Saar: The campaign is to inspect and replace airbag inflators installed in all the units of the D-segment sedan, manufactured between January 2013 and December 2013.

Toyota Motor Corporation’s Indian arm, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, has quietly initiated a recall for its D-segment sedan – Corolla Altis – in India. The company, in an announcement on its website, stated that the voluntary recall is to inspect and replace the installed airbag inflators. The same will be carried for units which were produced between January 2013 and December 2013.

(Note: Image above is for representational purpose only)

The Japanese carmaker also pointed out that there are no reported accidents or failures of the affected part till date in India. Presently, the company is busy procuring the necessary parts for replacement and once ready, its authorised dealers will contact the customers of affected cars. As is the case with all such recalls, the replacement will be carried out at no cost to the customer. That said, how long this operation for every car is still unknown. As per our calculations, it shouldn’t be more than an hour or an hour and a half.

Toyota introduced the refreshed version of the current generation Corolla Altis in March last year. The list of cosmetic updates, along with the enhanced list of features, helped the sedan catch up with its fierce rivals – the Hyundai Elantra and the Skoda Octavia. That said, all the D-segment sedans have lost ground to UVs (utility vehicles) which fall in the same price bracket. The list includes the Jeep Compass, Mahindra XUV500, Hyundai Tucson and the Tata Hexa.

Currently, the Corolla Altis is available with two engine options – a 1.8-litre petrol that puts out 140PS/173Nm and a 1.4-litre diesel generating 88PS/205Nm. While both the engines are available with a 6-speed manual transmission, it is only the petrol that is also available with a 7-speed CVT unit. The Japanese carmaker is gearing up to launch an attack at the segment which sits one step below. The Yaris, which is a direct rival to the likes of the Honda City, Hyundai Verna and the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, is expected to go on sale during the second quarter of this calendar year.