The all-new Toyota Corolla Altis: All about excitement, sex appeal and fun

The new Altis looks so good, so sharp and so confident people would look at it.

Toyota has finally sorted the driving position you’ll feel like you’re truly part of the car inside.

Things have been getting interesting of late over at Toyota. The launch of the 86 started it all. Then Toyota started selling the FJ Cruiser. The new Vios was launched, followed by the highly successful, ground-breaking Vios One Make Race Series, and the announcement of the Toyota Racing School, then the all-new Altis.

Excitement, sex appeal, fun and edginess. These aren’t the usual words one would think of when describing Toyota. Yet these very same words fit the revitalized market-leader, coming from a high of 76,000 vehicles sold in 2013, to a T!

The Altis brings a whole lot of excitement into an admittedly shrinking market that’s slowly losing relevance in the Philippine automotive landscape. Having sold over 40 million units since its introduction in 1966 and now in its 11th generation, the all-new variant of the Corolla Altis has finally grown much more sophisticated, both skin-deep and underneath its futuristic surface.

With a design theme of Iconic Dynamism, the Altis has bold, angular edges: confident, broad-shaped doors with deep scallops near the running boards; a pointy grill; headlights and aggressive 17×7-inch alloy wheels matched with all-season performance tires. You also get LED driving lights and HID headlamps for the top 2.0 V model.

The wheelbase has grown 100 mm from the previous model and the body overall extended 80 mm.

There are two engine and two transmission choices across four variants. I had the top-model V variant, which came with soft leather interior plus the aforementioned 17-inch alloy wheels, some subtle body enhancements (front chin, side skirts, rear valance and a duck-tail rear spoiler), HID/LED driving lamps and the 2.0 dual VVT-i engine that produces 141.97 horsepower and 187 Newton-meters of torque. It comes with a CVT transmission which can simulate seven forward speeds and controlled via a parallel gate on the shift lever or by paddles mounted behind the three-spoke, leather-clad steering wheel. CVTs in general haven’t held up well in terms of reliability; they sacrifice performance for the sake of fuel efficiency. The result? A usually limp-wristed driving experience.

Thankfully, the Altis’ CVT is arguably the most responsive, sprightly and energetic transmission of its type that I’ve tried. It behaved more like a conventional torque-converter-equipped automatic when pressing on aggressively in cut-and-thrust traffic driving, yet slipped to a smoother, seamless feel when cruising out on the highway. With a relatively tight engine driving through traffic, I got a very acceptable 8 kilometers per liter in mostly city-traffic driving and right around 10 kpl on a short highway drive to Alabang. With more miles under its belt, the Altis has definitely more efficiency (and power) to give out.

More legroom

Inside, family-types will be happy to know, the Altis has grown by 92 millimeters/9.2 centimeters/3.62 inches, with most of the added space translating to more legroom, particularly for backseat passengers. In an industry where engineers fight for millimeters, 3.6 inches is universes apart. Overall, the wheelbase has grown 100 mm from the previous model and the body overall has been extended 80 mm.

You feel pleasant sitting inside the airy, luxurious interior; it’s such a pleasure getting in and out, and the longer wheelbase gives it far better comfort and stability even on rough roads, plus the option to cross your legs out back even if you’re over 5’8” tall, with a same-size driver and passengers up front. Even with the 215/45R17 tires pumped up to 35 psi all-around, the Altis’ chassis felt very stiff and composed, NVH canceled out by the suspension and chassis with no creaks or complaints from the structure permeating into the cabin.

Feels great to drive

I never thought I’d say this, but the Altis feels great to drive. Toyota has finally sorted the driving position: You feel like you’re truly part of the car inside, rather than simply riding on top of it. The steering wheel adjusts for both reach and rake, allowing you to find a more natural angle level with your arms and shoulder, which vastly improves driving feel and feedback. The Optitron-style instrument cluster (exclusive to higher-end variants) is laid out well, and the 2.0 V has electric power adjustment for the driver’s seat.

There’s also a trip/fuel computer à la Audi MMI between the speedometer and tachometer that allows you to toggle through various information such as average and real-time fuel consumption, driving time, trip-meter information and outside temperature. You also get USB/AUX-IN and Bluetooth integration with your mobile phone or media device and the Altis’ 2DIN integrated media player.

The four-wheel disc brake’s pedal feel is still on the soft side of firm but offers more than decent modulation, the suspension is firm yet compliant: You don’t wallow over the rough stuff since there’s very good roll and pitch control to keep the 1300-kilogram Altis leveled even when cornering briskly or under heavy braking. The electric steering, despite being very light and almost completely feel-less, at least   lost that two-step feeling when you turn in.

Previous Toyotas felt like the steering wheel and the front tires were disconnected: Turn the wheel left or right and, a split second later, you feel the tires turn, followed by weight transfer to the outer corner. It’s an unnerving feeling all old Toyotas have, which makes forward progress busy. Thankfully, the Altis flows confidently and consistently from corner to corner, in a more organic, natural manner.

The safety spec is also quite good: All four Altis variants get ABS-EBD brakes with emergency brake assist and dual front airbags; and the V gets keyless, only push START. You get automatic climate control for all but the base 1.6 Manual variant.

But really, it’s the new look that captures,  draws and rivets you  to the Altis. It looks so good, so sharp and so confident people would look at it. Other motorists would let me pass through as they admired the Altis’ machismo—something which definitely cannot be said of the older Corolla and Altis models.

Combined with improved driving dynamics and in line with the company pumping back fun and excitement into its cars, plus increased interior space, good safety kit and a wide array of variants to suit most budgets, Toyota can steal this segment away from its key Japanese, American and Korean rivals.