Jul 06, 2010 02:33 PM
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Corolla Altis has captivated me ever since I saw their TV Commercial featuring Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom. I have a Wagon R from Maruti Suzuki since 2004. Have covered 80000 kms so far and still going strong. It was time for me to go for my second car and I decided not to go for a hatchback again and was looking at the C and D segment of cars for a change.
I had test driven the Honda City, Honda Civic and the Mahindra Xylo so far and have liked all the three car and wanted to check out the Toyota Corolla Altis too before I decide. I contacted Wasan Toyota in Sanpada, Navi Mumbai and their executive Rajeev has been very kind to me by following up with me for the test drive after my enquiry.
He brought the car to my residence and offered me to drive immediately. Normally I’d go on a free stretch to check out the vehicle but this time I decided to take it on the busy streets to check its handling of city traffic. The model he had got for the test drive was the 1.8 GL model. The difference between the 1.8 G and 1.8 GL models are as follows:
1.8 GL has HID Lamps with retractable washers(the 1.8 G model has only HID lamps)
1.8 GL has auto headlamp leveling system (the G model has manual)
GL model has whiplash injury lessening seats on driver side
GL model has Leather Seat materials, the G model has fabric seat material
the GL model has leather+ wood finish on the steering wheel(G model has only leather)
GL model has 8 way power driver seat(G model does not have this)
GL model has auto headlamps, while G has manual headlamps
GL model has drive seat lumbar support while the G model does not have it
GL model has electrical powered driver seat height adjustment(G has manual)
GL model has a rear sun shade, which is not available in G model
And for these features the 1.8 GL model is costlier than the 1.8 G model by 1.2 lakhs.
This aside, the test drive went well with the engine stopping only once as I released the clutch too soon. The AC was set at 20 degrees and was very cold, then had to change it to a comfortable 24 degrees. The Car delivers a FE of 12 kmpl in city I am told but not verified by me. I too the car over a couple of big bumps in my area and the car sailed smoothly over the bumps without the gut wrenching sound it makes when the bottom gets scraped. This happens on my Wagon R over these bumps. The ground clearance passed the test. For people who are used to using the horn with their thumb with the fingers at the wheel, in this car you will have to take your hand off the wheel if you have to press the horn.
The car had a 2 DIN music system which was on and has an AUX in for your ipod. Sadly it does not sport a USB hub for your pen drive, guess the CD player has to be used. The legroom at the front and at the back was extremely comfortable. Even with the front seats pushed back, the legroom was amazing. The seat has a foldable arm rest at the back and in front the arm rest sports a utility space underneath.
The test drive done, I checked with the executive regarding the maintenance cost and he said that the cost of maintenance is just Rs.4000 per year. If that is true than its really amazing. The executive also mentioned that Toyota is launching the diesel version of the Corolla Altis by end of July 2010. He said the car will have a 1.4 litre diesel engine and will be available at the same cost as the petrol version. This was news for me as Honda is still to launch its diesel versions for its City and Civic models.
Verdict: A very stable car and recommended for families who use it mainly for city driving. For self driven I recommend the AT ver.
