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So far, the features mentioned come under Passive Safety – the protection offered when an accident does occur. There is also Active Safety which concerns the features that help the driver to avoid an accident. These include good all-round visibility, brighter lights and even the prominent third brake light. However, with the Altis, standards of Active Safety have been raised for this class of cars and it is a clear leader.

For starters, it has disc brakes front and rear and while that may be commonplace in the Proton Waja and Wira, it seems to have taken a while to come to the other models in the same class. Then there is ABS which is now standard and enhanced by Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD). This additional feature works by optimizing the brake force on each wheel. This is important because loads in the car may vary and dynamic forces will also differ during cornering. EBD distributes the force applied to the front and rear brakes according to the conditions so there is more stable braking. It can also control the braking of the right and left wheels separately to ensure that braking during cornering is stable.

Research has shown that most drivers do not apply optimum pressure on the brake pedal during an emergency. There are also drivers whose legs may not be able to depress the brake pedal to the full extent while older drivers may lack the strength to apply great force. Thus the full capabilities of the brake system are not used and to address this, Toyota developed Brake Assist (BA). With BA, a computer monitors the brake pressure applied as well as the speed of pedal depression. If the condition is that of emergency braking, a signal is sent to the brake system to boost the pressure to the brakes. Tests by Toyota have shown that BA can shorten braking distance by between 10% – 15%.

Those who buy the Altis 1.8G also get Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRC). This is a big surprise because VSC only appeared in Toyota models about six years ago and until now, its availability has been restricted to the expensive models like the Crown and Lexus. Considering how long it has taken ABS to reach the Corolla class, the introduction of VSC in this class today is certainly ahead of time!

VSC helps control lateral skids on slippery or dry road surfaces by detecting and correcting understeer and oversteer conditions. Working in tandem with TRC, the system provides the driver with a higher level of active safety and could make the difference between safely getting around a curve on a rainy day or ending up in the drain. Like ABS, it doesn’t enable higher cornering speeds or allows drivers to perform like Michael Schumacher and is intended to help them get out of trouble. More on VSC

Also listed under ‘safety features’ is a reverse sensor which is a dual-cell type for better coverage, especially against objects like plants, and a fuel pump that is designed to shut off fuel flow when the engine stalls or when the airbags deploy.

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NEW SUSPENSION LAYOUT
The chassis is entirely new and has a completely redesigned rear suspension. The front uses those universal MacPherson struts but they now come off a subframe, allowing for greater rigidity and also more geometric precision. The suspension stroke has also been extended by 20 mm for a better ride.

At the rear is a suspension arrangement which was first seen on the Prius hybrid car. Referred to as the ETA beam Type suspension, the arrangement is light and compact, combining the best features of rigid and independent suspension layouts, without sacrificing the toughness and strength of a rigid suspension. The ETA beam (which has a U-shaped cross-section) is a rigid transverse element which links left and right wheels, tightly controlling their track. However, in conventional beam axle designs, the beam is typically positioned around the wheel centreline; with the Altis, it is offset forward. A degree of independent multi-link suspension is provided through the use of trailing arms incorporated at each end of the beam. These arms have large toe-correcting bushings that prevent toe distortion and increase controllability. With their independent movements, the trailing arms allow for compensation of road conditions and improve stability.

SAFETY LEADER IN CLASS
Safety standards have been raised again. This time round, they are Toyota’s own standards, collectively known as the ‘Global Outstanding Assessment’ (GOA). These are tough standards and some of them are higher than what any country presently requires while there are a few (like rear end collisions) that no one has asked for yet.

The Altis, like every new Toyota model developed since the mid-1990s, had to pass GOA and to do so meant having a body construction that could efficiently absorb and then dissipate the enormous energy of a collision so that the occupants would escape serious injuries. GOA places a lot of emphasis on the offset frontal collision which is more likely than the full frontal type because most drivers will usually swerve to try to avoid crashing so the impact occurs on half the front end. This type of collision imposes unequal forces on the front end so the structure has to be designed to cope.

Since the last generation, front airbags have been standard so their presence is nothing new though UMW Toyota Motor’s decision to make them standard on all versions is commendable. The front seat designs reduce whiplash injuries to the neck by having the upper seatback frame set deeper than normal so that the head and upper back of the occupant will sink further into the seatback during a rear-end impact.

