Class Leader: Toyota Corolla Altis (2001)

Surely you agree that the advertising concept of having a certain Hollywood actor driving the all-new Toyota Corolla Altis didn’t raise your expectations. In fact, personally, I find the adverts bordering on the tasteless and the just plain awful. Could this be a premonition of things to expect with the Corolla Altis? Thankfully, no—as the Corolla Altis proves to be the best mainstream car Toyota Motors Philippines has come up with in probably its whole history, but could it be a true threat to the Honda Civic and Nissan Exalta?

For those who think that this new Corolla Altis is merely an evolution of the Corollas of the past with refined styling and features, then you’re wrong. What Toyota has done here is that it grabbed the formbook by the scruff of its neck and shredded it. The Corolla Altis is leagues better than the car it replaces. The Altis has grown in very aspect (4530 mm vs. 4315 mm in length; 1705 mm vs. 1690 mm in width; 1500 mm vs. 1385 mm in height and 2600 mm vs. 2465 mm in wheelbase) and it shows. The height is probably the most obvious improvement for the Corolla Altis since it uses the same concept design as the ones found in the Echo and Prius. Designers noted that increasing the headroom would give a less claustrophobic environment. Although not too obvious from its design elements, the Corolla Altis is also the longest car in its class compared to the Honda Civic’s 4435 mm and the Exalta’s 4470 mm.

Though the dimensional difference compared to its competitors isn’t much to cause a lot of controversy, these proportions do give the designers the block fromn which to carve their design. In this respect, the length, width and height dictated by Toyota’s ergonomic specialists have paved the way as to how the car will look like. The Corolla Altis’ exterior design is quite different from the guppy-faced Japanese Corolla. Since Toyota’s aim in the South East Asian region is to position the new Corolla Altis as an affordable luxury family car, exterior designers had to work hard to improve the rather clean and uninspired design of the Zen-loving Japanese.

In the process, they have given the Corolla Altis one of the most heatedly debated body design since the nameplate’s inception more than 30 years ago. Unlike Honda, who didn’t like to take chances with the new Civic (they decided to refine the previous generation’s design), Toyota took a bold step with the Corolla, the centerpiece of which is the four-headlamp design. The four-headlamp structure is the first for any Corolla, and according to the car’s designers, this improves the lamp’s throw by huge bounds over the two-lamp design that was used before.

Aesthetically, Toyota wrapped the lamps to make the inner lamp pieces droop downwards, similar to what Mercedes-Benz did with the S-class; only this one, they did it in reverse. Though some people noted that the lamps look as if they were two nostrils protruding into the grille, personally, I find the Corolla Altis’ lamp design quite refreshing and unique. This is especially true because of the fact that Toyota has finally produced some sexy curves upfront unlike the bland squarish and / or triangular units in the Civic, Exalta and Lynx.

Between the A and C-pillars, the lines are clearly Lexus IS200 especially with the sharply raked fat C-pillar and the pull-type door handles. However, this doesn’t reduce the rear headroom given that this car has a lot of spare space to begin with. In fact, the sharp drop in the C-pillar adds to the Corolla Altis’ aggressive stance. As to practicality, the sharply angled C-pillars have produced rear windows that fully retract into the housing, leaving none of those unsightly bits of rear window that’s so common with the rear door designs. The standard side skirt on all G models is a welcome addition to reduce the slab-sided look that dominates the lower half of the car.

If the mid-part were to be taken exclusively from the rest of the car, then it isn’t obvious that this is one tall vehicle. In fact, what makes it look tall is with what designers have done with the rear of the car. Like the Honda Civic, albeit to a lesser degree, the Corolla Altis’ lights have been pushed up, to the point that it is about to hit the lip of the rear area. The rear cluster is as unique as the front, employing separate clusters for the major lights with a red colored surround. Once turned on, the brake lights produce what we like to call ‘Las Vegas’-style lights because of the neon-like reflective pattern in the rear lamp clusters. The rear bumper has also been increased in height, comparatively to the trunk opening, adding to the car’s tall appearance.

Opening the trunk reveals a very flat and deep luggage space, courtesy of the new torsion-beam axle rear suspension. This is another page thrown away from the Corolla rule book, which has always favored independent McPherson struts and not the current non-independent design. Clearly, a step backward in the suspension department that is similar to the “downgrade” of the Civic’s McPherson strut fronts from double-wishbones.

Inside, the Corolla Altis is a mixed bag. The design, although not awe-inspiring is actually clean and classy. Some interior bits are made of soft feel plastics such as the dashboard itself and side panels. However, some are made of horrid material such as the ventilation switches on the lower 1.6-liter models as well as the power window switches and to some degree the steering wheel and gear knob. Compared to its rivals, the materials in the Nissan Exalta are much better, but this car kicks the Honda Civic’s interior squarely into third place. The interior wood trim (standard in the G variant) looks unreal especially the way it curves with the side panel and the center console box; the Exalta’s are better. Nonetheless, it gives a break from the interior’s monotony of two-tone plastic.

