“WHICH BMW model is that you’re testing for the weekend?” queried a friend of mine.
That was one of the questions asked when I posted a photo of the new Toyota Corolla Altis on my social media.
Mind you, I’ve confirmed later on in our conversation that he wasn’t joking. I don’t blame him for the impression though, since the photo was a rear three-quarter from quite a distance.
I understood how the mistake was made after imagining myself as someone who is not an avid motoring industry fan or does not follow the latest motoring news.
That was how strong the impression was brought by the image of the new Corolla Altis, perhaps the current image by the Toyota brand as a whole.
Toyota, with its new TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform and emphasis on motorsports with Gazoo Racing, has come out with a rather dynamic-styling or appearance that is more youthful for their recent cars like the C-HR, Camry, and the Corolla Altis.
As for the Corolla Altis, the styling
is not the only element that was amplified, but also its driving quality and overall refinement.
In fact, the car now has the energetic styling almost like the Civic, rewarding driving experience almost like the Mazda3, and is refined almost like the Elantra.
So is the Corolla Altis the most all-rounded car in its class? How versatile could it be?
Three main pillars
Before we figure out the questions above, it is worth mentioning that the Toyota Corolla Altis has been introduced with three main pillars as an extension to the TNGA platform.
They are visibility, stability and agility.
TNGA is not only a revamp in terms of manufacturing method, where it substantially reduces the complexity of the company’s production globally, but also translates to better sense of wideness and space, lower centre of gravity for better driving dynamics and effortless turning characteristics.
These are the elements that we as a buyer or user can benefit from.
The car arrived here in fully-imported form from Thailand, with prices at RM128,888 for the 1.8E and RM136,888 for 1.8G.
The Corolla, which is in its 12th generation now, gets a major step up in safety with Toyota Safety Sense.
The advanced integrated safety system (fitted only to the 1.8G) comprises of Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Lane Tracing Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Automatic High Beam and Blind Spot Monitor.
The engine is retained from the previous generation, a 1.8-litre 2ZR-FE naturally-aspirated mill producing 139hp and 173Nm of torque mated to a Shiftmatic CVT with seven virtual speed.
From the side, the silhouette portrays as if the car has a longer front overhang than the rear, which is abnormal for a Japanese car, but not a bad thing at all.
The J-shaped LED daytime-running lights, slim intakes flanking the front logo and a huge gaping lower intakes deliver a dynamic look to the car.
Also part of the TNGA outcome is the noticeably lower front hood and lower beltline down the side of the windows that should give the claimed better visibility and handling mentioned before.
In general, I particularly liked how the new Corolla Altis looks as it departed from the subtle and mundane traits typically affiliated to Toyota cars of yesteryears.
The drive
With 139hp from a 1.8-litre engine, it is not a figure that can get you excited by today’s standards.
But as far as we tend to get sceptical with CVT transmissions, the pairing actually worked for the Corolla Altis, utilising every bit of its power to send the car up to decent paces in a respectable time.
I found myself underestimating the effectiveness of the paddle-shifters because these manual modes in CVT-equipped cars are usually almost pointless.
But it is not the case with the Corolla though. Doing your own gearshift delivered a pretty engaging and satisfying feel, despite the fact that there was no actual gear to the transmission.
At most speeds, the car was buttery smooth and almost effortless to drive.
The engine and cabin were quiet, too.
Average fuel consumption was rated at 8.4 litre per 100km, or equivalent to 11.9km per litre from my various driving situations.
In terms of handling and driving dynamics, the Corolla exceeded my expectations. It handled supremely well, with good steering feedback and refined ride.
At initial degree of steering input, you get the sense that the car is soft-damped, but as you add more input, the car will sit on its side with excellent control and give the sense of high limit capability, especially in long fast corners.
This sensation is usually more well-known to cars like the Mazda3 or Hyundai Elantra, although the Mazda is a little bit more driver-oriented.
The cabin materials in the Corolla Altis is a blend of Toyota’s durability and attention to details.
You can see that the surfaces as well as control buttons and toggles were made to last, but there’s also fine and premium feel to them.
The instrument cluster is digital and has a lot of extractable information, but was easy enough to read, although not the best in the business.
Other creature comfort features in here are dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, Qi wireless charger, dual digital video recorder and a 6.8-inch infotainment system with panoramic view monitor.
When we sampled the Corolla Altis, it was the only car in the segment to get advanced and autonomous driving features, but by the time you read this, the new Civic has been launched with Honda Sensing, which is almost a similar package.
The systems worked adequately well, especially Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, which took off a portion of driver’s workload on highway driving.
I also appreciate the fact that the Blind Spot Monitor did not come with warning beeping sound, which can be annoying at times.
What’s not to like about the car?
Firstly, the front doors seemed to not have enough degree of opening to it, and while the rear doors are better in this sense, getting in and out of the car might require you to tilt your head a little bit, especially if you are taller than average.
Another thing is the infotainment system, which could use a better one that could fit a larger screen and make use of the full dimension of the housing.
Verdict
With the new drastic styling, improved refinement and dynamic driving characteristics, the new Toyota Corolla Altis certainly is an excellent all-rounder.
Perhaps it is a little bit of everything; has the brave style of the Civic, the refinement of the Elantra and the driving of the Mazda3.
The car still can be said as a safe choice, but it redefined “safe choice” to not necessarily be boring.