Toyota Motor Philippines made changes to its Corolla Altis variant lineup based on its official website. Specifically, the entry-level variant for this model, the Corolla Altis E 1.6 MT, has now received a continuously variable transmission (CVT) instead of a six-speed manual gearbox.
The Toyota Corolla Altis [Pictured: V Hybrid]
Moreover, the variant now designated as the Corolla Altis E 1.6 CVT has received a slight price increase. Of note, the previous standard retail price for this entry-level trim once sat at Php 1,014,000. Currently, it can be had for Php 1,054,000.
If you’re wondering why TMP decided to go this route for the Corolla Altis, we do not know for sure just yet. But, it might have something to do with streamlining this model’s production process, and thus allowing Toyota larger profit margins for this particular model.
Another reason is simpler and has something to do with the declining demand for manual transmission vehicles. Simply put, the demand for the entry-level Corolla Altis E 1.6 MT might not be enough for the Japanese car brand to go out of their way to make it with a manual gearbox.
If the aforementioned was indeed the case, then it would mirror the recent streamlining of the Suzuki Swift’s lineup into a single variant that exclusively uses a CVT.
Moving on to CVT and automatic gearboxes has been a global trend
To that end, the current Corolla Altis in the local market has four different variants. These are the Corolla Altis E 1.6 MT, the Corolla Altis G 1.6 CVT, the Corolla Altis V G-RS CVT, and the top-spec 1.8 V Hybrid CVT. These come in a price ranging from Php 1,054,000 to Php 1,610,000.
Under the hood, the Toyota Corolla Altis retains its two available powertrains. There’s the 1.6-liter inline-4 gasoline engine that can make 120 horsepower and 154 Nm of torque, as well as the 1.6-liter hybrid, that can churn out 121 horsepower and 207 Nm of torque. The rest of the Corolla Altis trims also use a CVT.
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