Toyota Corolla Altis Test Drive Review

Car tested: 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8GL

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 14,09,000/-

We had reviewed the all new Toyota Corolla Altis a week back and now we got a chance to get behind the wheel (read test drive) of the new Corolla Altis. We had the top end manual model to our disposal. Check out the detailed picture gallery of the Corolla Altis after the jump.

Exteriors – The Corolla Altis comes with automatic headlights with HID lamps and headlight washers. The headlights look impressive and overall it is obvious that the Corolla is inspired by its elder sibling the CAMRY.

Interiors – Getting into the drivers seat, one is greeted by the plush interiors, with a lot of attention to detail. The steering has a wooden finish, which looks great. Steering wheel is slightly smaller compared to the old COROLLA with quite a few buttons and controls giving it a high tech feel.

The COROLLA ALTIS comes with Leather Seats for the top models and fabric seats for the base ones. Headroom was a bit of a problem for the tall and the drivers seat in the rearmost position was not rear enough to seat the driver comfortably. We thought the seat could have gone further back. Electronic Lumbar Support was definitely a boon and electronic seat adjustment was a feature only available to the drivers seat. The front passenger seat comes with manual seat adjustment mechanism.The rear seats can be folded in 60:40 ratio and provide good storage in addition to the 475 liter boot. The rear seats come with a flat floor.

The instrument cluster is advanced with multi info display which shows mileage, kms before fuel runs out etc. TOYOTA has done well to give an audio system which looks cool as well is quite good for a stock audio system. The Car comes with six speakers, two on the front door and two behind the rear seats and 2 tweeters mounted on the front doors near the A pillar. The built in Audio system has a 6 Cd changer and provision for auxiliary. Sound quality is impressive for stock audio.

There is ample storage space with double glove boxes and side seat pockets. The outside rearview mirrors are electronically adjustable and retractable. The Automatic climate control system is not only very efficient but also looks very neat.

Getting Started – Switching on the ignition the car starts with the smoothest sound. Engine is well refined with slick gearshift. The car accelerates smoothly and the steering wheel feels super light. Maneuvering the car is easy thanks to the light feel Electronic Power Steering. The horn is slightly awkwardly placed in the centre of the steering, which makes one lift their hand from the steering in order to honk. Despite this, the controls on the steering are easily accessible in the driving position.

Ride and Handling – The ride of the COROLLA ALTIS was decently good, a tad better than the HONDA CIVIC. Handling is where the CIVIC gets ahead. The car does not turn in sharply at high seeds but was well balanced with very little tendency to oversteer.

Performance – The 1.8 litre VVTI engine produces 132 PS at 6000 RPM. The engine accelerates well with good gear ratios. However, the car feels slightly sluggish from 0–100 as compared to the HONDA CIVIC. Low end performance is good but the engine becomes slightly audible and rough when the revvs rise. Lower end torque for a petrol is good but we would have liked more power.

Conclusion – A great car with a lot of attention to detail but it slightly falls behind the CIVIC which looks more futuristic and appealing. The Corolla is for the person who wants to get from point A to point B in luxury, the Civic is for those who love driving and want a car that is sporty.

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