The seats are good or bad depending on the trim level that you choose. The 1.6-liter variants have awful square design full fabric seats, but the 1.8-liter version sports full leather seats that are about the same quality level as that of the Honda Accord VTi-L. Seat support is quite good for the front passengers. Although it does not provide any sort of sporty touches such as heavy side bolstering, the back and side support that it provides are quite good for everyday driving, whether city or highway. At the back, the rear seats provide better thigh and knee support than the Honda Civic’s because of the Corolla Altis’ heavily shaped and contoured design and longer seat. However, rear kneeroom has been traded for this extra personal luxury.

The gauges are, like the seats, good or bad depending on the trim level. The ‘G’ line-up uses Optitron display, similar to the high-tech Mercedes-Benz S-class. It makes the gauges easy to read because of electro-luminescence technology that gives it a somewhat 3D look. Although we did the test drive under direct sunlight, there was no problem of the gauges getting washed out, unlike previous attempts by Toyota in some of their Lexus lines. On the other hand, the lower end E and J utilize the traditional display methods. Since the instrumentation cluster is designed with Optitron in mind, the gauges here look very flat. Although still easy to read—it’s not good to look at.

The driving position is snug and excellent. The steering wheel falls into the right place and the shifter is easy to reach. The standard leather wheel on the 1.6G is the same effective Corolla wheel of two generations ago, while the 1.8G inherits the same except it has additional bragging rights: a chrome Toyota badge in a leather / wood combination. Surprisingly, the hand brake is easier to use on this car than the so-called ‘driver’s car’, the Honda Civic, as it’s closer in proximity to the driver. The controls are easily readable and in the already familiar Toyota layout. The exception to the ergonomic rule has to be the climate control system. The 1.6G and 1.8E for instance, herald back to the circa 80s design with the slide-type switches. The 1.8G is a bit better because of its ultra-smart climate control system; however, with its plethora of switches, it is hard to determine the on / off button, which has actually been relegated near the right side of the A/C system.

We took three variants of the Corolla Altis around for a spin: the 1.8G, 1.6G and 1.6E. Surprisingly, although they share the same basic suspension geometry (McPherson Struts at front and Torsion Beam Axle at back), these cars behave, oddly enough, quite a bit differently from one another.

1.6G

The 1.6G is the first car we took for a run around the course, for a simple reason: with its PHP 832,000 price tag, it’s closely in the running against the Honda Civic VTi-S and the Nissan Exalta 1.6GS. Only available with a 4-speed automatic, this is clearly a level playing field with the rest of the Toyota’s rivals since all other companies have automatic-only as their top variant’s transmission.

In terms of spec-sheet power, the Corolla’s 1.6-liter DOHC VVTi 16-valve inline-4 unit produces 160 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm. In truth however, it feels much better than that. Thanks to the wonderfully smart Toyota automatic, the combination of the VVTi’s extra grunt and flatter torque curve makes this car a winner in terms of stoplight duels, probably even trouncing the peaky VTEC-3 unit in the Honda Civic. The smoothness of this car’s automatic matches the level of performance and acceleration as the Nissan Exalta. During mid-revs, the Toyota engine exhibits more excess power to give up, especially when accelerating out of twisty urban roads or even long, wide curves.

Handling is pointy and somewhat precise. However, there is still a lack of steering feedback from this car to the point that it fails to communicate the driving limits of this car. Nonetheless, the Corolla Altis shows neutral amounts of understeer and oversteer up to a certain degree. When pushed to the limit, the car will exhibit huge amounts of understeer especially turning hard at over 40-50 km/h. During these emergency situations, the car suddenly loses its composure and feels rugged and scary. Add to that the fact that the softly damped springs make the car roll heavily during tight maneuvers such as slaloms.

The 1.6G’s ride is somewhat bumpy. Since the Corolla Altis has the same sort of suspension configuration as the Nissan Exalta. In this respect it seems that it has also developed some of its design flaws. Whenever the car is nearly empty (e.g. no passengers, luggage), the car becomes easily unsettled even with slightly uneven roads. Nonetheless, bump absorption bests the Nissan’s multi-link beam, but can’t touch Honda’s double wishbone.

The brakes on the 1.6G are four-wheel disc brakes with ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) and BAS (Brake Assist System). However, it is quite surprising that the braking is still not at par with the Nissan’s system in terms of initial response and gripiness. Nonetheless, enthusiasts will love the Corolla over its rivals because it allows more experimentation and more pushing towards the limit before the electronics start kicking in—a hint of tire screeching, a few feet and a few seconds later, the Toyota Corolla Altis stops dead.

1.8G

Priced at PHP 928,000, the 1.8G is fairly distant from the price range of any of Nissan’s or Honda’s challengers. In fact, the closest challenge will come from the bigger guns: Honda Accord VTi and Opel Astra Wagon. No problem for the 1.8G. With standard interior wood trim and leather appointments, it shames both of these bigger cars with its luxury amenities.

