By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

“HEY, that’s the same engine!” exclaimed a friend of mine when he opened the hood of the 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G.

This friend, who is technically savvy about cars, was correct. The 10th generation Corolla which debuted in Manila this March is powered by either of two engines: the IZZ-FE 1.8-liter,16-valve, 4-in-line, DOHC, VVT-i or the 3ZZ-FE 1.6-liter, 16-valve, 4-in-line DOHC, VVT-i. These are the same powerplants in the 2004 Corolla Altis.

But with a slight difference: whereas the 1.8-liter 2004 Corolla Altis packed 147 PS/6,000 rpm, the latest 1.8-liter’s horsepower has been reduced to 132 PS/6,000 rpm to comply with Euro 3 emission standards. Max torque is now 170 Nm/4,200 rpm compared to 188 Nm/4,200 rpm in the outgoing model.

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By Andre Palma
Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE NEW Toyota Corolla is out. Much awaited by the public and the rest of the industry, it is rather curious that a product of this importance hasn’t broken cover with the fanfare and fuss expected of such an established model. Roughly 30 million Corollas, in 10 iterations, sold over 42 years is a lot to shout about. The relative silence over the tenth generation launch says so much.

This is a car that will definitely find itself in the garages of many Filipino families. There are those out there who will buy a Toyota Corolla, sight unseen, just on blind brand loyalty. You cannot really fault these faithful, over the years several of the past versions of this car have really been reliable, value for money automobiles. Two models — the KE7x series and the AE8x series, both of the ’80s — were actually fun to drive. Add to that the inexpensive nature of Corolla parts and you can see why many are still hooked.

Pending a test drive of the 10th Generation Corolla, a definitive verdict cannot be laid down. Although, a quick read of the specification sheet will show that very little has mechanically changed from the previous 2001-on model.

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By Tessa R. Salazar
INQUIRER.net

AFTER SATISFYING over 32 million owners around the world and undergoing nine “generational” changes, the Toyota Corolla is ready to take another step up in the evolutionary ladder.

So, 42 years after the first Corollas came out of the assembly line worldwide, the 10th generation Corolla Altis makes its debut in the Philippines in March. And basing on raw measurements: the overall look can now be described as sportier, but roomier. That seems contradictory at first, but read on and you’ll get the picture.

It may not look as sporty as the 5-door Corolla Auris hatchback, the one that you will see in Europe and Japan, but at least the 10th generation Altis is sportier than its local predecessors.

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By Tessa R. Salazar
Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE AUTOMOTIVE buzz last week was that US automaker General Motors Corp.’s “solid sales growth” gave it a slim lead over Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp. in 2007 global vehicle sales, allowing it to keep its top spot for the 77th year.

GM sold 9,369,524 vehicles last year — a measly lead of 3,000 over Toyota’s 9.366 million vehicles sold last year. Automotive business analysts are expecting a more intense rivalry this year as the two compete for emerging markets like China and India.

But the No. 2 placer, it seems, isn’t complaining.

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By Tessa R. Salazar
Inquirer

WAS it just coincidence that as the Inquirer flashed the news about climate change on its banner page, its Motoring section had in its possession (for a couple of days, at least) two hybrid cars from two of the world’s trailblazers in hybrid power technology?

Maybe there has been, indeed, an ultimate purpose for endeavors that would, at first, seem meaningless and a waste of time. Take, for example, our effort to drive these two hybrid cars (a Toyota Prius and a Honda Civic with Integrated Motor Assist) through some of the most congested locations in Metro Manila at the worst possible driving times (payday Friday night and Saturday afternoon).

Thus, the 1.5-liter Prius (a second-generation test unit) and the 2006 Civic 1.3 i-DSi with IMA were virtually inseparable for two days, driven in identical routes and lanes, loaded up at the same fuel stations and subjected to the same traffic situations.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Inquirer

THE 4TH Car of the Year (Coty) Philippines Awards program, which was held at the Rockwell Tent in Makati last Thursday, established quite a few firsts.

It was the first time that: a European brand won the big trophy. The 2007 Car of the Year, the Volvo C30 (shown in photo) is a sports coupe that aced the Luxury Subcompact category versus the BMW 120i and the Mercedes-Benz B160.

What’s more, the Swedish carmaker outshone its German rivals two more times when the Volvo S60 T5 won the Executive Car of the Year Award and the Volvo S80 2.5L topped the Luxury Car category.

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By Andre Palma
Inquirer

THE INEVITABLE came to my garage last week in the form of a charcoal gray, four-door hatch. The nondescript car mutely crept up the incline of the driveway and powered down in almost complete silence; such a voiceless way to announce an arrival of such significance. I stared at it for a while, trying to grasp the gravity and consequence of this automobile. And in the quiet darkness of the garage, I could swear all the other cars were staring too.

This is a car that for all intents and purposes, spells the obsolescence of almost every other car on Philippine roads today. Over a million units of this very model and its similarly powered brethren inconspicuously ply roads around the globe, leaving in their wake reduced fuel consumption and some of the lowest motor vehicle carbon emissions ever. The hybrids have landed and the 2007 Toyota Prius is at the tip of the spear.

Here’s a photo of the Toyota Prius hybrid in silver pine.

Old news

Hybrids and their symbiotic petroleum and electric engines are old news in the rest of the world but only a handful of these cars are in the country. Having already tested hybrids at both Honda’s Tochigi R&D and Toyota’s Fuji Speedway, one can only imagine my excitement for a test drive in the Philippine setting.

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By Andre Palma
Inquirer

TOKYO, Japan–Since Kiichiro Toyoda got it into his head to shift from textile looms to manufacturing automobiles, the Toyota Motor Corp. has come a long way. In a short 70 years from the first Model AA rolling off the Koromo plant assembly line, the Japanese manufacturer now has its sights set on the No. 1 spot in the global automotive scheme of things. Great really if you are one to speculate on the worldwide stock markets but honestly the impact on the Filipino motorist is anything but a forgone conclusion.

One key phrase frames Toyota’s future strategy for world domination. “Sustainable mobility” seems like words plucked out of just any public relations handbook but the way these two words will color and flavor the way we will drive in the very near future is undeniable, scary even. By addressing environmental, safety and congestion issues, the way we drive and what we drive will change dramatically.

In a world obsessed with carbon footprints, protecting biodiversity and the search for renewable sources of energy, the automobile is often painted as public enemy No. 1. While the Battle for Mother Earth seems lost and the human race is doomed to a carbon-choked future care of the evil automobile, small inroads have been made that responsibly look toward tomorrow.

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By Associated Press

TOKYO, Japan–Toyota said Monday it sold 2.34 million vehicles globally in the July-September quarter, fewer than General Motors’ tally, as the US rival regained its lead in the race for the world’s top automaker.

Toyota Motor Corp.’s worldwide vehicle sales for the first nine months of this year — at 7.05 million vehicles — also fell short of sales of Detroit-based General Motors Corp. at 7.06 million vehicles for the same period.

The numbers Toyota released Monday show the Japanese automaker running neck-and-neck against Detroit-based General Motors with 2.38 million vehicles for the third quarter.

Toyota, which beat GM in global vehicle sales for the first half of the year, has been riding on its reputation for high quality small cars reputed for good mileage, such as the Camry, Corolla and gas-electric hybrid Prius.

Some analysts say it’s a matter of time before the Japanese automaker — which built its business in the decades after World War II by imitating American automakers — will close in on GM.