11th generation Corolla Altis is refreshingly new

It’s the world’s No.1 sedan and it’s going to be launched in India by the end of May 2014. Yes, the 11^th generation Toyota Corolla Altis comes with several refreshing changes and it drives even better and offers not only cabin comfort but also more room and improved ride quality.

Motown India correspondents drove the car, both in its diesel as well as petrol avatars in the tech city of Bengaluru in Karnataka. Though no changes have been made in the engine and transmissions, the car now offers a whole host of new and improved features.  The 1800cc petrol version even offers an automatic in the form of a Super CVT-i7 speed transmission with paddle shift. The Altis now comes with improved rear seat space and also improved NV value.

Both the rear as well as the front of the vehicle has undergone subtle design changes.  As for the interior, the rear seats come with  reclining seats, rear reading lamp and cup holder illumination. The wheel base of the vehicle has been increased marginally by 100mm resulting in more cabin space and an extra 35 litres of boot space.

The top end variants of the car boast of dual front SRS airbags. The car offers ABS with EBD and brak assist.

The petrol version will come in both a 6 speed manual option as well as a super cvt-i with 7 speed sequential shiftmatic transmission. Variants in petrol will include 1.8 JS, 1.8G and 1.8V. The diesel car has a D-4D diesel engine with a displacement of 1364cc. While the diesel showed symtoms of a turbo lag which disappeared when one accelerated and moved on the higher gears, the petrol was a rocket on four wheels. Extremely responsive and fast paced, the Corolla Altis petrol has a great suspension with excellent ride quality and handling.

Photography  Mohd. Nasir