๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฎ 
The market is flooded with crossovers in recent times but there is no denying that consumers still would like to know anything new related to conventional sedans like Corolla and Civic. Globally the new 11th generation Civic was recently released and went for sale in North America. We can expect a new Civic sometime in 2022 and most probably by mid-2022 onwards. BUT where is the 12th generation Corolla ?? which is overdue in Pakistan. The 12the generation Corolla made its global debut in late 2018 and went on sale outside Pakistan in early 2019. By 2019 September it was for sale in Thailand and other ASEAN regions.
Technically by now we should have a new Corolla in Pakistan but a pandemic in 2020 might have caused some developmental delays. BUT , I think there were some intentional delays by Toyota Indus, and we can say a somewhat strategic move for delayed introduction. NOW after some recent developments, we can say that a replacement Corolla is on the horizon and although thereโs no official timeline, I suspect & expect it within the next 12 to 18 months. Letโs go over it.
๐ง๐ก๐๐: [ Toyota New Global Architecture ]
The new 12th generation Corolla is based on Toyotaโs new global flexible modular architecture GA-C for the โC-SEGMENTโ vehicles used by both Toyota and Lexus brand models. This platform underpins vehicles of Corolla family like Corolla sedan, Corolla Hatchback, Corolla Estate/wagon as well as the current generation Toyota Prius.
The same platform also goes under the recently introduced Corolla Cross [Crossover] . The 11th generation Corolla [ current PK Model ] is based on MC Platform, which has been discontinued globally and replaced with the newer โGA-Cโ . In other words, major technical and assembly line upgrades are required to the current assembly line at Toyota Indus to have the 12th generation Corolla and it needs a lot of investment.
Mostly the platform sharing is done within the same brand spread over multiple sub brands although it can also be shared and currently also being done with different brands as joint ventures. Platform is basically in layman language, is the engineering, design, chassis safety design , electronics, engines, transmission and other components mostly being the same BUT the final product is different. Like The Civic, Accord and CRV share the same platform. The platform sharing concept was pioneered by VW and as an example ; Golf, Audi A3 and certain models from Skoda , Seat share the same platform but the final product looks different.
Platforms are also flexible, meaning the same chassis can be used to develop a hatchback, a sedan, a wagon or a crossover. Developing an entire model is a time consuming and costly affair and costs hundreds of millions of dollars. With platform sharing most of the engineering is already performed and multiple models can be generated using the same basic foundation . Also, it helps car makers to reduce the overall cost and develop models for various segments like economy or premium models under their sub brands. The platform building requires a lot of time, research as well as money BUT as the platform is shared by a number of models, the cost recovery is fast. As another example, VW MLB EVO platform is used by 4 different VW group brands [ VW, Porsche, Bentley , Lamborghini ] and results in over a dozen models in total.
๐๐จ๐ง๐ข ๐ฃ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฌ:
The current automobile market as we see with multiple new models and brands is a result of the Auto Policy 2016-21. Many new brands heavily invested in Pakistan under the policy. The Government of Pakistan was working on the replacement policy for the next 5 years, 2021-2026.
The 16-21 Policy brought in many new models to the market but the major middle class consumer didnโt see any benefit because of the product line offered by the new entrants. The upcoming policy is focused on entry level vehicles and also to cut and control the prices of the vehicles. Beside this, the Government also wanted to introduce / BEV/ Battery Electric Vehicles, in other words fully electric.
There had been extensive discussion among various stakeholders and everyone wanted to have their opinion and interest protected in the new policy. Although the Government was pushing for BEVโs , some existing players and especially Toyota Indus were repeatedly looking to have Hybrid Electric Vehicles/ HEVโs included into the new policy and have some tax breaks and incentives.
The CEO of Toyota Indus who also heads Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association/ PAMA had been very vocal for Hybridโs with the rest of members of the association. Toyota Indus had been constantly pro-Hybrid and shared benefits of Hybrids over BEV at this time in the country. Under the same approach , he met multiple times with government policy makers and more recently a few months ago with the PM Imran khan along with Toyota Motor Corporation Vice Chairman Shinji Yanagi.
Overall Toyota Indus strategic approach worked and the government at last included HEVโs in the new Auto Policy. Toyota promised to invest in hybrid technology and assemble hybrid vehicles locally in Pakistan. No wonder Toyota mentioned and Thanked Government in multiple media outlets advertisements in regards to the inclusion of HEVโs .
Yes the Hybrid incentives as per new Auto Policy will not benefit Toyota alone and will be industry wide BUT it will be Toyota taking the quick and major advantage from it right away. Toyota Hybrid technology is globally well known which they actually pioneered and the level of very long and strong lobbying Toyota Indus did for sure means Toyota have some serious plans.
Hyundai can add a Hybrid variant to their recently released Sonata if they want to as the 8th generation Sonata has an option for a Hybrid. The PK domestic Elantra has no Hybrid to offer as well as the current PK Tucson.