As with all modern cars, the steering column is collapsible during a frontal collision but with the Altis, the concept is also incorporated in the brake pedal. The way the pedal is designed and mounted is such that it will pivot out of the way rather than allow itself to be pushed further into the cabin where it could hurt the driver’s legs.

While the tough body frame takes the brunt of the accident, inertia will still affect the occupants. The airbags and seatbelts will restrain them most of the time but there may be some severe accidents where their heads hit against the sides or ceiling of the cabin. To minimise injuries, special materials and construction are used around the cabin to lessen the impact, especially on the head. Some examples: resin ribbing used on the side rail spacers on the ceiling; and shock-absorbing garnish on the roof pillars.

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MORE STYLISH AND LARGER
Although the Japanese one is stylish, the Malaysian one that is distinguished by the additional name of ‘Altis’ (adapted from ‘altitudinous’ which suggests ‘being at the top of the world’) has a more dynamic appearance (rather like a scaled-down Lexus GS300). It is also a larger car because less consideration needs to be given to size in most Asian markets, unlike in Japan.

The sleek appearance is functional too, giving the Altis a Cd of 0.30. That’s comparable to the Lexus GS300, which is a sports sedan, and though the average motorist doesn’t care a lot about Cd numbers these days, the benefits are still significant – lower wind noise, lower fuel consumption, better stability at high speeds, etc.

The front end of the Corolla Altis is certainly eye-catching with those unique headlamps. With the new multi-reflector units, illumination of the road 10 metres ahead is claimed to be two times brighter compared to the previous generation’s lights, while high beam reaches 60 metres further – no more need for spotlights!

NEW ENGINE FAMILY
For power, the new generation gets new engines, not reworked versions of the A-type engines that powered the past three generations but an entirely new engine family coded ‘ZZ’. In the new engine line-up for Malaysia, there will be no 1.3-litre Corolla which, in any case, was already losing popularity. There is a 1.6-litre engine and for the first time in Malaysia, a 1.8-litre version.

The biggest new feature about the engines is that they have variable valve timing which Toyota developed in-house and calls VVT-i – for Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence.
More on VVT-i

VVT-i is the most significant new feature for the Altis but it is by no means the only one in the powertrain. There is also the new way of installing the exhaust manifold and intake which has the intake manifold is at the front and the exhaust manifold at the rear, a reversal of the previous engine layout which is said to improve efficiency, reduces noise and because of the closer distance to the catalytic converter, there is quicker heating of the catalyst so it can do its cleansing work more efficiently.

The engines also have the S-Tdi (S-Toyota Direct Ignition) system which is maintenance-free and very reliable as well as EFI, of course. Management of these systems is done by a 16-bit microcomputer in the Toyota Computer Control System (TCCS). Besides keeping the engine running at its optimum all the time, TCCS also enhances performance in various ways. One example: when full-throttle acceleration is detected, TCCS momentarily cuts off air-conditioner operation so that there is better acceleration. The action is so brief that the occupants won’t notice any difference in cooling.

As before, a 5-speed manual transmission is available (only for the Altis 1.6E) but now there are two types of automatic transmissions. The Altis 1.6E gets a normal type of 4-speed electronic automatic transmission but the Altis 1.8G has a more advanced Super ETC, a compact, lightweight transmission, with a high-efficiency lock-up torque converter.

Both transmissions come with two driver-selectable shift programs to suit driving styles; for zippier driving, the POWER program provides quicker downshifts. The Super ECT also has a Hill-Sensing Mode which optimises gear changes on slopes (uphill and downhill). It is programmed to shift up and down frequently when going uphill and also resist shifting to the highest gear when going downhill so that engine braking is available.

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The Toyota Corolla has been around since 1966 and many of you will probably recall it from the days you were kids. As the most popular Toyota model – 28 million were sold worldwide since the first generation – which has also been the bestseller in Japan for over three decades, the development of each new generation has been a tremendous challenge on the chief engineers given the responsibility.

And so it was with Takeshi Yoshida, who was the chief engineer for this new generation, the first new Corolla of the 21st century. Yoshida faced many new challenges because of the changed demands of customers. It was clear that the ‘traditional’ Corolla concept that had worked well for four decades was not necessarily going to work any longer. Higher quality and more features were demanded, along with new approaches to styling. This led Yoshida to formulate a concept for his new Corolla which he called ‘New Century Value’ (NCV).

