Top 5 Things To Know: Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid From The Flex Fuel Project Flagged Off By Nitin Gadkari

Its the star of Toyota’s newest pilot project in India for the development of greener powertrains

India recently got its first flex fuel car in the form of a Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid, introduced as part of a pilot project in cooperation with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. With rising interest in the upcoming era of flex fuel in India, the findings from the Japanese hybrid could offer valueable insights. Until then, here’s everything you need to know about this particular iteration of this premium sedan:

Steering wheel on the wrong side

For the purpose of this project, Toyota imported this unit of the Corolla Altis Hybrid in its left-hand-drive avatar. It is said to have been brought over from Brazil where flex fuel engines are the norm and this generation of the Corolla hybrid has been on sale for couple of years now.

A powertrain compatible with three types of energy

The flex fuel hybrid powertrain features a 1.8-litre petrol engine capable of running on both petrol and ethanol as well as a blend of the two. Additionally, it features an electric motor as well for the hybrid part of the self-charging powertrain. This system is mated to a special kind of CVT with different drive modes, including one for pure EV.

In Brazil, the Corolla Altis hybrid’s engine is rated to an output of 101PS and 142Nm (on 100 percent ethanol) with the motor producing 72PS and 163Nm. 

Non-hybrid flex fuel option

Alternatively, Toyota also offers it with a 2-litre Dual VVT petrol engine with no hybrid tech for the Corolla Altis which can still run on petrol and ethanol. On the biofuel, it has a peak output of 177PS and 210Nm. It is also offered with a CVT only in the Brazilian specification.

Related: Nitin Gadkari Details Plans Of Targeted Pricing Of Green Hydrogen

Expected fuel economy

While Toyota Brazil does not cite any claimed fuel efficiency figures for the Corolla Altis Hybrid, independent testing figures suggest it can achieve over 20kmpl in both city and highway conditions. That’s impressive for a vehicle of its size and weight. In comparison, the smaller Honda City Hybrid can also deliver upto 23kmpl in the real world while the Maruti Grand Vitara strong hybrid can achieve upto 25kmpl. 

Also read: New Maruti Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid vs Honda City Hybrid: Real-world Fuel Efficiency Compared

It is worth noting that the kmpl figures drop as the ethanol mix goes up, but since the biofuel is more affordable, you still have lower running costs. 

Unlikely to launch in India

While the flex-fuel hybrid sedan is the first of its kind in India, this is the first of the latest-gen Corolla Altis to make its way to our shores since the moniker was discontinued in early 2020. The sedan was discontinued due to shrinking demand of its segment and the rising costs for a BS6-compliant model. 

The hybrid variant introduced for the pilot project for testing of ethanol-blended fuel in Indian driving conditions would be too pricey for a non-luxury offering. Therefore, the iconic sedan is unlikely to return to our shores with only the Skoda Octavia as its rival. However, the same powertrain in an SUV shape could well be under consideration by the executives at Toyota.