Toyota Corolla Altis – Hits & misses

The Toyota Corolla is one of the all-time greats. It has been in successful existence for eleven generations and is the best-selling car in the whole world. Called the Corolla Altis in the Malaysian market, the C-segment sedan is quite a popular choice among buyers in this genre. The Japanese automaker gave its star performer a facelift in 2016, thereby reinforcing the Corolla’s grip within its segment. Its primary rivals in Malaysia include the likes of the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra. However, despite its immense popularity and claim to fame, the Toyota Corolla Altis is by no means perfect. Therefore, here are some of the positive and negative bits about the Corolla Altis.

Toyota Corolla Altis Hits

Styling

When you compare it to its pre-facelift precursor, the current iteration of the Corolla Altis is surely step in the right direction. The new model bears sharper features, too, helping it stand out more. The refreshed styling has also paid dividends as the Corolla’s stance strikes a good balance between dynamism and poise. The front fascia now wears a more tapered grille with a thicker chrome bar, sleek and upswept headlamps, and a sportier-looking bumper with a larger opening and integrated dual fog lamps. The bumper also gets a couple of vertical plastic trim finished in glossy black and a subtle lip extension.

The side profile of the Corolla Altis remains unchanged, and it still appears modern and well proportioned. The dual-tone 17-inch alloys look crisp and stylish, while the tapering rear window line and chrome-finished door handles lend the sedan some flair and class. The rear features a revamped tail light cluster, now adorning a different arrangement for the LED elements. Meanwhile, the chrome strip on the boot lid is thinner than before but still connects the two rear lights.

 

Safety

The previous Corolla Altis scored quite poorly due to its lack of enough safety equipment. Thankfully, that is no longer the case with the introduction of this facelifted model. Toyota now provides a full complement of up to seven airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, vehicle stability control, traction control, and ISOFIX rear seat anchors as standard right across the range.

Fuel economy

The boffins at Toyota have tinkered with the engine and gearbox of the Corolla Altis to maximise its fuel economy. Both powerplants, the 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre four-cylinder units are equipped with dual overhead cams, Toyota’s intelligent variable valve timing and a 7-step continuously variable transmission. The combined effect of the well-tuned engines and gearbox becomes evident when you check the trip meter. The Corolla Altis with the 1.8-litre motor is the most efficient, managing up to 16 kmpl. Meanwhile, the two-litre variant also performs quite well, averaging up to 14.5 kmpl on a combined cycle.

Badge appeal

This is one of the most pivotal factors that lead so many people to buy a Toyota Corolla Altis. The Japanese auto giant is world renowned for making cars that often top reliability and ownership satisfaction surveys. The Toyota Corolla, which has become a brand of its own, effortlessly tops almost all reliability indexes ever conceived. Not to mention the fact that the combination of Toyota as a brand and Corolla as a product is nearly impossible to beat. There’s little wonder why there are tens of millions of these in the world, today.

Toyota Corolla Altis Hits

Price

Everything has a price, and the Toyota Corolla Altis is no different. However, for the class it sits in, the lofty pricing of the Corolla Altis can’t be justified; at least not with logical reasoning. The range starts at RM 120,000 for the entry-level 1.8E variant. While the mid-tier 1.8G trim wears a sticker price of RM 123,000, with the range-topping 2.0V retailing for an even steeper RM 138,000. On the other hand, the top trim of the Honda Civic can be yours for RM 128,631, while the all-new Hyundai Elantra can be had for RM 109,888. In this context, the Corolla’s competitors aren’t just better priced, but also feature a more up-to-date design and are better to drive.

Interior

The interior of the Corolla Altis, while it’s practical and everything works as it should, fails to make a good impression. Its design is decidedly old, feeling a tad jaded and uninspiring when pitted next to the competition. The turbine-style, circular side air vents, a slightly restyled instrument cluster and mildly refreshed centre stack with a new HVAC panel, aren’t enough to pass muster. Worse still, is the quality of the plastics and some of the touch points - neither match the Corolla’s asking price.

Performance

Even the most potent variant of the Corolla Altis can’t keep pace with the Civic with its turbocharged motor. Zero to 100 kmph in the Toyota takes 10 seconds and maximum velocity is just 195 kmph.