Top management also presented additional challenges by demanding that production costs be reduced so that the competitive edge could be gained. On the one hand, it was accepted that customers were more demanding and more was expected but the company wanted to give more while spending less to make the cars!

The approach that Yoshida took was, in his own words, ‘to reduce waste’. There were many ways to reduce waste but it took a lot of effort and time, which was also less than before because Toyota was aiming to shorten model cycle times, again to beat competitors. His stint with the team that developed the first Lexus body helped because the Chief Engineer of that team had been very strict about waste and weight.

The designers in Japan and Europe (Toyota’s European design centre was substantially involved in the styling of this generation) were also ‘ordered’ to think ‘out of the box’, to approach styling from entirely new directions. Few elements from the past generation could be used and as Yoshida put it, “the only thing we did not touch was the Toyota emblem on the grille”. Even the door handle design was totally changed to the grip-type that is more typical in larger European sedans.

The result: an entirely new Corolla which makes as big a leap in all aspects as the seventh generation of 1991 (the one which many regarded as the ‘mini-Lexus’).

VARIANT FOR ASIA
But impressive as it is, the new ninth generation’s design was not necessarily suited for all 150 markets that the Corolla sells in. Yoshida realised this and had formed a ‘regional chief engineer system’ so that more focus could be given to four major markets – North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

Following the positive response to the Corolla variant that was specially styled for Europe (in the previous generation), Toyota continued to tailor the model for specific markets. Where in past years, the ‘tailoring’ usually encompassed engine and chassis tuning, this now extended to styling as well. It meant extra work but was necessary because European tastes are different from American tastes which are also different from Asian tastes… and Japanese tastes.

This is why a second variant known as the Corolla Altis was created, primarily for the Asian market (but may well be accepted by the other regions). It differs from the one sold in Japan and Singapore in exterior styling and size and is not even made in Japan. At this time, it is only assembled in Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

To digress a bit, we’ve decided to use just Altis instead of Corolla Altis to save typing – leaving out Corolla would save about 400 characters if we mentioned the model’s name 50 times! And we think that in time too, people will refer to the model as ‘Altis’…

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The Japanese version
History of the Toyota Corolla


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Since its beginning in the 1950s, the Tokyo Motorshow has been held once every two years but from last year onwards, the event was scheduled to run every year. This was because the scope and scale had grown substantially and it was felt that the passenger cars/motorcycles and the commercial vehicles could each have their own events every other year. Thus, in 2000, the Tokyo Motorshow was only for commercial vehicles and so this year, it will be passenger cars and motorcycles.

This year’s event, the 35th, has the theme of “Open the door! The Automobiles Bright Future.” and will be held from October 26th to November 7th at the Makuhari Messe (Nippon Convention Center) outside Tokyo.

According to the organizers, the Japan Motor Industrial Federation, the theme chosen is fitting as it represents ‘the image of a curtain raising on a bright new era juxtaposed with that of doors opening for a vast succession of new automobiles’.

This year’s show will encompass exhibits from 276 companies, 6 governments, and one independent organization. In all, 13 countries will be represented countries. By category, the exhibitors include 39 automakers (10 from Japan and 29 from other countries), 12 motorcycle manufacturers (4 domestic companies and 8 from abroad), 6 governments and 225 corporate parts manufacturers (187 from Japan and 6 governments and 38 companies from other countries), and one organization exhibiting electric vehicles.

As has become common practice at all the major motorshows in recent years, exhibits will be grouped or arranged around corporate groups – the Toyota group, the Ford group, the GM group, and so on. Different brands under one corporate group will be displayed on a big booth, an arrangement which is expected to be more appealing to visitors and reflect the cohesion and identity of each group.

The special events during the Tokyo Motorshow ill include a Focus on History of Technology, an area where Japan is justifiably proud. Many technologies in the form of actual vehicles and components will be on display that trace
the evolution of the automobile.

The motorshow will also feature a public forum, an event that was highly acclaimed at the Commercial Vehicle Show of the last year. Hoping to draw in visitors to the motorshow, the “Talk-in” (as the activity will be known) will be held while it is in progress.

