New Toyota Corolla Altis review, test drive

Toyota says the new Corolla will appeal to the heart and head. It certainly looks more appealing than the outgoing car. So, what's it like to drive?

Published on Apr 10, 2014 02:50:00 PM

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New Toyota Corolla Altis.

What the Altis has always had in India is sufficient power and torque. This new one, however, will be the third consecutive generation of the Altis to be powered by Toyota’s long-serving 1.8 petrol engine. While this 138bhp motor will be well upto the task, its power output is nowhere near that of the 180bhp Octavia. Toyota, however, has upgraded the engine and given it new technology to make it more responsive and more efficient. The engine gets a variable length intake system known as Acoustic Controlled Induction System (ACIS). It has a long intake tract for improved low-speed performance and once the engine begins spinning faster, a flap in the system opens and short-circuits the air flow, allowing for a shorter run to the engine and increased performance. The range in India will also include Toyota’s weedy 1.4 turbo diesel that makes a mere 87bhp, barely enough to even get the car to accelerate in an acceptable manner.

Toyota also has the option of slotting this car’s 122bhp 1.6 into the Altis in India. Similar in construction to the 1.8, this motor shares many parts with it, along with much of its technology. It too has continuously variable valve timing on both the inlet and exhausts and actually feels like a much larger engine at low and medium speeds. Pulling power is pretty good and a mere tap on the throttle gets the Altis scrambling into action. A lot of this, however, is also down to the Toyota’s CVT gearbox that uses a torque convertor to boost low-speed responses. What’s even nicer is that at low speeds you can’t tell it’s a CVT – responses are quick and the Corolla feels fast and agile. Even the seven-step sequential ‘manual’ works pretty well. It’s only when you desire a bit more performance and put your foot down that the 1.6 Altis disappoints – the CVT gearbox stretches and strains, the engine gets coarse and loud, and there’s no big step-up in performance initially. The performance does come through eventually, but there’s a considerable wait – fine for the open road, but not ideal for city traffic. The more powerful Altis with the 1.8 under the hood and paddles behind the steering wheel, however, should be much nicer.

What’s easily more than adequate is cabin space. The 100mm extra in the wheelbase seems to have worked wonders, especially at the rear of the car, and legroom at the back is almost as much as on a previous-generation Camry (it’s 92mm more than on the earlier Corolla). Support for the thighs is excellent – Toyota always seems to do this well. The backrest supports you in just the right places and you’ll even be able to adjust the angle of your backrest on the Indian cars. The absence of a central tunnel makes sitting three abreast comfortable.

Seat comfort up front is just as good. The large chairs support your thighs well and the cushioning feels right – it’s neither too soft nor too hard.

The design of dashboard is completely different from that of the earlier car. The earlier ‘T-type’ dashboard and central console have been replaced by a more visually interesting layered dash. The top layer is finished in non-reflective black, the blower vents and instrument panel tucked neatly under a couple of bulges. The horizontal lower half of the dashboard sits below a band of chrome and will be finished in beige on the Indian cars. It holds the medium-sized touch pad that controls many of the functions of the car. Below that, in a pod, are the controls for the air-con system. The fit is pretty good and so are general levels of functionality. But overall finish and material quality are not as good as that on competitors like the Octavia or Elantra. What Indian customers will love is that Toyota in India will specify the car with all kinds of goodies like a reversing camera, push button start-stop, a multi-speaker audio system and navigation as well. Drivers will get an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat and rain-sensing wipers, and there are reading lamps and sunshade for passengers sat in the rear.

If you liked the earlier Corolla Altis, you’ll absolutely love this one. It may not be the most exciting in its class, but the new Altis is now a car that can stand up to the competition – it has a unique combination of strengths. So if you’re looking for reliability, efficiency, comfort and practicality rolled in with a healthy dose of luxury, look no further.

SHAPUR KOTWAL