Toyota Corolla Altis

Overview

The Corolla has been a phenomenal run in the history of Toyota. In a span of 52 years and witnessing a total of eleven generations, the Toyota Corolla has turned out to be the best selling nameplate in the history of automobiles. In the Philippines, the Toyota Corolla Altis is available in its latest eleventh generation avatar and is being offered in two petrol powertrain options and a total of five different variants to choose from. The color options available on the Toyota Corolla Altis are Super White, White Pearl, Silver Metallic, Grey Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, Red Mica Metallic and Phantom Brown Metallic. Prices start at PHP 961,000 for the base 1.6 E MT variant and go all the way up to PHP 1,477,000 for the top-spec 2.0 V MT.

Interior & Features

Compared to the very futuristic and modern design of the exterior, the Corolla Altis maintains a theme of simplicity on the inside. Sure, it does the job of giving a premium ambiance to the cabin, but the overall layout looks a bit staid and could have been styled in the same extravagant manner as the outer look of the car.

The three-spoke steering wheel, as well as the instrument console, has a very simple design. However, the colored MID screen stacked between the analog add some modernity to the driver cockpit. The center console has a flowing theme to its design, however, the vertical layout looks boring and could have been given an angle to make it look a bit classier. The large touchscreen unit for infotainment and the reverse camera gets piano black surrounds and chrome garnishes on the upper and lower ends. The buttons for automatic climate control look tad too simple and don’t complement with the overall design of the car. The all-black theme for the dashboard too looks a bit gloomy, and we would have preferred a dual tone black and beige theme to make it look more premium and airy.

Other than these small glitches, another area where the Corolla Altis could have performed better is the rear seat space. The cushioning and under thigh support are quite exceptional, however, the knee room could have been better. In terms of features, the Corolla Altis, apart from the aforementioned features, comes equipped with push button start with keyless entry, cruise control, a 6-speaker audio system, leather upholstery, and electrically adjustable driver’s seat. Given the competition has been setting the bars higher with new-age features in this segment, the Corolla Altis could have been equipped with few more goodies.

Exterior

The Toyota Corolla Altis, over all these years, has gone under massive transformation, which can be sensed in the way it looks in its current generation guise. Gone are the understated looks of all the previous generations, and in comes a swanky looking car which is bound to turn heads with its sharp styling.

At the front, the Toyota Corolla Altis has been bestowed with a rakish grille, which comes with a thick chrome garnish on its upper portion and a thin chrome slat on the lower one. The angular headlamps look sleek and come with LED bulbs and daytime running LEDs to make it look much more modern. The front bumper looks bulky with large air dams and big black surrounds for the fog lamps.

The rakish and angular design philosophy for the Toyota Corolla Altis extends well towards the sides too, with the rear door getting a noticeable kink towards its end. The nice thin line running at the center of the side profile through the door handles make it look simple yet elegant. Adding a dash of modernity are the machined alloy wheels, which look absolutely gorgeous.

At the rear, the Corolla Altis looks as captivating and sharp as the front, with the sleek and angular LED tail lights.  The thin chrome slat joining the tail lamps as well as high mounted boot lid gives it an essence of a true premium and luxury car from the rear.

Ride & Handling

All the generations of Toyota Corolla have excelled in terms of ride and handling, and this particular model is no exception as well. With the Macpherson struts with L-shaped lower arm and stabilizer at the front and torsion beam type with stabilizer at the rear, the Corolla Altis offers a carpet like ride quality. Matching this super smooth ride is decent handling with taut steering, with the 17-inch alloy wheels (16-inch on lower variants) playing a major role in its stability on the tarmac.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

For the Philippine market, the Toyota Corolla Altis comes with two engine options under its hood. Starting with the smaller engine option first, the 1.6-litre petrol engine pumps out a maximum power output of 122 PS and a peak torque output of 154 Nm. On the other hand, the bigger 2.0-litre petrol mill generates 145 PS of maximum power and 187 Nm. While the 1.6-litre engine gets both the options of a 6-speed manual and a CVT gearbox, the 2.0-litre engine is available only with the latter as standard.

Braking & Safety

Being a benchmark and best seller of this segment, Toyota has always pioneered with the Corolla when it comes to the aspect of safety. However, the current generation Corolla Altis comes with lesser electronic safety aids as compared to its rivals. The current generation Corolla comes with front, side, curtain and knee airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, reverse parking sensors and camera and ISOFIX mounts as a part of standard equipment.

Verdict

The Toyota Corolla Altis has always managed to strike the chords of hearts of the customers all over the world with its safer approach in all aspects. In this latest avatar, however, Toyota managed to jazz up the exterior styling to make it appealing to the younger audience as well. Apart from it, the Corolla Altis manages to perform in other areas in a decent manner, however, we do wish that it could have been equipped with few more comfort, convenience, and safety features to keep up with the competition. Nevertheless, considering the fact that it is the most affordable option in its category, and the bullet proof reliability which the brand Corolla carries on its shoulders, the Corolla Altis still continues to be a great buy for an executive sedan.