The motorshow opening times will be 10 am ~ 7 pm on weekdays and 9:30 am ~ 7 pm on weekends and holidays. Admission fees are ¥1200 (about RM36) for adults and ¥600 (about RM18) for school children. Entries after 4 pm will be at a discounted price.

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August looks like a busy month for the car industry as new models get their official launches. And no longer are the launches a ‘closed-door’ affair limited to VIPs but more open to the general public. At least one car company has felt that the traditional – and expensive – launches in hotels are not such a good idea as the idea is to interact with the actual people who will become buyers, and not give a party to people who may not buy the car.

The Proton Juara launch is a good example of the new style of launching a model. Thousands of Malaysians had an opportunity to see the unveiling of the car live at the KLCC Esplanade and were thrilled to have a chance to see the new Proton mini-MPV firsthand immediately after the PM launched it.

Perodua is also expected to launch its new model – codenamed X690 but already known to be called the ‘Kelisa’ – during August. The model, which was shown in prototype form during the KL International Motorshow last year, will have the same engine as the Kenari and is larger than the Kancil.

Before then, on August 2nd, Volvo Car Malaysia will launch the S60 at Flux, Twelve Si, a popular nightspot opposite ShangriLa Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The dynamic performance-oriented S60 completes the overhauling of the Volvo range in Malaysia, marking the end of the spate of new model launches which have taken place in the past 12 months.

The Volvo launch, to start at 8 pm, is open to the public and to reflect the ‘REVOLVOLUTION’ theme – a play on an obvious word – there will be a special performance by Capacitor, one of San Francisco’s leading exponents of multi-disciplinary performance theatre. The troupe will perform excerpts from their latest offering called “Within Outer Spaces” which will have intriguing visuals, original music, martial arts and circus-inspired movements.

The following day, August 3rd, Ford Malaysia will launch its Escape SUV at Bintang Walk, Starhill Centre in Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur at 7 pm. Much is already known of the model as the media tested it some months ago and gave positive reports. The 2.0-litre 4WD model is assembled in Malaysia and priced at around RM140,000 without insurance. It is believed that a few hundred customers are already awaiting delivery of the Escape.

It is also known that UMW Toyota Motor will be launching its new Corolla Altis with a big bang at a public venue sometime during the month. With some 2,500 people having put deposits down for the ninth generation of this popular Toyota, it seems hard to understand why there is the feeling of a recession in the country.

From materials given to the media recently, it seems that actor Brad Pitt is a key figure associated with the Corolla Altis launch. Presumably, the star of movies such as ‘Interview With The Vampire”, “Twelve Monkeys”, “Sleepers”, “Seven Years in Tibet” and “Meet Joe Black” was chosen for his unique and independent image which complements the image of the new car. And from a CD which was given to the press during the preview last week, Ricky Martin’s “Shake Your Bon Bon” will also feature in some way in the introduction of the car.

“With the theme of ‘Break into Style‘, the emphasis is on ‘breaking’ with past traditions not only in the design of the new Toyota Corolla Altis but also in the way it is advertised to the public,” said Wong Lup Hang, Director of Marketing at UMW Toyota Motor.

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This weekend saw members of the Waja Performance Club (WPC) having a get-together at Bayu Beach Resort in Port Dickson, driving in convoy all the way there from Subang. The event, billed as the ‘Getaway to Port Dickson’ saw the participation of 35 cars.

The Wajas were flagged off on Saturday morning from the Petronas station near the old Subang airport. On hand to flag them off were officials from Petronas and Proton Edar, which had sponsored them in kind (Petronas provided RM30 of Primax petrol for each car). Petronas also offered breakfast to all participants, some of whom were going with their families.

According to a senior manager from Petronas, the oil company is happy to have an opportunity to support such events which brings it in contact with its consumers.

It would be clear from the Wajas assembled at the start that the owners are extremely proud of their cars. While most were in the original form, a couple (including that of the WPC president) looked sportier with wide rims and some body accessories.

WPC, established in late 2000, has been a very active owners’ club which has also received the attention of Proton. The club has communication channels with the factory and provide feedback on their experiences as well as receive assistance when they have unusual problems.

