equipment across the range is dual airbags, ABS with EBD, Isofix, reverse sensor, door visor, rear fog lamp, remote boot release and speed adjustable intermittent wiper. There's 3 years warranty thrown in capped at 100,000km. The price is RM73,200 for Vios J Manual, RM77,300 for Vios J Auto, RM82,900 for Vios E, RM88,500 for Vios G and RM93,200 for TRD Sportivo.

What do you think? I personally think the days when national car reign on value for money is long gone. Fully polished design and engineering has price, and this is what the foreign brand is undoubtedly good at. Gallery can be found after the jump.

Toyota Innova Gets Second Facelift

Toyota Innova is set to receive second facelift, at least in Indonesia this coming Monday. The update will enhance the front and rear outlook of the car, with more prominent grille and more chrome-laden than before.It is said to feature dual airbag as standard across the range and will get an updated audio system.

More photos can be found after the jump.

The New Toyota Vios Open For Booking

UMW Toyota has opened its order book for the latest econobox, Vios. Together with that, Toyota has also released the pricing, which is surprisingly sports virtually no increased at all, and the low-end version is even a few ringgit cheaper. As widely known, the new Vios is coming in October in its usual J,E,G and Sportivo trim level. Price starts at RM73,300 for manual-geared J, RM77,300 for 4-speed auto J, RM82,900 for E, RM88,500 for the G and topped by TRD Sportivo version at RM93,200.

Despite the various trim and price level, all version are powered by an identical 1NZ-FE 1,497cc 4-banger kicking 109PS@6,000 and 141Nm@4,200rpm of power and torque respectively. Apart from the cheapest J version which is available in 5 speed manual guise, the rest of the version including the automatic J is available solely in the now-legendary 4 speed automatic transmission.

The carried over drivetrain is accompanied by an all-new body, which is significantly bigger than before. Length has grown by 110mm to 4,410mm, height increased to 1,475mm, 15mm higher while width and wheelbase remains 1,700mm and 2,550mm respectively. The newfound dimension gives it extra cabin and boot capacity also grows by 4L to 474L.

As before the grades gives you an additional equipment level for your own pleasure. The J gets you a car and not much else, while upgrading to E buys you retractable side mirror with LED, indicator, front fog lamps, 2-tonne upholstery for the cabin, foldable rear seat and integrated audio system instead of aftermarket 2-DIN unit. Going further to G variant will get you chromed front grille, projector headlamp, ivory interior color which is key-less in access, starter button, leather upholstery and 6 speaker audio system. TRD Sportivo is basically a G in sports mode, indicated by darker chrome grille, TRD bodykits, black leather upholstery, smoked headlight, sport meter and red stitching on the steering.

11th Generation Toyota Corolla Launched

The details- Styling, Powertrain and Differences Between American and European (Asian) Corolla

The legendary Toyota's small sedan, The Corolla has been released in its eleventh iteration. Almost simultaneously revealed for both American and European version, the new Corolla has finally stretched its wheelbase and grown quite tremendously length-wise. Similar in trend with the latest Toyota Camry, Toyota has given an entirely different front and rear end design between America and the rest of the world to reflect the market positioning and customer taste variation.

Before we get to the details of the styling, in any of the version, the new Corolla is an all-new from the ground up. This means that finally its has got a new platform, with a well stretched wheelbase that is no longer strikingly close to its smaller and cheaper Vios which sticks to 2,550mm wheelbase in its latest incarnation.