Same goes for the current lineup of the KIA models . KIA can add a new model as NIRO , which is a small crossover available in Hybrid, Plugin Hybrid as well as pure electric BUT that will need a dedicated assembly line and the current NIRO life cycle is almost complete and in the international market a replacement NIRO 2nd generation is coming this year. This means KIA in Pakistan also might not have anything to offer very soon, in other words non availability of RHD CKD after global launch.. Unless they bring a discontinued 1st generation model and that too not sure will make any sense because of the ongoing saturated market and return of investment in NIRO, because it will never cost less than Sportage .
Suzuki donโt have fully Hybrids models and more of Mild Hybrids and maybe we see a mild hybrid Suzuki Swift in future. Honda do have Hybrids but not in the 10th generation Civic while as of now there is NO hybrid in the new 11th generation Civic. Yes Honda can explore adding a Hybrid variant to their upcoming GM6 Honda City . We have seen that model in the shape of JDM imported Honda Grace. As an additional info , Honda globally have discontinued the Hybrid older technology as used in Honda Grace so availability of that in the local market has slim chances as none of Honda Atlas current model line has newer Hybrid technology even overseas. Honda has replaced the older Hybrid tech with the newer 2 motor setup as seen in the Accord Hybrid or Honda Insight.
๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐ฆ & ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐:
So, we can say that the earliest and most benefit any local company will have from the HYBRID incentives from the upcoming Auto Policy will be TOYOTA INDUS. Toyota Indus did their homework and got what they wanted. Any newer generation of Toyota models needs TNGA as the basis as discussed earlier. The 12th generation Corolla requires an implementation of TNGA/ "GA-C" and Toyota Indus will cover/ recover some of its cost under the new Auto Policy. They intentionally waited and delayed the launch of 12th generation Corolla and now we understand some of the reasons. Implementation of TGNA gives them multiple benefits in the shape of more than one model with shared parts and platforms and eventually targeting multiple vehicle segments.
I am sure many readers would say why not the world best selling crossover RAV4 or the D-Segment sedan the Camry. Yes these models are also on TNGA but the "GA-K" platform is different from the "GA-C". I personally think that Indus will continue and will bring the " C-Segment" Corolla , which is their famous local sedan. They will never kill Corolla for Camry and leave the main sedan segment . Obviously , Indus can bring both the "K and C '' platforms but that needs gigantic investment and infrastructure development with an entire new assembly line and Indus will not explore that at this time because of the market saturation from competitors.
They will develop the "GA-C" instead and explore the market with the newer generation and newer additional model model beside Corolla. We should keep in mind that the next generation of Fortuner and Hilux are arriving globally in 2022 and both these models are also very very important for Indus. Both Hilux and Fortuner share and will continue sharing their underpinnings on the revised and upgraded current platform in the upcoming generation. Indus would rather invest towards these models instead of developing the Rav4 / Camry.
๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก:
One thing is clearly understood that we will be getting the replacement Corolla in the shape of the 12th generation. We all know extensively about it already, so I will not go into all the details. Based on the new platform, the 12th gen is much better than before with improved driving dynamics including multilink rear suspension, first time in the Corolla sedan. If you want to know more about it , you can read my detailed blog here > https://www.pakwheels.com/blog/toyota-corolla-2020-revealed-china/ and here > https://www.pakwheels.com/blog/12th-generation-corolla-spotted-for-the-1st-time-in-pakistan-expectations-what-we-know-so-far/
Anyways, let's go over the mechanical front. Tried and tested well known 1.8L (2ZR-FAE) 4 Cylinder engine will be available with around 138HP in Pakistan. Expect a base model with a 1ZR-FE, which is a 1.6L engine with around 120HP.
Now the BIG news and the most important one which also caused the intentional delay of the 12th generation Corolla in Pakistan is, there will be a locally assembled Hybrid model. Indus is betting on this model variant and that was the purpose to convince the government to have incentives for Hybrids. Indus played smart and calculated move.
The Hybrid is just another variant of the new 12th gen Corolla BUT Atlas I believe portrayed it like a dedicated special model to have tax breaks. As I mentioned earlier, Indus will get tax incentives on the installation and implementation of TNGA "GA-C" , parts and components although the Hybrid will be just one of the engine options of the 12th generation. In other words, Indus will try to cover the cost of the new platform by having a subsidy from the government and then develop both the regular non-hybrid as well as the hybrid model of Corolla.
As of Hybrid Corolla, it carries over everything from the current generation of Toyota Prius. A 2ZR-FXE 1.8L engine with electric motor and making combined output of 121HP with ECVT.
Obviously Toyota Indus will offer its Hybrid version as their top variant with most options and features. Expect it to be priced higher than the current top of the line Altis Grande , as Hybrid costs higher upfront.Indus will market it as the most fuel efficient local assembled sedan. Prius is globally known for its fuel economy and a benchmark, a model which also remained one of popular imported JDM in Pakistan even without any after sales service and support + no warranty coverage.
