2014 Toyota Corolla Altis review, road test

This 11th-generation Corolla is the most evolved in recent history and the focus (at least on the outside) is clearly on dumping the ‘boring’ tag. Viewed from the front, the hunkered-down sporty stance makes a solid first impression. It isn’t just 80mm longer than the old Corolla, but is 15mm wider and a bit shorter too, lending it sleeker proportions. But despite the increase in size, the weights for both remain the same as before, which is remarkable.

Between the petrol and diesel versions, the diesel tips the scales at 50kg more for the manual variants, but weighs exactly the same as the petrol automatic at 1270kg. Viewed head-on, the large airdam, aggressive upswept headlights with a strip of LEDs and the slightly flared wheel arches are a welcome departure from the conservative design of the previous car. The profile is quite attractive too, but is let down by the wheels that look at least a size too small. The problem isn’t the 16-inch wheel size itself, but that Toyota has raised the new Corolla by 5mm to offer best-in-class ground clearance. Since a car’s ‘breakover angle’ is inversely proportional to the wheelbase, engineers played it safe and raised the suspension to compensate for the 100mm increase in wheelbase. So, while the profile’s aesthetic appeal may have taken a hit, you can be assured the underbody won’t. The Corolla now rides a good 180mm above the road; enough to sail over even some comically large speedbreakers.

The rear has received the same bold styling cues with attractive tail-lights and a good bit of chrome garnish that we Indians seem to love. However, while the panel gaps are consistent, opening the boot reveals where Toyota has saved a few bucks. The inner lining of the 490-litre boot uses cheap materials and the overall fit and finish of the fabrics in the boot cavity is quite shoddy too.