2018 Toyota Corolla Altis Review
Car Tested: 2018 Toyota Corolla Altis; Road Test No. 890
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 18.74 – 23.39 lakhs
The Toyota Corolla Altis is one no-nonsense & reliable D-segment sedan
The D-segment in the Indian market has been getting redundant thanks to a lot of people moving towards SUVs. However, that hasn’t really stopped a lot of automakers from launching products in this segment. The Toyota Corolla has been a top-seller in this segment ever since it was launched in India, and despite exciting cars like the Skoda Octavia and Hyundai Elantra, the Japanese offering has been fetching class-leading sales. Toyota modernised the Corolla Altis few months back, and the sedan now gets some new technology and a bunch of enhancements to the exteriors and interiors, so let’s see what it is all about.
Motor Quest: While the Toyota Corolla Altis is positioned as a premium offering in the Indian market, it is probably the bread and butter car in global markets. The sedan is well-known for its no-fuss nature and unmatched reliability and this is one of the major reasons why it is a favourite of the masses.
Changes are minor, only a keen eye will be able to spot
Exteriors – The Toyota Corolla Altis continues to retain its classy design. There is this Japanese feel to the styling, especially at the front end. The updated model here comes with revised front and rear bumpers, Bi-Beam LED headlamps with LED fog lamps, redesigned grille and new alloy wheels. The changes are very minor but they subtly enhance the sedan’s looks. The LED headlamps are powerful enough and offer a very good throw. The updated sedan gets a new Phantom Brown colour option along with the regular colours. Apart from that, not much is there to talk about the design of the Altis because the same styling is being followed since a few years now.
Interiors are a mixed bag, few good and few bad things
Interiors – The interior of the Toyota Corolla Altis feels airy and pleasant thanks to the large glass area. The layout is similar to the pre-facelift model but now you do get soft-touch materials on the dashboard along with a new colour scheme which is a combination of black and beige. The controls are well laid out and the buttons feel durable. Some of the features include 7 airbags, ABS, VSC, automatic climate control, auto-folding and reverse-linked mirrors, steering-mounted controls, cruise control, Hill Hold, electric adjustment for the driver’s seat and a rear armrest. Shockingly, the Corolla misses out on features like rear AC vents, sunroof and ventilated seats. The AC is a chiller though.
Space in the cabin is very good and storage spaces are useful too
The cabin of the Toyota Corolla Altis is spacious and feels uncluttered
The touchscreen audio system sounds fairly decent, while the screen is responsive. However, viewing angles aren’t all that great and the display is hardly visible when you’re under direct sunlight. The rear view camera is also below average with poor resolution and it becomes almost useless in the dark. The Corolla Altis really shines on the practicality front though. The front seats are very nice when we talk about support and comfort and the large size of the seats is a boon. You also get a useful armrest at the front. All the doors have bottle holders along with other storage spaces and the number of cubby holes in the cabin is also very good. The rear seat is again large and comfortable and leg room and head space are more than enough. The boot is also nicely shaped and the large cargo area allows it to hold a lot of luggage.
The Corolla Altis comes with 1.4-litre diesel and 1.8-litre petrol engines
Performance – No changes have been made under the hood of the Toyota Corolla Altis. Our test car was the top-of-the-line VL trim which comes with the 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder, petrol engine mated to a 7-step Super CVT-i gearbox. The VVT-i engine is super refined and is very quiet at idle. Low-end punch is satisfactory for city driving but the motor really gets going from the mid-range right up to the 6400 RPM redline. The engine has a pretty good surge of power which keeps building up from 2500 RPM. The mill tends to get noisy at high RPMs though. The acceleration isn’t exactly mind-blowing or addictive as say on the Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI but this motor is not really aimed at those who want the quickest acceleration times. Still, it doesn’t feel out of breath easily and driving the Corolla Altis is a breeze.
The engines offer satisfactory performance, but don’t expect much
The petrol engine is good but don’t expect mind-boggling performance
It is the CVT gearbox that kind of bogs the engine down. The powerplant churns out 140 PS at 6400 RPM and 173 Nm at 4000 RPM but the rubber band effect from the transmission is very much present and it is a downer for sure. Due to that, the engine feels a little less punchier. The gearbox doesn’t get any Sport mode, but you get a Manual mode and also paddle-shifters. However, if you’re using the Manual mode, you’ll notice that you just cannot upshift until you cross 2500 RPM. A 1.8-litre petrol engine and a CVT gearbox don’t make a good combination when you talk about fuel efficiency. The Corolla churns out about 6.5-7 km/l in the city and approximately 9-9.5 km/l on the highways.
The Corolla Altis is one hell of a comfortable cruiser
Driving Dynamics – The ride on the Toyota Corolla is very comfortable and the suspension has been tuned nicely for our roads. At low speeds, the ride feels soft and plush and the sedan does a fair job of dealing with potholes. As speeds increase, the ride gets a bit firm and the car remains nicely composed. The steering is light at low speeds and offers satisfactory feedback. On the highways, I would have liked the steering to weigh up more because it still feels quite light. The Corolla Altis likes being driven sedately and if you tend to go corner carving every time, this one might disappoint. The brakes offer good stopping power but the pedal lacks feel & some initial bite and should’ve offered better confidence.
The Corolla should be your pick if you want reliability & resale value
Verdict – There’s a reason why the Toyota Corolla Altis is the highest-seller in its segment. It doesn’t offer an engaging driving experience like some of its rivals but the car does what it is told to do and in a good way, well almost! It excels in areas where Indian customers don’t want a reason to be disappointed and that’s ease of use, practicality, space and comfort. Since it is a Toyota, it’ll probably outlast the owner and even if you decide to sell the car, the resale value will be much better than its immediate rivals and service costs won’t burn a hole in your pocket too. So, if you’re looking for any of these things you know you gotta pick the Altis. But if you’re an enthusiast looking for a car that’s involving to drive and comes with modern tech, you know where to look.
Fuel efficiency with the petrol-CVT combo isn’t high
What’s Cool
* Reliability, resale, reliability, resale!
* Looks balanced and thankfully gets some modern infusions
* Bloody comfortable sedan, also feels easy to drive around
What’s Not So Cool
* Performance is unexciting
* Petrol engine + CVT combo isn’t fuel efficienct
Alternatives: Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Elantra
Do you prefer the Toyota Corolla Altis over its rivals?
[wp-review id=”206576″]
Further Reading –