JAN 18 — The motoring media went on a test drive yesterday with the all-new Toyota Corolla Altis around the outskirts of the Klang Valley, going through a wide variety of highway, B-roads and countryside driving roads, but I wasn’t there – Hopefully I will get a car real soon, and I will then be able to share with you my first hand impressions. However, I have gathered impressions from three of my buddies, and share them with you today until later when I do get my hands on one. I did turn up in the middle of the drive, and got some pictures though.

The new Altis comes with a 'bolder and more youthful' shape.

The car will be launched this coming Monday and you will be able to see it in the Toyota showrooms.

In terms of looks, the new Toyota Corolla is probably the best-looking one yet, with a bolder and more youthful shape, neutral in the sense that it is linked to neither gender, and it also is the biggest one so far. Starting with the Camry, and then the recently-launched Vios, it appears that Toyota is at last moving towards a ‘younger’ look, and the new Altis will definitely be more appealing to the young buyers. It looks good to me.

The wheelbase is a full 100mm longer, which brings the Altis to be on par insofar as the distance between the front and rear wheels is concerned, with the Nissan Sylphy and the Hyundai Elantra. The Honda Civic trails by 30mm, while the Proton Preve is 50mm shorter. Overall length has increased by 80mm, which means that while the passenger compartment has increased in length, the distances to the front and rear of the car beyond the wheels have been shortened. Translated to the user, this means a larger passenger cabin, and more interior space, most of which is immediately felt in the rear legroom. Through judicious use of materials, the overall weight has been shaved by 15kg.

The Altis’ 2.0 litre engine.

The drive train consists of either a 1.8 litre or 2.0 litre engine, both of which are a carry-over from the outgoing model, well-proven and robust units. The transmission is a CVT, also a carry-over, and although I personally have no affinity to CVTs, the Toyota’s is admittedly slightly different in that it is tuned to behave more like a normal transmission, by ‘locking’ the virtual ratios at some points to allow the sensation of the engine doing the acceleration rather than having the engine holding at some fixed rpm and the gearbox changing speed to catch up with the engine.

The Altis 2.0 litre model comes with 17-inch wheels.

My ‘test drivers’ who were on the drive tell me the car handles very well, and goes through corners well. One said he had a little bit of the tail stepping out in a particularly sharp bend, but the other two did not experience anything of the sort, so it may be due to a particular road condition, such as a sudden dip or change in road surface, or it could be driving style. What they agree on is that the overall handling is quite good, and the ride comfort is about spot-on, right in the middle, between comfortable and firm. One of my test drivers, who dabbles in motor sports said that he didn’t like the EPS (Electric Power Steering), saying it was too light, but in this era, EPS looks like it is here to stay, and I would say that this ‘light’ feeling is shared amongst many cars with EPS today. (As an aside, if you want to know how to make it feels ‘firmer’, drop me a line and I will share with you how it can be achieved.) The average person likely to buy the Altis will find no issues with this set-up though.

The 2.0 litre model comes with keyless entry, electrically-controlled driver seat, LED headlights and daytime running lights.

My test drivers report that power is adequate for overtaking at a brisk pace, thanks to the 143 PS output from the 2.0 litre engine. For the test drive, only the higher specked 2.0 litre variant was offered. This model came with 17-inch wheels, which helps in the handling and makes the suspension feel firmer and more ‘planted’. We are also told that there has been some tuning done to the ride and handling for this model. Top speed achieved yesterday was 188 kph on the flat, and 195 kph downhill (according to the speedometer), enough for most people.

Obviously the top-of-the-range Altis 2.0 V would be the best, as it has all the bells and whistles, including the larger wheels, a reverse camera, paddle-shifters, LED headlights, keyless entry, electrically-controlled driver seat and daytime running lights. The 1.8 litre variant carries 16-inch wheels, and has halogen lights in place of LED, but has USB and Bluetooth, plus the base ABS, EBD, dual airbags and ISOFIX. The base model is retailed at RM114,000, which makes it affordable. Add RM9k to get to the 2.0G, the next up in line, which comes with a touch-screen audio system and reverse camera. The top range 2.0V has all of the goodies at RM136,000 with insurance, and you also have the option to get 7 airbags for an additional RM2,935.50.

Based on the specifications, the new look and the report from the drive, it does look like the new Toyota Corolla Altis will be getting its share of attention from would-be buyers in the C-segment. It is a refreshing change, and very timely too. Stay tuned, and look out for a more comprehensive report when I get my test unit. In the meantime, be forewarned that the Altis is likely to follow in the path of the Vios, which has already got a four to five-month waiting period barely two months after it has been launched. So if you have been waiting to buy this model, maybe you shouldn’t wait that long.

The 2014 Toyota Altis.