Oct 23, 2008 04:56 PM
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Toyota Corolla Altis
I had read a lot about the new version of the Toyota Corolla, and decided to give it a whirl when the opportunity presented itself so as to decide on whether it would fit the bill for my next purchase/upgradation. Admittedly, I spent only a short distance driving the car, but that was over some of the worst roads that God's Own Country provides. Believe me, some of those roads were worse than having no roads at all!
Exteriors
The critics, experts and everyone who has had a gander at the car are unanimous in declaring that it is more an evolution of the old Corolla than a revolution, at least as far as the external appearances go. I concur. From the sides it is difficult to identify the car as an Altis, if you just see it passing by on the highway. (the only reason it doesn't happen from the rear is because there is a large ALTIS badge stuck there). The front grill is new, but it appears to be one that would have suited a car that was launched 3-4 years ago and does not really get your heart leaping. The headlamps seem to flow better into the sides and the bonnet, and the HID lamps that come in both the upper versions will be boon to those who travel a lot through highways in gloomy weather.
The paint finish and the panel gaps are what you would expect from one of the world's top manufacturers-top notch. The car I saw came with 15 inch alloys and the boot was cavernous, much like the Skoda Octavia. There was a light within the boot which came on automatically on opening the lid, but it was a bit dim.
Interiors
The car I saw was the middle version, which lacks automatic transmission, but had practically everything else thrown in. Wait a minute, I didn't see any seat back DVD players, which were the talking point in the Limited Edition Tata Safari. But anything else you could wish for, was there.
The cabin was very spacious and even with the front seat drawn fully back there was enough leg room for a six footer at the back. The driver's seat had eight-way electrical adjustment (probably a waste if the car is always going to be driven by one person or by a chauffeur) as well as electrically adjustable lumbar support (a boon for those with bad backs).
I was overwhelmed by the leather upholstery and the psuedo(?) wood finish on the dashboard and steering wheel. However, I must say that the wooden finish to the steering did give it a hard feel, like the steering of the old Ambassador, and quite unlike the soft, spongy feel that we have come to expect in new high-end cars. There are so many cubbyholes to put things into, that you more are likely to misplace things in your car than in your home!
The gadgetry is also quite impressive, with headlamps that come on automatically in poor light, automatic head light beam levelling, climate control, multi-information display (which includes fuel efficiency figures and a distance-to-empty meter). Some folks have had bad experiences with the display, with the figures for fuel efficiency etc being stuck in the same range despite driving the car in dramatically different styles. The car boasts a 6 CD in-dash MP3 player with steering controls and an excellent sound system (meaning speakers).
The Mechanicals
The Altis comes with a 1.8 litre VVT engine, which is basically a boosted up version of the old Corolla engine. It is quite strange that the car debuted across the world, including some of our neighbouring countries, with a brand new engine, but Toyota chose to retain the old engine in India. When it comes to delivering the goods, the engine does stand up to it, with fairly good acceleration and economy (some claim figures as high as 15kmpl in the highway). There is some difficulty in overtaking while in the top gear, which may necessitate down shifting to get adequate acceleration. The engine is very smooth and silent, a la other Toyota vehicles.
The suspension is on the softer side, which gives excellent cushioning on average roads with an occasional pothole, but was rather bumpy on the dirt tracks that passes for roads in Kerala. There is some side roll at high speeds, a bit reminiscent of the Hyundai Accent, which also had a soft suspension. The increased ground clearance of the Altis, however, means that you dont scrape the roads as often as you will in a Honda Civic, good roads or bad.
Summing it up
The Altis is an excellent overall package, with some minuses here and there, and will appeal to the average value for money customer, backed as it is by the excellent brand name of its maker. The staid looks may not be to the liking of younger customers, who may flock to the Civic, but feature for feature, the Altis scores over the Civic in practically every department. The fact that the car requires only annual servicing once the initial running in is over also means that your total cost of ownership will be lower than many competing brands.