To view more pictures of the flag-off, please go to our
AW Gallery

To know more about the Waja Performance Club, click on this link: WPC


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Finally, the rumours of a change in distributors for the Peugeot franchise can end. Cycle & Carriage Bintang Bhd (CCB) has officially informed the KLSE that it has signed a Letter of Intent with the French carmaker “to set down the understanding reached relating to the possibility of appointing CCB as the importer and distributor of Peugeot vehicles in build-up (sic) form and related spare parts, as well as the assembler of the vehicles in Malaysia.”

Negotiations are still ongoing on the finer details but both parties hope to close the deal by December 31st 2001 and sign a definitive agreement setting out terms and conditions of C&C Bintang being appointed as the importer/distributor in Malaysia.

In the statement to the KLSE, C&C Bintang, which already handles the Mercedes-Benz and Mazda franchises, states that “the Peugeot Business is in line with the strategy to broaden the range of vehicles distributed, assembled and retailed by CCB and thereby enhance its position as a leading multi-franchise operator in Malaysia offering more choice to consumers.”

The switch in Peugeot distributors has been in the air for quite some time, in fact as far back as 1997 when it was even rumoured that Proton was going to be appointed. However, a source in Peugeot clarified that there was actually no specific discussion for Proton to take over the franchise.

“We had approached Proton in 1997 to see if they were interested in assembling our cars at that time due to some issues with Oriental Assemblers,” a senior Peugeot executive explained to AW’s Chips Yap. “At that time, the Malaysian market was down and Proton had some spare capacity. However, nothing came of the discussions but it seems that this contact resulted in such a rumour being created!”

It is believed that Proton had been keen not just to assemble on contract but also wanted the Peugeot franchise and Peugeot was not considering any change in distributors then. The senior executive admitted that there were some difficulties with MBf-Peugeot then but that Peugeot was still willing to stick with them.

More recently, Oriental Holdings’ name was also linked with Peugeot (because it assembles the Peugeot 406) as well as the Sime Darby group. The latter party seemed like a very strong possibility because it had taken on the Peugeot franchise in Australia and Singapore earlier in the year.

However, C&C Bintang also has a similar sort of ‘link’ to Peugeot in that it is affiliated to Singapore’s C&C Ltd (which has a 49% stake in C&C Bintang), and C&C Ltd owns Indonesia’s Astra which has the Peugeot franchise there. It could well be that Peugeot sees some potential in Indonesia in spite of the current turmoil. In fact, back in 1998, the company was already looking at assembling the Partner MUV (a Renault Kangoo rival) there but dropped the idea for unknown reasons.

Neither officials of C&C Bintang nor MBF-Peugeot could be reached to obtain additional details of this latest development.

Copyright notice: AutoAsia, please note that this article and all others in Autoworld.Com.My, past, present and future are copyright and reproduction on any other website, in whole or in part, without permission from the website owner, is prohibited.

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The Fifth Generation (AE80)
Front-wheel drive was the in-thing in the fuel-efficient ’80s and the fifth generation Corolla adopted this space-saving drivetrain. An entirely new design was conceived, again by Agetsuma and his team. The new design was sleeker and yet offered more interior space than any earlier Corolla.

The fifth generation also brought a new range of lightweight, advanced engines that were more responsive. One of the most advanced units was the 12-valve E-Series engine which drew much praise in engineering circles.

The number of variants had grown over the years and for the first time, a 5-door Liftback was introduced. Also introduced were high-performance coupes which had a new 16-valve twincam EFI engine that developed an impressive 130 bhp. These retained rear-wheel drive because Toyota engineers felt that the enthusiasts of that time preferred it. The stationwagon variant also had RWD during this period.

The fifth generation added approximately 3.3 million units (with 98,880 built in California) to the Corolla’s cumulative production figure, raising it to 15.5 million units.

The Sixth Generation (AE90)
The man who assumed command of the Corolla development team for the sixth generation was Dr. Akihiko Saito. The continuing success and confirmed position of the Corolla as the world’s best-seller meant that the next generation had to be designed very carefully.

But the question that faced Dr. Saito and his team was: how do you make a best-seller even better?

The answer was to raise quality levels higher than ever before. The availability of new materials, computer-aided design tools and other advancements made it possible to design a new, more sophisticated Corolla which would perform more efficiently and, at the same time, be of significantly higher quality.

