Will the all-new Toyota Corolla arrive in PH this year?

If there's one car launch that will prove to be hugely significant, it's probably the next-generation Toyota Corolla Altis. Sure, the segment where it sits isn't enjoying the same amount of success it had in the 90's, but the name Corolla is still worth its weight in gold. After all, it's been one of the longest-running nameplates in the country.

The all-new Corolla sedan has been out the other markets for quite some time already. First, it was the hatch, followed by the wagon, and later on, the sedan. There are various specs for it for different markets. So what will the next-generation model be like for us? Let's bring out the crystal ball.

In other markets, there are two types of Corolla sedans: the Sport and the Prestige. If the names weren't enough of a clue, the Sport has a more aggressive design with its sharp-looking headlights. The Prestige on the other hand is gunning for a more premium, upmarket look with smaller headlights and a bit more chrome. So which one will we get?

It's all a bit confusing at the moment, but let's try to make sense of it all. See, the Sport is meant for the Americas and Japan, while Europe gets the Prestige look. However, the Prestige style is being offered in Taiwan, which could be indicative of the model we'll get.

They're not part of the ASEAN market though, so that might change. On the other hand, Australia has the Sport look for their sedan, so the final look of the Corolla Altis is still up in the air. However, reports from our friends at Headlightmag in Thailand among others have mentioned the Prestige model. Given that the Philippines imports the Altis from the Land of Smiles, it is likely we will get a very similar model to Thailand.

On to the subject of engines, and we might still stick to a good ol' 1.6-liter engine and a 2.0-liter option. If that's the case, let's take a look at the Euro-spec for the 1.6, and Australia-spec for the 2.0. Now, the 1.6-liter engine in Europe has what's called Valvematic, which helps give it 132 PS and 159 Nm of torque. Without it, the same engine makes 122 PS and 154 Nm of torque, exactly the same as the current engine.

In the case of the 2.0-liter, power is bumped up to 170 PS and 200 Nm of torque. While there is a turbo engine available, we're not expecting the boosted 1.2-liter engine to arrive here. Transmission choices? We're not certain if this generation will still have a manual transmission option, but a continuously variable transmission is certain.

So, when will it arrive? If the launch date of Thailand would be any indication, we might get ours either just before the year ends, or at the start of the new decade in 2020. Thai sources are saying that the next-gen Corolla Altis will be launched over there by August, so it might not be that long for our turn.

Source: Headlightmag