Car Of The Week : Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is a part continues the naming tradition Toyota uses for its sedans (i.e. using names derived from the Toyota Crown). In Latin, the word ‘Corolla’ means ‘small crown’. Well…don’t let the name deceive you as the Corolla remains one of Toyota’s most prized possessions! Brand Toyota prides itself on customer satisfaction, reliability, efficiency and low ownership cost (including maintenance), quality products, practicality and best customer service (pre-sales, sales and after sales). The Toyota Corolla is the best example of a Toyota product embodying all these aspects.

 Toyota introduced the Corolla in 1966. After, 4 decades, 11 generations and 40 million+ Corollas sold the legend continues to live on strongly. The predecessor of the Corolla was the Toyota Publica, a small urban sub-compact car. The Publica was made on the lines of the national car concept by the Japanese government at the time. It was basically a sub-compact sedan perfectly suited for family and daily duties. The idea of the Corolla was conceived by the rising demand for a personal vehicle for the mass public which was both affordable and reliable. The first-generation Corolla was produced from 1966 to 1970, it was sold in three body types – 2 door coupe, 4 door sedan, and a 2 door wagon. Powering this generation Corolla was a 40 bhp 1.1 L petrol engine, given the weight and dimensions of the car this was sufficient enough. 1n 1968, Toyota started exporting the Corolla to global markets. With the USA being one of the most crucial markets abroad, the Corolla tasted great success there. The first imported Toyota Corolla in the USA was available for as low as $1400! To this day the Corolla remains one of the best-selling and most popular cars in the USA. In the 1970s as the Corolla gained popularity, Toyota started manufacturing the car in global markets too. The Toyota Corolla is not only the best-selling car in the world but, also the car with the maximum manufacturing locations worldwide – Toyota manufactures the Corolla in 15+ countries across the world. In 1974, the Corolla now in its 3^rd avatar was drastically styled when compared against its previous generations. The Corolla was heavier, more powerful, rounder. Made with safety and comfort in mind at the same time maintaining its family car roots. It now came with 5 different body variations. The 3^rd generation Corolla saw great growth in global markets including the all-important USA. 1983 brought in a new era for Toyota, the first FF (i.e. Front Engine Front Wheel) drive Corolla was introduced. This was very important as it laid down the foundation for generations of Corollas to come. The FF setup allowed for more space in the car, especially in the backseat. Though the Corolla had a boxy design, it was aerodynamic – this came at a time when Japanese manufacturers jumped on the aerodynamic bandwagon, to produce more economical and fuel-efficient cars. In 1991, Toyota introduced the 7^th generation Corolla. Quite a few critics have called this generation ‘the first modern Toyota Corolla’. Rightly so! The Corolla was now bigger, more spacious, more upmarket and came with an influx of technology such as audio systems; which was not introduced in the previous generations. Previous generations of the Corolla were classified as sub-compact cars, whereas the larger 7^th generation was moved into the compact segment. It was with this generation that the Toyota Corolla became the best-selling car in history, surpassing the VW Beetle with over 22.5 million units sold worldwide. There has been no looking back since! Though the 9^th generation Corolla was introduced in 2000 it began to be locally manufactured in India in 2003 after a facelift. This generation of the Corolla was designed to attract younger buyers. The team at Toyota wanted to create a Corolla to create value in the 21^st century. The Corolla was bigger than ever, more spacious, comfortable and more powerful with a 1.8 L petrol engine. With India being a traditionally chauffeur-driven market, space and comfort the Corolla offered became a hit with the Indian masses. It was just the car corporates and executives were looking for. In its current 11^th generation the Toyota Corolla is sleeker than ever, lighter and aerodynamic, more spacious and comfortable and keeping up with the times with respect to technology and gizmos. All in all giving the driver/owner a great motoring experience.

  The Toyota Corolla is a unique car which has been both evolutionary and revolutionary with each passing generation. Just as the pole star is a constant and unwavering presence in the night sky, the Corolla is the same for the automobile industry worldwide, always leading the way, creating new benchmarks and making it difficult for the competition to knock it off the throne of the best-selling car in the world. 

India At 70 : Celebrating 7 decades of the Indian Automobile Industry

India is a great land of heritage and modernization. In other words, our country has managed to pull off a great blend of cultural heritage at the same time keeping up with the world with respect to technology and modernization. India has achieved a great deal in numerous fields – business, science, culture etc. in a relatively short span of 70 years as a free and independent nation. With 65% of our population being under 40 years of age, India also has amongst the youngest population on earth. The sky is certainly the limit for what India can achieve! Just like countries worldwide cars are an important component of Indian culture. The Indian automobile industry began from humble beginnings to become one of the hottest and fastest emerging markets worldwide. Over the past 7 decades, the Indian automobile industry has evolved, seen a lot of successful cars, made great leaps in manufacturing and much more. On India celebrating 70 years as an independent nation, we take a trip down memory lane!