Taking the measuring tape, the new Corolla is 4,650mm long, 1,776mm wide, 1,455mm tall and rides on 2,700mm wheelbase. Thus it is 100mm longer in length and wheelbase, 16mm wider and 10mm lower than the previous car. For the drivetrain package, American model  continues to be powered by the 1.8L mill exclusively, but differs in their valvetrain system. One soldiers on with the trusted VVT-i mill with its 132hp and 171Nm of power and torque as it has been powering the last two Corolla, while the other one is Valvematic-equipped, offering 140hp and 174Nm, but cuts in with a better fuel efficiency thanks to the more adaptive valvetrain. In America, this modern lump is offered only on the Le Eco trim grade whereas the rest of American trim namely L, LE and S are offered with the former. For the gearbox - LE, S and LE Eco gets the 7 virtual ratios CVTi-S, and if you are 3-pedal kind of person, the 6 speed manual is available too for the LE and S. The lowest L-line, gets the aforementioned 6 speed manual too, but can also be equipped with the conventional automatic gearbox with a grand total of four (!) forward ratios. 

There's no news yet on the European engine line-up but expect it to mirror those in Auris closely. This could mean 1.33L to 2.4L for the petrol and 1.4L - 2.2L for the diesel. Asian version also is expected to retain the current engine line-up of 1.6L, 1.8L and 2.0L, but the range could be trimmed down to two engine. If 1.6L is phased out, we could also see the phase-out of the archaic 4 speeder auto too from that car, leaving an all-CVT range which is fittingly more modern.

European Corolla Front End

Going to the styling part, American and the rest of the world gets a different front end. The European (and most probably Asian version too) gets a suitably upmarket styling with prominent headlamps that wraparound the fender and blend with the chromed grille bars. The front fascia is uncannily inspired by Toyota Auris, RAV4 and the new Toyota Vios. Consistent with the aforementioned siblings, the headlamps is edgy in its shape, and theme that is carried over to the bumper too. 

The American version (below) slots nicely into its econobox status with a very understated look and a dose of sport-injected styling cues. The headlamp is smaller and shapelier and they are LED powered. The mandatory amber section is the trade-mark of all the American-bound cars. The bumper is different too from the version above, and I personally think it kind of has a Scion-look to it. Overall, the American Corolla looks smaller, and well, to our Asian eyes, cheaper too.

American Corolla Front End

The sharing of platform (or course) and body panel is obvious from the side profile. There's no variation as far as the side panel and door panel is concern. The kind at the rear door is the only breakaway from what can be described as a fuss-free design. Despite the different in the rear end design, from the side the rear light housing is identical for both version. The European version front end is visibly a little higher than the American counterpart, thanks to the bigger headlamp setup.

European Corolla Side Profile

American Corolla Side Profile

European Corolla Rear End

The difference in the rear end end is not as comprehensive as the front end. The outer edge of the tail lamp is identical between the continent. The difference lies in the trunk lid panel, which has a different license plate housing section between the two, and the American version gets a smaller tail lamp inset. While the rear bumper is almost similar, the European version gets the reflector at the bottom end.

American Corolla Rear End

The cabin is almost identical, saved for some very minor detailing. The dashboard is identical, with similar steering wheel, door trim, gear console and meter binnacle. However, the climate control panel is slightly different, as is the audio panel. The American car gets the centre mounted clock in between the Toyota 86-inspired air duct. 

The cabin design is a huge departure from the current model. In Asian Corolla Altis, the emphasize is on luxury with a well-defined plastic texture and wood insert, all combined to give a soothing environment. The new one however, has totally ditched the luxury look of the 10th generation Corolla.

European Corolla IP

American Corolla IP

Overall design wise, the 11th generation Corolla is a modernized version of the older version, with the styling (particularly European version) is in-line with the new Toyota design theme, i.e more angular, bold grille and edgy lighting. The interior too benefits from the overused Toyota 86-styled aircond outlet and upright dashboard architecture.

There is not Asian introduction yet, but as before we expect it to mirror the European version here very closely. There are some potential issue like the lost of luxurious interior which could jeopardize the loyal and conservative Toyota owner.

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Topless Toyota 86 Coming

The affordable (forget it if you are in Malaysia) Toyota chuckable RWD, the 86 is set to loose its roof, and destinated to be showed to the crowd in the upcoming Geneva Motorshow in March.  Dubbed FT-86 Open Concept, Toyota will use it to gauge the public reaction as well as initiating an engineering feasibility study for the open top 86.

