The latest iteration of the
Toyota Corolla is the 11th generation of this vehicle. There are few cars in
the world that have seen so many generations being produced consecutively,
replicating the same kind of success. So will the youngest of the family tree
be able to live up to the line’s illustrious legacy? We bring you our
first impressions
Toyota
Corolla Altis 2014
The first time i ever laid my eyes on the
Toyota Corolla (I have no idea what generation of the car that was) happened to
be in the then neighbouring kingdom of Nepal, way back in 1987. Growing up on
an unending diet of Ambassadors, Premier Padminis, Maruti 800s and Omnis along
with the occasional spattering of a Standard Herald or 2000, the Corolla had
looked unlike anything that I had seen on public roads! Cut to 2007, my first
official tryst with the Corolla happened in Bahrain where I had been invited to
review the 10th generation of the car that would later make its entry into
India as the Corolla Altis. Seven years from that test drive on the Sakhir
International Circuit just outside Manama city, the Corolla (Altis in India)
has continued to rake in the moolah for the global automotive giant. Not just
in India, but around the world. Indeed, the success of the Toyota Corolla as a
premium family saloon car is the stuff legends are made of. So when I found
myself on a flight from Pune to Bengaluru to test the 11th generation of this
vehicle, expectations were high. On hindsight it would be fair to say that most
of my expectations have been met.
Toyota
Corolla Altis Rear
Oops! Before I forget, I should probably
tell you what those expectations were in the first place. So here goes. I
expected the latest of the Corolla lot to be good-looking, well-finished and
offering high quality. I was also expecting a smooth engine and a drive
experience without fuss or drama. Throw in comfort, space and features into the
mix and I would say I had a fairly hefty bag of expectations from this Toyota.
More so, because it was a Corolla.
Rather than going for a radically changed
vehicle the Japanese giant has chosen to walk the path of evolution. As a
result the powertrain options in the new car remain unchanged. What is changed,
though, is the chassis of the vehicle. The latest monocoque, even though based
on the previous platform, has been worked upon to become longer and wider.
Consequently, the new generation of the Corolla Altis has a wheelbase that is
100 millimetres longer than the car it replaces. Toyota claim this has also
resulted in 92 mm more of knee-room at the rear, which, they say, is an
alteration based on direct feedback from previous Corolla customers round the
world.
Toyota Corolla Altis Interior
