Toyota Corolla to Make a Comeback as India’s First Flex Fuel Car

As reported by us earlier, Toyota Kirloskar Motors will reveal its first flex-fuel car in India on 28th September 2022. In the latest development, the flex fuel vehicle in discussion is said to be none other than the Corolla Hybrid sedan which was discontinued in April 2020 due to low sales. Now, making a comeback in the Indian market, the executive sedan will be unveiled by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi.  

Toyota Corolla Hybrid Flex Fuel: Details

Talking at the 2nd Automobile Component Manufacturing Association (ACMA) Annual Session, the Minister quoted that he will personally launch Toyota’s flex fuel vehicle in Delhi on the 28th of September 2022. 

Earlier it was speculated that the flex-fuel vehicle will be based on the Camry sedan, however, based on some latest media reports, it is confirmed that the new flex-fuel car will be the Corolla Hybrid. The compact sedan will be brought to India in its latest iteration, (probably the one sold in the Brazilian market). This suggests that the four-wheeler will have a left-hand drive construction and will be only used to showcase the compatibility of the powertrain with the flex-fuel. For reference, the use of flex-fuel in Brazil is mandatory since the 1970s and it is the second largest producer of ethanol in the world. So Toyota is exploring the opportunity to introduce flex-fuel vehicles in India based on its expertise in foreign markets. 

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In terms of powertrain, it will be using a 2.0-litre Dual VVT-iE 16V DOHC petrol engine paired to a strong hybrid system, similar to the Brazilian spec vehicle. The engine is mated to a Hybrid Transaxle CVT gearbox and produces a power output of 101 bhp and 72 bhp from the engine and electric motor respectively. The power figures in the India-spec model may vary and the engine used in the Brazilian model is competent to run on 100% ethanol. However, we expect Toyota to make it compatible with E85 flex fuel for the Indian market, which is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol. It also gets a drive mode selector to choose between the Normal, ECO, Power and EV mode. 

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The sedan sits on the brand’s TNGA platform, and will likely come loaded with features like LED headlamps and tail lamps with DRLs, 17-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch TFT driver’s display, touchscreen infotainment unit, front as well as rear parking sensors and more.