Toyota refurbish the Corolla Altis with a minor facelift and a much-needed new CVTi tranny. Is it just old wine in a new bottle? Or is there more to it than just that? Sarmad Kadiri seeks to find out
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
The Corolla Altis was introduced in 2008. With time the competition grew and raised the bar, making Toyota consider a quick mid-life upgrade for this saloon. It may be recalled that a couple of months ago we had carried a report about Toyota’s plans to launch the 2011 Altis with design tweaks. It came as no surprise, therefore, that Car India was invited by the Japanese auto major for a short first drive of the new Corolla Altis in Bengaluru recently.
The sedan has received a minor facelift – a snip here and a tuck there – but you have to strain your eyes to discover these changes. Take, for instance, the front bumper where the air-intakes look inverted as compared to those on the previous generation. Even the fog-lamp mounts have become squarer. The other changes are new and protruding HID headlamps, which attempt to give the car a wider front look. A new Camry-inspired grille sits between them, adding to the robust design philosophy of the new model. This is also reflected in the rear design with the rear bumper and chunkier LED tail-lamps. This sedan runs on 15-inch tubeless radials, though one cannot help thinking that one size bigger would make the car more dynamic and appealing.
Toyota offer the 2011 Corolla Altis in three options: the 1.4-litre diesel mated with a new six-speed manual and, in the petrol version, it comes with the new ZR series with dual VVTi 1.8-litre motor, with the option of six-speed manual or seven-speed CVT-i. Both the diesel and petrol Altises look alike, barring only the front grille, which is all black and has just one chrome insert, unlike the petrol version, which has a couple of them.
The interior of this revised edition remains true to the earlier model and now has a new touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth at the centre of the dual coloured dashboard, below which is the climate control system. Another interesting new feature is the parking sensor and its switch and illuminated green icon situated under the climate control. The 2011 Altis also has new leather upholstery with perforation that breathes and looks better.
Among the three options of the Altis, the most appealing was the 1.8-litre petrol automatic. The dual VVTi is mated with a new seven-speed CVT-i, which, thankfully, replaces the previous generation four-speed auto box. It has been re-tuned and now produces 140 PS of power at 6,400 rpm and 173 Nm of maximum torque at 4,000 rpm; that’s about eight PS and three Nm more than the outgoing one. Toyota also claim that the new engine set-up and combination of the CVT make the Altis seven per cent more efficient. The dual VVTi uses computerised timing control of both the inlet and exhaust valves. The system promises torque at low revs and power at high engine speeds. The car definitely feels more refined and engaging to drive than the older automatic Altis with the four-speed transmission. Toyota have developed the seven-speed CVT-i transmission where the gear shift is intelligently controlled to keep the engine rpm of the car in the optimum range for superior fuel-efficiency and power response. The best part about the seven-speed CVT-i is that it keeps the engine running below 2,000 rpm when driven within the ECO zone of 60 km/h. This means that the torque flows in a linear fashion, diminishing the usual rubber-band effect found in most cars using an auto-box.
There has always been very little to complain about Toyota’s ride quality and handling. It behaves well in a straight line, though its soft suspension does not make it the best car in the segment round fast corners. Another highlight about the 2011 version is the new metallic blue colour option and smart entry.
This is almost like old wine in a new bottle, where the wine in question is full-bodied and of a rich bouquet, the new bottle just being an added attraction.