This was the philosophy applied to the development of the sixth generation introduced in May 1987. It had a ‘big car look’ with an elegant style. The sporty-looking Liftback which had a unique wrap-around ‘greenhouse’ and its lines echoed the Celica Liftback then.

Technically, this was another milestone Corolla with its newly-developed twincam 16-valve 1600 cc engine. Designed for family cars, this engine offered high output, quicker response and yet excellent fuel economy.

In virtually every market where the Corolla was launched, sales increased substantially. During the five years that the sixth generation was produced, over 4.5 million units were produced. Factories in California and Canada contributed 279,000 units to this figure.

The Seventh Generation (AE101)
To the Japanese, ‘7’ is a lucky number and still basking in the accolades the company had received for its superb Lexus LS400, every Chief Engineer wanted to produce his model with the same superior levels of refinement. For Dr. Saito, who led the team for the initial development phase of the seventh generation Corolla, the aim was to “Touch the Heart” with a car of unprecedented quality. No expense was spared and every effort was put into producing what the market would later regard as a ‘mini-Lexus’.

Initially, the model took off slowly as the major upgrade in quality and appointments had bumped the price up in the domestic market by quite a fair bit. However, when customers drove the car and actually experienced the refinement, the extra cost was justified and once again, Corolla sales soared. Unfortunately, the yen started rising in strength and there was also a recession starting in the home market and sales were dampened. Nevertheless, the seventh generation sold very well outside Japan.

The Eighth Generation (AE110)
Japan was in recession when development work on the eighth generation began in the early 1990s. After enjoying much freedom working on the facelift of the previous ‘mini-Lexus’ generation, Takayasu Honda, who was the Chief Engineer, faced a big challenge in reducing costs. Like all Japanese automakers, Toyota had to take urgent measures to cope with the recession and product development teams were under pressure to find ways of producing new models at a lower cost – without compromising perceived quality. In earlier years, they could add extra length to a cable to avoid it touching something and causing noise; now they could not do that and even had to find a way to make the cable cheaper!

The same platform was used as the previous generation but a lot of cost-down measures were taken. It was still a competent car and high quality was maintained in areas that the customer saw. The eighth generation also got large doses of safety with airbags added and ABS made available in some markets.

Some take a negative view of the eighth generation but as the Chief Engineer of the latest Corolla, Takeshi Yoshida (who was deputy for the eighth generation) explains, its development concept was correct for the period it was sold in because of the recession.

During this generation, Toyota decided to try out a regional variation by letting its European design centre make some cosmetic changes that would suit European customers. From the outset, the Corolla for Europe was intended to be more than just an exercise in cosmetic changes from the Asian one. The whole thrust of the development program was to produce a car which could truly meet the needs and tastes of European buyers. Market research told Toyota that innovative design and emotional appeal are strong prerequisites for success. The Corolla had been lacking flair even if consumers recognised its high build quality and proven reliability.

One of the exciting features of the European variant was a 6-speed gearbox which was available in the sportiest model. It coincided with the development of the new Toyota rallycar which was based on the hatchback. However, sporty models like the coupe and liftback no longer existed in this generation as Toyota decided their demand had fallen too much. New with this generation was a mini-MPV variant called the Corolla Spacio which, unusually, had its body panels stamped at Kanto Autoworks instead of Toyota’s own factories.

The Corolla in Malaysia
The history of the Toyota Corolla in Malaysia goes back to 1967 when the first generation was imported in small numbers. However, in the following year, responding to the Malaysian government’s call for the creation of a local automotive industry, Toyota began sending completely knocked-down (CKD) kits of the Corolla to Malaysia where local workers could assemble the cars.

The plant which was chosen to undertake assembly was Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB) in Shah Alam, which was one of the earliest assembly plants to be established in Malaysia. A wholly-owned subsidiary of UMW Toyota Motor today, ASSB was the recipient of much automotive technology transfer during the 1960s and 1970s as production engineers from Toyota provided advice on the assembly of vehicles and also worked closely in designing the plant layout.

Like most Japanese cars introduced in the 1960s, the Corolla met with scepticism from Malaysian buyers who had been used to European products. But reliability and durability won many over and as positive comments from owners spread, the popularity of the model increased quickly. By the mid-1970s, the Corolla was jostling for best-selling car in Malaysia with the Datsun 120Y. It was only when the National Car arrived in 1985 that the two cars were displaced although they continued to battle each other for second and third positions.

