SINGAPORE: GrabCab will be introducing the Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid to its taxi fleet by the first quarter of 2026.
This is the first time that the car, supplied by Toyota’s official distributor, will be used as a taxi in Singapore. The four-door saloon will join the Toyota Prius, Hyundai Kona Hybrid and the electric BYD E6 to be the fourth model in GrabCab’s fleet.
GrabCab, which received its taxi operator licence on April 9, 2025, is growing its fleet to at least 800 taxis in three years, as part of licensing conditions. As at the end of 2025, the operator had 300 GrabCab taxis on the road.
A spokeswoman for Grab said the company is “hoping to get the Altis on roads by Q1”.
It is being offered as an option to cater to different driving preferences among its drivers. Grab’s spokeswoman was unable to give an accurate number of cars that will be added to the fleet as it will be based on demand from drivers. This is as drivers can choose which model they would like to hire.
On Monday (Feb 9), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) confirmed that it is evaluating the model to be used as a taxi.
Borneo Motors Singapore, the distributor of Toyota, did not give details on fleet size or the cost of the contract as the details are “still being finalised”.
As a private car, the Corolla Altis Hybrid is priced around $9,000 lower than the Prius.
Currently, GrabCab is charging the same rental rate for the Toyota Prius and Hyundai Kona. A 12-month contract for either model costs the hirer a daily rental fee of $109.50. The electric BYD is cheaper, at $107 a day. It is not known how much it will cost to rent a Corolla Altis.
The Corolla Altis has a more spacious boot than the Toyota Prius, but it is not quite as big as the boot spaces of the Hyundai and BYD. The 1.8-litre petrol-hybrid Altis is also not as fuel-efficient as the Prius, with a projected range of under 950km on a full tank of petrol – about 100km less than the range of the Prius.
Drivers want more options when it comes to the type of taxis they use.
Eddie Jiu, 48, for example, rented a Kona, which is less fuel-efficient than a Prius, when he signed up with GrabCab in September 2025. He did not like the Prius’ driving position, while the BYD lacked some of the features he was looking for.
Singapore has disallowed new diesel taxis since Jan 1, 2025, and GrabCab has only petrol-hybrid and electric vehicles in its fleet.
During its launch in July 2025, the operator said it would introduce more environmentally friendly models to its fleet to meet driver demand and its sustainability goals.
While passenger cars can be readily registered as private-hire cars, LTA’s approval is needed for models to be used as taxis. Factors that need be considered include luggage and seating capacity.
Today, more than a dozen models of varying size and seating capacity are used as taxis in Singapore. Some models, like the Toyota Camry, which is used by Prime Taxi, are sourced from parallel importers.
The Corolla Altis has been used as a taxi in places such as the Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan.
In previous instances when models such as the Mercedes-Benz E-class and Lexus ES were used as taxis in Singapore, experts have said the move made these models less desirable to private car buyers.
Associate professor of marketing Lewis Lim from NTU’s College of Business said that in some cases, especially for luxury cars, manufacturers may restrict dealers from allowing the models to be used as taxis, but this is not likely to be a concern for the Corolla Altis.
Prof Lim said the Corolla Altis’ ubiquity on the road makes it less of an issue to consumers when taxi operators use the model, adding: “People who buy the Corolla Altis are typically going for the practicality and don’t expect any exclusive feel.
It probably won’t matter to them too much to see a GrabCab car of the same model driving past.” - The Straits Times/ANN
