CONSERVATIVE styling, decent fuel consumption, low running cost and rock-solid reliability have made the Toyota Corolla the world’s best-selling car. During the Corolla’s 48-year production run, well over 40 million units have been sold worldwide. Logically, the folks at Toyota headquarters wouldn’t mess with this winning formula, right? Umm…wrong.
The winds of change are blowing at Toyota, and these have not only brought about models such as the future classic, the ’86; Toyota’s traditionally sedate sedans are now oozing with sex appeal, too. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look out your car window and gaze intently at the handsome rear ends of the current-generation Toyota Camry and Vios.
And then, of course, there’s the 2014 Toyota Corolla Altis 2.0 V. During the Philippine debut of the all-new Corolla Altis earlier this year, Shinichi Yasui, chief engineer for the 11th-generation Corolla Altis shared this about the car: “I injected the spirit of waku doki. Waku doki means emotions of enthusiasm that bring excitement to the heart. I want the customer to think, ‘Wow! Is this really a Corolla Altis?’” It’s funny how my weeklong test of the Altis some time back elicited exactly that reaction from strangers. After all, this top-of-the-line Altis was such an attention-grabber with its red mica metallic paint job, silver-on-black 17-inch wheels, aggressively styled front bumper, rear bumper with diffuser, ducktail spoiler and side skirts.
I needed to do some errands at an Land Transportation Office field office one morning, and I parked the car a few feet away from a glass window for public transactions. A male clerk in his 30s came out of the office, approached me, and asked me, “’Yan ba ’yung bagong Corolla Altis?”
“Oo,” I replied.
“Stock ba ’yung spoilers at rims?” he followed up.
“Oo, stock mga ’yan. Driver lang ang modified,” I deadpanned. “Ang guwapo!” he replied.
The passenger cabin of our tester is just as easy on the eye. The Corolla Altis 2.0 V’s dashboard, instrument panel, center stack and center console look very modern with faux carbon fiber, tastefully finished plastics and polished metal. Cool blue light bathes the instrument panel and the front-passenger wheel wells.
While many of its competitors have shifted to infotainment systems with touchscreens, multi-information displays with controls knobs (à la European luxury-car brands) and even voice commands, the Corolla Altis’s audio setup that still uses good ol’ knobs, buttons and a tiny display is a bit of an anachronism. The audio system does come with CD, MP3, Aux-in, USB and Bluetooth connectivity.
It’s no surprise that the Corolla Altis’s large exterior dimensions nets class-leading cabin space. Rear-seat legroom courtesy of the 2,700-mm wheelbase will allow average-sized adults to cross their legs if they want to. Adding to the comfort of the rear passengers is the flat rear floor.
Front seats provide good lateral support for enthusiastic driving on twisty roads. Drivers of any size or waistline should easily find an ideal driving position, thanks to electric seat controls and a steering wheel that adjusts for rake and reach.
Going on a long road trip and need to transport a lot of cargo? The trunk is deep, wide and long, but if it still isn’t enough, the rear seats split 60:40, and can fold to accommodate extralong items.
Behind the fiercely handsome grille and headlights lies a 2.0-liter gas engine carried over from the previous gen. The 145 hp output peaks at 6,200 rpm, while peak torque of 187 Nm comes at 3,600 rpm. However, the drivetrain’s piéce de résistance is the continuously variable transmission (CVT) that is quick to respond to paddle shifter inputs or to kick down when the accelerator is floored. The CVT allows the engine to rev all the way to the redline when called for, yet is very refined. Grunt is impressive (Huge Grunt?) throughout the entire rev range. Despite the Corolla Altis’s heft, the car feels quicker than rivals that boast of better power and torque numbers.
Driving the Corolla Altis around the Metro, including spending two hours in post-thunderstorm traffic, still netted a respectable fuel consumption of 8 to 9 km per liter. Normal driving on expressways got me twice as far per liter or about 15 to 17 km/L.
Handling of the Corolla Altis belies the car’s sports sedan pretensions with steering and turn-in responses that remind you more of the “sedan” than the “sports”. I also found the steering too light, and it didn’t really communicate well the front tires’ grip levels or direction of travel.
The upside to this is a ride that is comfortable even when blasting past highway expansion joints at triple-digit speeds. Suspension set-up is MacPherson struts in front and torsion beam axle at the rear.
The lineup of standard safety features for the Corolla Altis 2.0 V is a bit short compared to its rivals,’ and it includes three-point seatbelts for all five occupants, dual airbags, parking sensors and ABS with EBD.
Suggested retail price for the 2014 Toyota Corolla Altis 2.0 V is P1.201 million.
At the end of the day, reliability, hassle-free ownership and affordable operation are still the bread-and-butter of the 2014 Toyota Corolla Altis 2.0 V. But its drop-dead gorgeous package and willing drivetrain are unassailable proof that the phrase “Exciting Corolla Altis” is no longer an oxymoron.