Toyota i-Road

FT-86 open Concept will be be joined by three further Toyota sibling; i-Road micro car and a duo of production car in the form of Toyota Auris Touring Sport and the new RAV4. The i-Road is an urban transport for 2 people, offering an emission free and a run ride. The showcase of the RAV4 also signalled its entry into the European market. Both of these mass-production car will be accompanied by Auris Touring Sports Black, RAV4 Premium and RAV4 Adventure. 

Photos of Auris Touring Sport and RAV4 are after the jump.

2013 Toyota Corolla Sedan Spied - Sharp New Look

The previous spyshot of the forthcoming Toyota Corolla provided no clues whatsoever on the front and rear styling, and with just a glimpse of the dashboard. Things are a little clearer, sourced from the Portuguese website. The bare-bodied Corolla here revealed an Auris-derived front end styling with visibly shapelier fascia.The headlamp is set plunging down, creased back up to meet the wide radiator grille. Big Toyota emblem takes the centre stage, whereby beneath it lies an enlarged air intake.

The side profile shows the kinked up rear door trailing edge, much like how the Lexus IS looks like. The clearer interior shot shows that it is indeed Auris-inspired instead of Corolla Axio derived, which is far more conventional. 

The rear end is however still unknown. This series of photos still can't uncovered it. Two more photos can be found after the jump.

All-New Toyota Crown Royal & Athlete Launched

Toyota has launched an all-new Crown series, consist of both Crown Royal and Crown Athlete. Both version are empowered by Toyota proud new full-height grille, and they are even more imposing that the Lexus spindle opening design. Both cars are also offered in hybrid version on top of the regular gasoline-powered model.

Toyota Crown series is rear wheel drive saloon and is a flagship series for the the Toyota saloon and often offered a Lexus-level of opulence and luxurious trimmings, albeit in a more traditional Japanese way. For this generation, Toyota has lengthened the overall length by 25mm to 4,895mm while width is up by 5mm to 1,800mm. Height is 1,460mm for the Crown Royal while Crown Athlete is 10mm lower.

Both Crown Royal and Crown Athlete range start with the 4GR-FSE 2.5L V6 engine producing 203PS@6,400rpm and 243Nm@4,800rpm. This engine can be paired with either front or an all-wheel drive option, both via 6 speed automatic version. The hybrid version is powered by 2AR-FSE 2.5L gasoline in in-line four configuration. This petrol lump is paired with the electric motor, and drive is channelled to the rear wheel via a CVT. This configuration pumps out 178PS and 221Nm for the petrol while the electric motor is capable of churning 143PS and 300Nm. Crown Athlete model gets an additional engine choice in the form of 2GR-FSE 3.5L V6 producing 315PS@6,400rpm and 377Nm@4,800rpm and this flagship version drives via 8 speed automatic gearbox.

The gallery of Toyota Crown Royal and Toyota Crown Athlete can be found below, with the real-life photo courtesy of autoc-one.

Toyota Crown Athlete

Galleries continue after the jump.

The 4th-gen Toyota RAV4 image leaked

A couple of days before the fourth generation Toyota RAV4 makes its official unveiling on November 28th, a small gallery of the new Toyota SUV made their way to the net. As depicted by the spied camouflaged cars, the new RAV4 does indeed wears the same styling theme as its hatchback cousin the Auris. 

The now familiar Toyota new design language theme is accentuated by the beak-type front snout where the large Toyota emblem resides. The headlight is slim and sharp and join the grille, a transition made seamless using the horizotal "whisker" bar that rooted from the emblazoned beak. Other place of the body is characterized by the crisp character lines as per the Auris, but toughened for the RAV4 by the black-colored  body cladding. The rear light stands proud of the bodywork, increasing the presence of the new generation Toyota RAV4. The side profile meanwhile, looks familiar to the current RAV4, saved for several new crisp lines to inject some excitement into the otherwise conventional soft-roader look.

