Toyota Vietnam introduces new Corolla Altis

Toyota Vietnam president Akito Tachibana (2nd, R) and others pose for a photo at the launch of the new Corolla Altis version in HCMC on Tuesday - Photo: Quoc Hung

HCMC - Toyota Motor Vietnam on Tuesday introduced the new Corolla Altis 2010 equipped with technology comparable to high-end Toyota models.

Michihiro Sato, chief engineer of Corolla Altis, said the car had been improved by using the new ZR engine with Dual VVT-i and ACIS (Acoustic Control Induction System) and the new Super CVT-i (Continuously Variable Transmission) to provide smooth driving and fuel efficiency.

Altis 1.8CVT consumes 6.8 liters per 100km and Altis 2.0CVT consumes 7.2 liters per 100 km thanks to the engine technology.

“We do believe that with the advanced and dynamic character with power train and the cool and premium design, our customers will enjoy driving the new Altis,” he said.

In particular, the Super CVT-i also adopts 7-speed sports sequential shift which allows drivers to proactively control the speed ratio like a manual transmission.

The new Corolla Altis comes with three types – Altis 2.0V (CVT), Altis 1.8G (CVT) and Altis 1.8G (M/T) and four colors – medium silver metallic, silver metallic, beige metallic and black mica. It sells for VND675 to VND786 million per unit, including VAT.

Toyota Vietnam president Akito Tachibana said at the introduction of the automobile in HCMC on Tuesday that his company was looking to initially sell 550 units per month.

The new car will be available at the company’s dealer network nationwide from Wednesday.

The first Corolla Altis was launched in Vietnam in 1996 and to date total sales have amounted to more than 26,400 units, accounting for 54% of the market share.

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Toyota may end Corolla exports from Japan due to yen

Photo: AFP

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp is considering halting exports from Japan of the Corolla sedan from around 2013 and shifting that output overseas due to the yen's strength, the Tokyo Shimbun daily reported on Thursday.

The yen's rise to a 15-year high against the dollar is threatening the competitiveness of Japanese exports and prompting manufacturers to consider shifting more output outside Japan.

The Corolla is one of Toyota's best-selling models and is built in 15 countries. In 2009, Toyota made about 235,000 Corollas in Japan -- nearly 60 percent of those exported -- and 815,000 abroad. Toyota is due to start producing the Corolla at its new Mississippi plant from autumn 2011 after the closure of a California factory formerly owned with General Motors Co.

Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco said the company was constantly looking to optimize its global production structure, but that no decision had been made regarding the shift of export-bound Corollas outside Japan.

"At the current exchange rate, the more Corollas Toyota ships overseas, the more money it loses," Advanced Research analyst Koji Endo said. He added that to make money on the compact Corolla model, Toyota would have to shift production overseas or drastically reduce costs, or both.

Tokyo Shimbun reported that the world's largest car maker was also considering shifting production of all Corolla cars sold in Japan to one of its subsidiaries. Toyota currently builds the model at its own Takaoka factory, and at two units, Kanto Auto Works and Central Motor Co.

In a similar move aimed at making its domestic operations more competitive, Nissan Motor Co said this month it may turn one of its Japanese factories into a new subsidiary, allowing it to broach wage negotiations with labor unions and seek lower prices from suppliers.

Most automakers have vowed not to close any assembly plants in Japan but executives have warned that suppliers may be forced to shift production abroad in a threat to jobs in Japan's fragile economy.

"Maybe they don't realize just how much damage poses on companies," Mitsubishi Motors Corp President Osamu Masuko told reporters on Thursday.

"I guess we have to speed up our efforts to deal with the strong yen. Shifting production overseas takes time, but for example we can vastly increase purchases of auto components from abroad. That can be done in the near term."

Toyota is aiming to make its domestic factory lines more flexible and introduce other changes to be able to break even at a dollar rate of 90 yen and capacity utilization of 70 percent, equivalent to daily production of 12,000 units.

The dollar was trading near 81 yen on Thursday.

A production shift away from Japan would mean even more capacity in Japan would go unused unless Toyota is able to fill the hole with other cars.

Overall production of vehicles in Japan plunged 31.5 percent in 2009 to 7.93 million units, below 10 million for the first time in eight years. Exports fell by a much sharper 46 percent as automakers sought to limit foreign exchange losses.

Shares of Toyota closed up 3 percent at 2,930 yen, while the benchmark Nikkei average gained 1.9 percent.

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Toyota recalls 1.13 million Corollas in North America

Photo: AFP

Japanese automaker Toyota has announced the recall of 1.13 million of its popular Corolla vehicles in North America due to an engine defect that could make the car stop while it is being driven.

Toyota, the world's largest car manufacturer, said Thursday the recall was issued for Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles built between 2005 and 2008 "to address some engine control modules (ECM) that may have been improperly manufactured."

The recall is a fresh blow to the automaker which recalled some 10 million vehicles across the world earlier this year due to a faulty acceleration system.

It said in a statement that there was a possibility that "a crack may develop at certain solder points or on the electronic component used to protect circuits against excessive voltage" on the ECM's circuit board.

The crack can result in the engine not starting or, in some cases, stopping while the vehicle is being driven, it said.

There were three "unconfirmed" accidents allegedly linked to this condition, one of which reported a minor injury, the statement said.

Steve St. Angelo, Toyota's chief quality officer for North America, said the recall was "an example of our commitment to standing by our products and being responsive to our customers."

The affected engine control modules will be replaced for free, beginning in September, the company said.

The recall followed an investigation opened in November by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into reports of motor stalling in Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured between 2005 and 2007.

The NHTSA said it had received 163 complaints on the engine suddenly stalling without any warning.

Toyota has seen its reputation badly damaged after it recalled about 10 million vehicles worldwide because of dangerous defects, many involving "sticky" gas pedal problems that could cause vehicles to speed out of control.

The Japanese automaker paid a record US$16.4 million fine earlier this year to settle claims it hid gas pedal defects blamed for more than 50 US deaths and faces a host of civil lawsuits over issues with "unintended acceleration."

Toyota overtook General Motors in 2008 as the world's top automaker, but safety issues have raised questions about whether it sacrificed its legendary quality to become number one.

As recently as last month Toyota announced the recall of 270,000 vehicles worldwide because of an engine fault affecting its luxury Lexus range and Crown models and 373,000 Avalon sedans in the US due to a steering issue that could increase the risk of a crash.

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