As each new generation arrived, the advertising agencies would come up with memorable launch concepts. For example, the advertising for the KE70 which appeared in late 1979 exploited past successes with the tagline ‘Legend Reborn’. In the late 1980s, UMW Toyota Motor lifted the image of the model even higher as it launched the AE90 as ‘The Unexpected Corolla’.

The Corolla was also one of the competitive rallycars in the Malaysian scene during the 1980s. Sejati Motor (as UMW Toyota Motor was known then) saw much potential in the Corolla GT (also known as Levin in Japan) which had the potent 4A-GE twincam 16-valve engine that produced 130 bhp in standard form and decided to establish a rally team. In spite of its smaller 1600 cc engine, the Corolla GT won many rallies and championships, beating larger and more powerful rivals like the Nissan 240RS.

“It was a highly manoeuverable car and ‘flew’ perfectly,” recalls Y.S. Khong, who was the team’s manager and also won 20 rallies with the Corolla GT, besides becoming National Rally Champion with it. “The engine was virtually unburstable and when we raced it in the Group A class, it was the reliability of the engine and durability of the car that gave us the superiority.” Needless to say, all those wins rubbed off on the Corollas the public could buy.

Through the years, the Corolla’s engine size has grown from the original 1.1 litres. The 1.3-litre engine was the mainstay during much of the 1980s but by the 1990s, the 1.6-litre engine was more popular, partly because of the pricing. With the latest ninth generation, a larger displacement of 1.8 litres if offered for the first time here while the 1.3-litre variant is no longer assembled.

Prices have risen too; from around RM6,000 for the first generation, the fourth generation’s price went up to RM12,000. By the end of the 1990s, the Corolla passed the RM100,000 mark as a result of the economic crisis that weakened the ringgit. At RM122,000, the new Corolla Altis 1.8G would be the most expensive locally-assembled Corolla ever offered… but also the best.

The Ninth Generation Corolla Altis 



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With over 28 million produced (as at the end of 2000), the Toyota Corolla is undoubtedly a ‘world car’ although some may argue that, unlike Ford’s Model T and VW’s Beetle – also ‘world cars’ – the Corolla has not remained in its original form which first appeared in 1966. That’s true but the unchanged designs of the Ford and VW also brought on their demise, while Toyota chose to keep its most popular model up to date.

The Corolla has been sold in over 150 countries and assembled in many. Through a joint-venture with General Motors, it is also manufactured in California for the US market and GM has been selling a variant of the Corolla under its own brand since the mid-1980s.

This world best-seller was born in October 1966 when the pace of motorization and private ownership of cars was accelerating in Japan. Although it may appear that the Corolla rode this wave of motorization, Eiji Toyoda, a former Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, thinks it was really the other way round.

“We worked to create popular demand with the Corolla. In retrospect, had motorization not caught on, we would have been stuck with surplus facilities because we had built an engine plant as well as an assembly plant specially for Corolla production,” he recalls.

Each generation of the Corolla was designed taking into consideration the needs of motorists during that period. But for every Chief Engineer given the project over the years, two basic points had to be adhered to: “Corolla must be loved and appreciated by people the world over and it must continue setting new standards for automotive development”.

The First Generation (KE10)
The first Corolla went on sale in November 1966 and it offered high performance and quality, while being sufficiently low in price and maintenance costs to be affordable to drivers of small cars.

Tatsuo Hasegawa, the Chief Engineer for the first Corolla, recalls the objectives his team set out to meet: “It was aimed at the general user, and had to be a comfortable car which its owners would be proud of. We wanted it to be the type of automobile that people would want to continue driving for a long time.”

In line with the development concept, the Corolla had a dynamic and elegant appearance. Curved glass was used to create more interior space and for sporty performance, a 4-speed manual transmission was fitted. A brand new K-series 4-cylinder 50 bhp 1100 cc engine was specially developed. This extra 100 cc was significant as other cars in the class had only 1000 cc then. The Deluxe export model had what were then ‘unprecedented luxuries’ – radio, electric aerial, cigarette lighter, hub caps and reclining seats.

