The 2014 Toyota Corolla Altis is heating up the mid-size segment.

Two weeks after its launch, the 2014 Corolla Altis has heated up the market with over 1,200 orders placed at Toyota dealerships nationwide.

Compared to previous generations, the 2014 Corolla Altis has undergone significant changes in both interior and exterior design.

According to information from the Toyota Vietnam joint venture, approximately 80% of the orders were for the two versions equipped with the 1.8-liter engine, with the remainder allocated to the top-of-the-line 2.0V CVT-i version.

A representative from the Japanese automaker stated that due to the unexpectedly high number of orders, customers who sign contracts at this time will have to wait approximately one month for delivery. Toyota is currently closely monitoring market developments to consider adjusting production levels if demand for the Corolla Altis continues to increase.

At the time of its launch, Toyota Vietnam set a sales target of 600 Corolla Altis units per month.

Surprisingly, the top-of-the-line 2.0V CVT version accounted for a significant percentage of orders. Even some sales staff at dealerships in Hanoi said they were quite surprised by the number of customers inquiring about this version immediately after its launch.

The reason for the noteworthy sales of the 20.V version is the significantly increased price, especially since the price gap is no longer too wide compared to its "older brother" Camry 2.0E version, after Toyota updated a series of technologies to "push" the Corolla Altis almost into a higher segment.

However, as explained by Shinichi Yasui, the chief engineer in charge of Corolla design, the target customers for the Camry and Corolla Altis are actually completely different. While the Corolla Altis has a sporty design aimed at younger customers, the Camry targets an older group of customers who are looking for a more luxurious and spacious vehicle.

Previously, on September 23rd, Toyota Vietnam launched the 2014 Corolla Altis. Compared to previous generations, the 2014 Corolla Altis features changes in both interior and exterior design, especially the front end, dashboard, and central control panel.

To date, the Corolla Altis remains the best-selling mid-size sedan in the Vietnamese market, with cumulative sales exceeding 48,000 units since its initial launch in 1998. According to a report by the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), the total number of previous-generation Corolla Altis vehicles sold in the first nine months of 2014 reached 3,044 units.

Notably, this is the period when the Japanese automaker is preparing to launch a new generation, so sales of the older generation have certainly been affected. Therefore, it is possible that the average monthly sales of the 2014 Corolla Altis will surge towards the end of this year, possibly even doubling compared to the beginning of the year.

According to VnEconomy