1.     1947-1957: The advent of independence made way for a great automotive opportunity for the Indian industry. Many of the cars in the country at that time were imported and assembled here. Hindustan Motors (HM) and Premier Automobiles Limited (PAL) were the big players in the domestic market during this decade. In 1949, HM introduced its first car the Hindustan 10, based on the British Morris 10. This was followed by the “Baby Hindustan” (Based on the Morris Minor), the Hindustan 14. It was in 1954 when the production of the HM Landmaster commenced. Meanwhile, PAL was assembling Dodge and Plymouth cars at its Kurla plant in Mumbai.
2.  1957-1967: 1958 saw the production of one of the most iconic Indian cars – The Hindustan Ambassador. This was based on the Morris Oxford of Britain. Known for its curvy design and great comfort; the Ambassador soon became a favorite in the industry. Later, the Ambassador became a symbol for politicians and bureaucrats. With the last Ambassador being produced in 2014, this car was one of the longest serving cars manufactured in India. Other notable cars from that era were the Standard 10, Pennant, Triumph.
3.  1967-1977: In 1973, PAL introduced the Premier Padmini. This car was based on the Fiat 1100, soon became very popular in the market. It remains iconic till today and can be seen on roads, used primarily as a taxi. As the market was dominated by the Hindustan Ambassador & Standard Triumph, the Premier Padmini was welcome competition. Other notable cars from this period were the Standard Herald.
4. 1977-1987: The 1970s saw no new cars introduced in the Indian industry. It was in 1984 when a true legend was born – The Maruti 800. Manufactured by the then government backed Maruti Udyog Limited (later became Maruti Suzuki as we know it) the 800 soon went on to become a favorite of the masses. This car is widely believed to be the most successful car in India as it is one of the best-selling cars to have graced our industry.
5. 1987-1997: This decade was the turning point in the Indian industry as it saw the beginning of a new, modern phase in the market. Asian giants such as Honda, Toyota and Hyundai started to enter the market by way of investments. The liberalization reforms taken by the government opened up the market to global players and saw a rise in investments, joint ventures with Indian companies.
6. 1997-2007: 1997 began with the introduction of the Tata Indica, the first indigenously manufactured car in India. This soon became one of the highest selling cars in India. Hyundai introduced the Santro in 1997. At the turn of the 21^st century, Mahindra introduced the Scorpio SUV. It went on to become the best-selling SUV manufactured by an Indian company. In 2003, a more updated model of the Hyundai Santro, the Santro Xing became an instant hit in the market raking in a lot of sales. Other notable cars of this decade were the Skoda Octavia, Toyota Qualis etc.
7. 2007-2017: The Tata Nano was introduced in 2008. The ‘cheapest car in the world’ this was Tata’s solution to solving our mass transport woes – an affordable car for every Indian. However, this did not quite live up to the hype but it did bring the notion of owning a car much closer to reality than it ever was. This era was dominated by foreign manufacturers the likes of Volkswagen Group, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota etc. As the Indian population became younger, disposable income increased the demand for tech-laden and luxury cars surged. This decade has also ushered in a demand for cars that are safer, reliable and of course value for money. Notable cars from this decade are – Honda City, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i10, Maruti Suzuki Swift etc.    

Car Of The Week : Skoda Octavia

Throughout the course of history, the automobile industry has given us numerous legends. There have been numerable great and extraordinary cars which have made a mark in the industry and have now gone down in the history books for eternity. These great cars are legends and titans of the car industry. Best selling cars, race cars, luxury, sports, mass movers, SUVs etc. as it goes with legends…they are all unique in their own way! Hailing from the Czech Republic the legend we shall be speaking about today is the Skoda Octavia.

  The original Octavia was first introduced in 1959 it was a 2-door car back then, known for its comfortable ride, good interiors and practicality. The first modern Octavia was introduced in 1996. This was after the VW group had taken over Skoda, making it the first Skoda Octavia under the leadership of VW. The Octavia introduced in 1996 shared a common VW group platform shared with the Volkswagen Jetta, hence there were quite a few commonalities. Many critics even said that the Octavia was a reshaped Jetta! However, this was not true. No car better defines the Skoda brand better than the Octavia. Skoda cars are known for their practicality, low cost, fuel efficiency, great driving dynamics and powerful engines.  Not many people know that the Octavia has been one of the highest-selling cars worldwide, with close to 5 million units sold worldwide. The Skoda Octavia was introduced in India in the year 2002. It became an instant hit with the masses. The Octavia helped the Skoda brand cement its place in the Indian market. The second generation modern Octavia’s was introduced in 2004, this was a much more refreshed car with respect to body design elements and an improved, updated interior. The Octavia was sold as the Laura in India. The third generation Octavia was introduced in 2014, a true gem of a car! This generation gave way to a new modern design language. The Skoda was now sleeker, more athletic, lighter with a better combination of engines and gearboxes, a beautiful cabin with all the bells and whistles you would need! At the same time being true to its Skoda DNA. The latest generation Skoda Octavia is probably one of the best cars manufactured by Skoda. It now includes features such as remote parking, HUD, Lane and safety assist features etc. Hence pushing the car more upmarket. To better understand what the Octavia means to a customer we spoke to Akshay Trivedi an automobile enthusiast and a long-time user of the Octavia. Akshay said “The Skoda Octavia has never let me down! For me driving and using the Octavia is an absolute pleasure. Been owning one for the past 10 years but still, it drives superb. Don’t get intimidated by its large and bulky size, once you get behind the wheel it is a gem of a machine! It is just a tank on the highway. The power, comfort and driving dynamics are top class. The practicality too is one thing I love about the Octavia”.

   Being an amazing package in all aspects of a car, the Skoda Octavia is quite simply a very well-rounded sedan making it equally capable both in the city and on the highway. The legend of the Skoda Octavia will live on for a long time and we are quite sure Skoda will satisfy the customers worldwide with even better generations of the Skoda Octavia.