Nov 13, 2008 09:06 AM
13782 Views
The all new Corolla Altis was launched in India in September replacing the older one which although had dated looks, its relaibility, performance and rigidness were to match for. The new Altis, looks like a baby Camry and once you step inside the cabin gives you a respectable feel of what you would expect ito feel inside a Corolla. The quality of the interiors are not so bad to say the least the Toyota people have been intelligent enough to fully utilise all the spaces in the car and come up with 22 'smart' interior storage spaces, which are nicely covered, not allowing dust to accumulate inside them. The electronic driver's seat on GL and VL versions makes life much easier when you adjust while driving, the electronic lumbar support is a bonus for those long drives where one posture cannot be maintained for a long period of time.
The instrument panel is simple and the MID gives you all the details like your current average, average speed, outside temperature, range etc with a touch of the button on the steering wheel (wood and leather finish), which also mounts the volume, track and mode controls for the company fitted 6 cd in - dash player ( dont know which brand though). The quality of all the 6 speakers is good. The transmission lever GL model feels nice and sporty and the quality of the wooden interiors and plastics does not feel cheap.
The passenger seat is manual which is not so nice to adjust though, however on the dash board are double glove box storages, where as most other cars dont have even one because of the airbags installed in that particular place. Also fitted are sensors on the passenger seat for the seat belt wearing buzzer which will not stop until you click on your seat belts, very uselful!
HID auto adjustable headlamps with sensors and washers are a nice touch.
The rear seats are also spacious with the option of accessing your boot from inside, (only if two people are sitting) without actually getting out of the car. The ride feels smooth and comfortable and the suspensions is very strudy in bad roads. The auto climate control works pretty well.
One of the biggest pluses about the Corolla is its 176mm ground clearance, which is useful on bumpy roads. The engine is responsive and the car stays very stable on sharp corners at high speeds.
Paint is of top notch quality and the dealer network is well spread though out the country which other manufacturers have struggled to deal with. Plus there is an annual or 10000 kms service schedule.
So, to be honest it is a fantastic car to own, and very practical as well.