While the 1.6-liter VVTi feels better than its 160 Nm of torque, the opposite is true for the 1.8-liter DOHC VVTi 16-valve inline-4 unit. The blistering 145-bhp output and 188 Nm of torque should have people cracking records at the Carmona Circuit, but this is simply not the case. Again, because of the innate nature of Toyota’s inline-4 engines, it is efficient below the 4000-rpm mark. Thus, the power of the 1.8-liter engine is distributed well throughout the power band. The engine in this case is a quiet and competent worker, choosing to be a grand tourer rather than an all-out sports car. The smoothness of the 1.8-liter engine does merit it as a Ward’s Top Ten Engine Nominee this year. The power of the 1ZZ-FE engine is transferred to a 4-speed automatic with Super ECT.

If you think the ECT is good, then the Super ECT is simply sublime. The computer controlled shifting is quite accurate in predicting the correct upshift and downshift points, making you think twice if you’re driving an automatic. Sure, it still doesn’t have the ‘pee in your pants’ acceleration that a manual would offer, but it comes pretty damn close. The car just wants to keep on and on whether on a straight, a tight corner or a long gently leaning curve. The gateshift style transmission is also easy to use and at the same time adds a bit of style.

The heavier front-end of the 1.8G practically removed the jittery ride probably that was encountered with the 1.6G. In fact, the car feels very composed on any type of surface. Llet me put it this way: if there’s a car that can match the Civic’s famed handling, then it has to be this. The added weight effectively negated the high center of gravity that the Corolla Altis generally has making it a firm and steady handler in tight situations. In fact, there’s no sense of lift from the tires. It’s flat and stable throughout any corner.

The standard Goodyear NCT5 195 / 60 VR 15 tires on both the 1.6G and 1.8G grip very well not even giving any sort of grip loss or tire screeching (except in full, emergency braking, where the ABS evoked slight screeching from the 1.6G’s wheels).

1.6E

Don’t laugh. At PHP 752,000 for the manual and PHP 787,000 for the automatic, this could very well be your next company car. Specifications are quite decent for a car of this price, as driver’s airbag, ABS, EBD and BAS all remain as standard. In fact, the only two differentiating factors that count are 14-inch alloys and rear drum brakes.

For kicks, we decided to have a go in the 1.6E 5-speed manual. This time, we wanted to satisfy a curiosity of whether or not Toyota manuals have improved over the last 10 years. Sadly, the answer is a resounding: no.

Although only 474 kilometers are registered on the odometer, the gearbox feels as if it has already done 474,000 kilometers. The feel is simply substandard even against the Toyota manuals that we remember. In fact, if I had to put the shift feel into words, then think Hino—those huge buses you see traveling along EDSA—that’s how bad the transmission is: equal to appalling long-throw diesel manuals.

Nevertheless, we still had to see what the VVTi engine could deliver with a manual gearbox. The answer to this question is surprisingly good performance. Although the engine doesn’t like to be revved as much as the VTEC-3 unit of the Civic (it crackles), the VVTi series of engines give more useable power at lower revs making in-corner acceleration quite better and more responsive.

The only problem would have to be that the VVTi unit becomes deafeningly boomy when it reaches the 5,000 rpm mark—a trait that existed in Toyota inline-4s since time immemorial. Warranty is still 50,000 kilometers / 2-years maximum.

Overall, as a package, the Toyota Corolla Altis is one great deal. Although the Honda Civic may still have more interior space and a longer warranty, and the Nissan Exalta has more gadgets and toys, the Toyota Corolla Altis emerges here as the clear winner. A lot of improvement has been done to catch up with the Honda Civic. With this current crop of Corollas it seems that Toyota has finally found the advantage they were striving for. This car is a perfect balance of performance, safety, styling and comfort at a budget that’s relatively affordable.

If price is no objection, then the 1.8G is the best car of the bunch because it sorts out the problems of the 1.6G. Moreover, because of its Super ECT transmission, the car will accelerate closer to a manual than any of the other variants. However, if price is the primary consideration, then the 1.6G emerges as a good alternative to the Honda Civic and the Nissan Exalta. In fact, I would go on boldly to say that the 1.6G deserves to win the 1.6-liter crown from its two main rivals. The 1.6G doesn’t get all the merits on handling and performance—but it consistently does well in all departments. The problem with getting a Corolla though is the staggering two-month waiting list for the 1.8G and a one-month long list for the 1.6-liter variants.

Finally, as a message to Toyota: perhaps with the company entering Formula One next year, we’d see the likes of Mika Salo yodeling for his Corolla Altis or Alan McNish doing something funny with his kilt as a new advertising campaign for this car. Toyota’s adverts have failed to address the key differences of the all-new Corolla, and we’d like to see them do better–just like they did with the Corolla itself.

motioncars.com would like to thank
Raymond Rodriguez of Toyota Motors Philippines,
Michael Masmayor and the rest of the Test Drive team for accommodating us during the test.

By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang and Jason Ang
Originally Published September 2001 Issue