The rising fuel prices will remain a trend for upcoming years and Hybrid Corolla has an approximately 23 kilometers per liter fuel economy . This will be one of the most attractive feature of Hybrid Corolla and even with ongoing concentration of crossovers, Corolla Hybrid will for sure attract buyers. Again as always the other non Hybrid variants will also sell like always but Hybrid will remain as the main attraction and might bring back those consumers who are in the market for crossovers.
Just an added info, Corolla is also offered with a 2L Naturally aspirated engine which makes 169HP. This engine option is not available in sedans as far as the Right Hand Drive market although it's available on RHD drive Corolla hatchback. Pakistan follows the ASEAN market and Thailand more specifically, and the 2L engine is not available in our regional markets so, there are small chances of any such engine in PK assembled Corolla.
I am sure there are few hatchback or Estate car lovers, unfortunately it will not be an option in our market.
๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ:
The craze for the Crossover Utility Vehicles / CUV and Sports Utility Vehicles/ SUV is increasing day by day. Toyota didn't waste time and last year introduced the Corolla Cross. Although the name carries the word โCorollaโ, it does not look like the Corolla sedan or Corolla hatchback as far as exterior.
BUT it sits on top of the same "GA-C" platform as the 12th generation Corolla. We can say Corolla Cross is the non identical twin of the Corolla sedan as technically and mechanically both models are identical with very minor changes like rear suspension. Corolla Cross is available with the same 1.8L non Hybrid and Hybrid engine option as in the regular Corolla sedan. Additionally our Regional Corolla cross is only FWD and no AWD option although a North American model will get an AWD as well as the 2L 169HP engine option.
Keep in mind Toyota Indus introduced the CBU Corolla Cross with an almost 8 million price tag and it seems it did not attract any buyers. https://www.pakwheels.com/blog/all-new-corolla-cross-another-utility-vehicle-joins-the-club/
Anyways, as the model shares its foundation, parts and components with Corolla sedan and almost similar interior, we can expect that sometime in future Indus might develop Corolla Cross for the local market. Keep in mind that Corolla Cross and Corolla sedan have similar pricing in the international market, So, if we apply the same here in Pakistan, two models at the same price point , one model can cannibalize the other.
Pricing Corolla Cross higher than sedan would put it in the same league as other Crossovers in the market but with less powerful engine and non availability of AWD and possibly lesser features. In other words Corolla Cross will have fierce competition and might not sell well even if its Toyota. I am sure Indus knows about it and although they can develop Corolla Cross alongside the Corolla sedan, they will not do so. Keep in mind that Corolla Cross is also not the direct rival of Sportage, Tucson, X70 or MG HS. Technically it is the RAV4 which we might not see anytime soon in Pakistan as CKD and already discussed earlier in this post.
In brief, with the birth of Corolla sedan, Indus will have all the tools and resources and foundation to assemble the Corolla Cross CKD but because of the market size and multiple existing models, Toyota might not be able to price competitively. So, the model will remain in hibernation.
OR maybe Indus drop the Corolla sedan initially and introduce Corolla Cross first and price it lower than the competition even with the Hybrid . That sure makes sense and might fire the market. Again we know that Indus will not drop or delay the Corolla sedan but I just shared a certain possibility as Crossover are the new trend in our market.
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐:
The last and the most important point. I personally think that Indus is already working on the replacement Corolla and all the required ground work is in progress. Indus was working on inclusion of HEV in the auto policy to recover some of the cost related to development of the next generation model. I am sure they were not sitting and waiting for the government to make a policy first and only then they will start working on the newer generation. They for sure had some indication from the government policy makers about it already.
In simple words , they were lobbying for incentives although they were already in process towards 12th. Indus did buy time by launching the useless facelift earlier this year and named it " Corolla-X" . The new Auto policy will be approved in the next few weeks and will be effective immediately. Suneel Munj bhai in a recent interview did ask the CEO of Indus about the upcoming models and their timeline BUT the CEO didn't answer it clearly/ openly and mentioned that it takes time. You can watch full interview here > https://youtu.be/MbpRVmovkOY
Obviously the CEO will NEVER share these things publicly because the consumers are still buying the Corolla or waiting for their booked Corolla which has a wait time of around 4 to 6 months at time. Any timeline from CEO, or a rumor will / can hurt sales of the currently available model. I think and it's my guess that we might see the next generation / 12th gen Corolla [ probably sedan ] within a year's time and possibly by summer of 2022 or maybe earlier.
Lastly, If Indus exclusively thanked Government for including HEV in the new Policy, then it should be clear , Indus/ PAMA Chairman truly got what they wanted and lobbied for and I hope consumer are also get benefited.
So, will you prefer as 12th Generation Corolla Hybrid ? Or still go for any Crossover?
[ f-w @PakWheels.com]