The interior is best described as typical 2012 Toyota from the shape of the steering wheel, door trim design and the compartment in front of the front passenger. It carries the cues from the freshly-introduced Toyota Auris and Toyota Corolla Axio.

More details are expected to be unravelled over the next two days so stay tune.Some more photos can be found after the jump.

New Toyota Corolla goes Camry-inspired

In May this year, MMN published an article about the next Toyota Corolla going radical, as described by Car and Driver (our article HERE), where insiders tipped about the crisper body lines and tauter detailing not unlike the US Toyota Avalon. We became unsure about this fact when the JDM version, Toyota Corolla Axio came out and it can be perfectly described as conservative. The anxiety was remedied somewhat upon the arrival of the European Corolla, named Auris which wears a distinctive styling that resonates well with the idea of a radical Corolla. Now, for the first time we can catch a glimpse of the American-bound Corolla, which traditionally is equivalent to the Asian Corolla Altis, saved for some minor styling revision.

The front end is characterized by sharper, more protruding bumper and grille assembly, with widened lower intake section. It is expected that it will resemble the larger Toyota Avalon to certain extent. The front windscreen seems to be more rakish but mounted on a slightly higher cowl top section, perhaps indicating a forwarded cabin section. 

Another look towards the rear of the side profile indicates a C-pillar that resembles the new Camry. The overall glass house is less rounded than the current Corolla. The panel surfacing around the roof line and topping the door section is visibly more crisp, eschewing the soft-look of current car. In this trim at least, the door sash is chromed trimmed, and heavily at that.

Much like the front end, there's not much to be seen in terms of rear fascia detailing. The interior shots however, revealed a more upmarket move is on the card. From this limited view, the meter cluster is chrome-ringed and the steering wheel is adorned with operational button. The current Toyota Corolla is no slouch when it comes to interior quality. The only downside is the uninspiring design and conventional layout. 

In the American market, the new Corolla is expected to continue to be powered by the familar 1.8L engine. If this is true, it means that the engine will be carried over for the 2nd time as the current Corolla is powered by the powertrain set carried over wholesomely from its forebear, albeit with retuning to conform to newer emission standard. What is certain is the 6 speed manual will make an appearance in place of the older 5 speeder stick shift, but the automatic gearbox is well, we don't know, as the Malaysian Camry is happily cruising using its 4 speeder automatic. Maybe a CVT like the current 1.8L and 2.0L will be retained hopefully.

The 11th generation Toyota Corolla is tipped to be launch in the American market in the second quarter of 2013. We are probably looking into late 2013 or early 2014 for Asian launch. The interior photo and one more exterior photo can be found after the jump.

Toyota Etios comes with TRD Sportivo package

Toyota India has spiced up the Etios Sedan range with the TRD package. The budget sedan is now offered with a racier front bumper lip, side skirt and rear skirting for a road hugging look. There is also a body strip on the door. While there is suspension retuning, the TRD Sportivo package does include a newly design 15 inch alloy wheel.

The interior is been subtly upgraded too. The seats are now wrapped in a two-tone fabric with TRD logo and the gearknob trimmed in silver topping. There is no change to the mechanicals, so Etios Sedan continues to be powered by the 1.5L lump pulling 90PS@5,600rpm and 132Nm@3,000rpm. The 930kg sedan really trumps its opposition in terms of packaging, where within the 4,265mm long, 1,695mm wide, 1,510mm height and 2,550mm wheelbase houses a massive 595L boot as well as a spacious cabin. The exterior footprint is actually similar to our home-grown Proton Saga BLM, but obviously it houses a much bigger interior volume.

There has been some talk about Perodua to come up with a sedan. While some people unrealistically drawing a comparison with Perodua Bezza, it is unrealistic to expect Perodua to come up with their own car. So perhaps a "low-cost" car like this, born within the Toyota family could be a sound base to work from. Perodua stylist is well known to better off their Japan counterpart especially in exterior styling. Anyway, if you are unfamiliar with Toyota Etios, some views can be found after the jump.