Toyota Corolla Altis
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Sense and Sensibility:At a time when the once high and mighty Wall Street investment banks are succumbing to their inherent high-risk nature and crumbling like a house of cards, industrial powerhouses like the Toyota Motor Corporation are strengthening their hold on the automotive industry through a sustained common sense approach and focus on quality.
Toyota has left the once Big-Three American automakers in a trial of dust as it’s assumed the role of being the most powerful and profitable car company on the planet. And one model in particular that’s had a large role to play in its rise to the top is the Corolla. It’s Toyota’s bread and butter sedan, and one that’s been around since 1966. It’s also one of the best selling cars of all time with over 30 million in sales from across the globe.
The new Corolla Altis that you see here is the 10th generation Corolla – so let’s see what they’ve learnt over the years, or decades for that matter.
Aesthetics:At first glance, the Corolla Altis looks like a shrunken Camry. The family resemblance is unmistakable, which is no bad thing in itself since the Camry is a very pretty car in a curvaceous, full bodied sort of way. In fact, the likeness is so striking that it really does look as though the folks at Toyota put the Camry in a washing machine, selected the wrong cycle, and out came the Altis. And while the Altis isn’t quite as striking as the Camry, it’s a great deal more interesting and eye catching than the model it replaces. It’s also not quite as dramatic and sleek as its global sparring partner, the Honda Civic – although the Civic has now lost some of its novelty just by virtue of the sheer numbers on our roads.
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] The interior, once again, is not quite as theatrical as the Civic but is very functional and a great deal more contemporary than the model it replaces. The first thing you notice is a very nice multi function steering wheel that looks like it came straight out of a Camry. And while the wood trim on the steering feels nice, the lacquer finish on the center console and door panels looks and feels plasticky. The dials, like the rest of the car, are not exactly dramatic like in the Civic but are a huge improvement over the outgoing Corolla. They’re very functional and clear with a tachometer that houses a digital readout that provides a wealth of information, including a real-time fuel efficiency readout.
Finding a good driving position is easy since the Altis has a telescoping steering wheel that adjusts for reach and rake. It also has an electrically adjustable drivers’ seat that includes a control to adjust lumbar support. And while they’ve raked the windshield a little more than in the previous model to give it a streamlined stance, visibility is still very good. It doesn’t feel as driver centric as the Civic where you sit lower down opposite a small three-spoke steering wheel. It does have a lot of toys though, such as an in-dash 6 CD player, climate control, auto anti-glare rear view mirror, HID auto headlights with washers, and cruise control. It also has an adjustable center arm rest, multiple cubby holes, cup holders and a dual glove box to tend to your every need. But at the same time it doesn’t feel particularly special, and there are some pieces of trim, while good quality, that feel quite ordinary. All in all though, it works very well in a no-nonsense sort of way that’s typical Toyota.
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] Engine and Gearbox:The 1.8 liter VVT-i engine is essentially carried forward from the outgoing Corolla – save for a few minor tweaks that add an additional 10 horsepower. And continuing with the same unit is no bad thing since it’s a gem of an engine. It’s also essentially the same powerplant that does service in the back of one of the worlds most focused and best handling sports cars, the Lotus Elise – although you’d be hard pressed to match the deep throated exhaust note of the Elise to the drone of the Corolla.
While the engine is very refined and free revving with reasonable low end torque and a strong mid range, its soundtrack leaves a lot to be desired. It’s also tuned for fuel economy, and Toyota claim a fuel efficiency figure of 14 kilometers to a liter – even a real world figure slightly below that will be a big plus compared with the Civic. Where it looses out to the Civic though, is with its 4-speed auto box, as compared with a 5-speed in its compatriot. The Civic also provides paddles on the steering that involve the driver more than the sequential shifter on the Altis.
he manual transmission on the Altis, however, is an absolute delight to use with extremely smooth shifts and short throws – it completely transforms the character of the car. Since the manual has an additional gear, it’s a great deal more responsive and should definitely be the choice for someone who’s keen on spending time in the drivers’ seat. Plus, with its light clutch and shifter, it’s easy to live with in traffic as well. The automatic transmission, while very smooth and refined, should certainly be the choice if you simply want to get from point A to B in the most convenient way possible, which the Altis does very well indeed – or, for the matter, if you plan on spending most of your time in the back seat. It does provide the option of manually changing gears but the transmission tends to respond more to the car’s ECU, which tells it when to change gear based on your throttle position, rather than your command via the shifter.
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] Ride & Handling:The Altis is extremely comfortable and stable at cruising speeds. It has a planted feel that was missing in the old Corolla. The outgoing Corolla would torque steer violently if you applied power going through even the mildest of bends – it simply felt as though the Toyota engineers had put the car on stilts in an effort to increase its ride height to suit our roads. While the ride height in the Altis is still more than adequate to deal with our road conditions, the lateral grip is considerably better. It still rolls a fair amount and the tires complain nonetheless, but the chassis feels well composed and the handling is extremely predictable.
The ride quality and refinement is also vastly improved. The Altis certainly makes for a very easy and comfortable car to drive, as well as be driven in. While the engine note is disappointing when you’re accelerating, while you’re at cruising speeds the cabin is practically serene with very little wind noise and interference from outside. With dual airbags, ABS, and exceptional brakes, you also feel very secure in the new Altis.
The Altis is easy to drive with steering that’s exceedingly light in traffic. And while the electronic power steering loads up at speed, it has a tendency to self center aggressively and provides little or no feel at all. The electronic power steering in the Civic isn’t brimming with feel either, but it feels considerably more direct with a quicker steering ratio than in the Altis. It also turns in better and rolls less than the Toyota.
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] All said and done, however, the ride and handling characteristics of the new Corolla could well suit the Indian market very well since we have a large percentage of prospective buyers who’ll be driven around in the back seat, rather than occupy the drivers seat themselves. Even for those who plan on driving themselves, if ease of use is a priority then the Altis works very well indeed.
Verdict:
The Corolla Altis is the embodiment of Toyota’s no-nonsense mentality. After the sea change of the Camry from one model to the next, you wouldn’t be blamed for perhaps wanting a little more from the new Corolla. It’s a huge step up from the car it replaces and it’s considerably more refined and easy to live with, but it’s not the kind of car that will keep you up at night itching to drive it the next morning. But then it’s not meant to be either. The Corolla is meant to be very middle of the road so as to appeal to the broadest possible spectrum from across the world.
With a Toyota, and the Corolla in particular, you can’t go really wrong. It promises to be both reliable and economical in equal measure, and that’s why it’s found so many homes all over the world. As the newest edition in that legacy, the Altis fits in perfectly. The Honda Civic would be a more interesting choice, but its sheer numbers on our roads has all but eliminated its novelty value. The Altis may be plain vanilla, but its pure Kwality, as opposed to, say, Vadilal.
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] Toyota Corolla Altis:Engine :1,794cc / in-line 4 cylinder / 16 valves / VVT-i (Intelligen Variable ValveTiming)
Fuel : Petrol
Transmission : 4 speed Automatic / Front Wheel Drive
Power : 130bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque : 125lb/ft @ 4200 rpm
Acceleration : 0-100km/h – 11.7 seconds
Price : 14 lakhs (on-road, Delhi)
Oct 08