Almost as soon as the Corolla started selling in Japan, plans for selling the new car in other countries were formulated. The first shipment went to Australia and within two years, 3,000 Corollas were being exported worldwide every month. Even in its ‘youth,’ the Corolla was aimed at distant horizons.

The Second Generation (KE20)
1,171,384 Corollas had been produced by the time the second generation appeared in Japan in May 1970. It was longer, wider and lower, with more safety features. Comfort and handling were improved and made long-distance driving more enjoyable. Besides 2-door and 4-door sedans, the range expanded to include a station-wagon and a sleek (for that time) coupe. After a facelift in late 1971, the variety of models increased to 48 – perhaps the widest selection in its class then.

Exports of this generation in 1971 nearly doubled those of 1970 with 259,399 units being sold overseas. This made the model not only Toyota’s top export but also Japan’s. Total production of this generation was 3,212,877 units.

The Chief Engineer for the second generation, Shiro Sasaki, remembers that the Corolla was expected to do well. But he admits that no one expected such gigantic figures so quickly. “The basic philosophy behind the Corolla proved itself valid with the overwhelming popularity worldwide,” he remembers.

During the second generation of the Corolla, a high-performance model known as the Corolla Levin (taken from the Spanish word for ‘lightning’) was added. This particular Corolla had a powerful 115-bhp twincam 1600 cc engine which very quickly set new standards of performance for sportscar engines. In fact, long before Japanese cars began making an impact on European rallies, a Corolla Levin driven by Hannu Mikkola won the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland in 1975.

The Third Generation (KE30)
Older readers will remember the third generation which had the advertising jingle that went “C-O-R-O-L-L-A… Corolla, our favourite car today!”. This generation, of which nearly 4.5 million were produced, was born into a somewhat serious global environment in April 1974. The energy crisis had caused automobile sales to drop and economies stagnated. But, fortunately, the Corolla’s design and performance were totally ‘in tune’ with those difficult times. It always had good fuel economy, was light and yet offered enough space for Caucasian adults.

Shiro Sasaki, who also headed the third generation project team, was happy that the third generation was praised for its stylishness as well as for its relatively large interior. It was very successful because it was a car that met the demands of the buyers. In fact, in 1975, while European and American manufacturers experienced massive drops in sales due to their unpopular fuel-guzzling models with big engines, Corolla demand grew substantially and a phenomenal 2,074 units were produced every single day of that year.

A Liftback variant joined the Corolla family during the third generation. This was developed after Toyota’s research saw a growth in the recreational vehicle market. The Liftback was introduced in anticipation of this trend and met enthusiastic response in North America.

One of the most endearing qualities of the Corolla has been its reliability and durability. As far back as 1978, an independent West German organisation reported that, in their survey of four European cars and one Japanese car (a Corolla KE30), the Japanese car came out tops in every category. Furthermore, an impressive 97% of Corolla owners expressed complete satisfaction with their cars.

The Fourth Generation (KE70)
Maintaining the Corolla as a global best-seller was the great challenge which faced Fumio Agetsuma, the Chief Engineer for the fourth generation which arrived in May 1979. His comment on that awesome responsibility: “The world was waiting for a model change and it was a change that had to be planned and executed in unsettled times, and under less than ideal market conditions. The task was frightening, to say the least.”

To ensure that the new Corolla would be just as popular as its 8.8 million predecessors, Agetsuma studied all the market surveys thoroughly and decided that a totally new approach was needed because the spectrum of customers had widened and higher quality was demanded, even of small cars.

Extensive testing was done overseas and even in safety tests, nothing was compromised: over 100 prototypes ended up as scrap metal. Exhaustive wind tunnel tests were carried out at a time when many other manufacturers had not examined that aspect of design.

What emerged was another successful design, with squarish but stylish looks that the 1980s consumers liked. It also had robust engineering and a new level of ride comfort and handling. Higher quality was evident throughout and there were much higher standards of safety too. Coil springs replaced the rear leafsprings for the first time, improving comfort.

This generation, introduced in Malaysia in late 1979 as the “Legend Reborn”, ran until early 1984, by which time 12.3 million Corollas had been produced after 17 years. In 1980, Corolla production averaged 2,346 units daily – the highest production volume for the model in its history. Like the KE-30, this generation also had bodystyle variants with a very attractive liftback.

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