Does the latest Corolla Altis fulfill Toyota's promise of new, exciting and 'fun to drive' cars? Here's what we think.
On the dynamics front, the steering is more responsive. It felt disconnected on the earlier car but this updated electric power steering feels nicely ‘linked up’ to the front wheels. Stability while turning into a corner, even at a relatively high speed, is pretty good and the front end really sticks. The non-independent torsion beam rear suspension, however, lets the car down. Its setup is a bit soft and at highway speeds, it didn’t feel as planted as expected over bumpy patches. This is a bit of a shame, as while the new Corolla is definitely improved in the handling department, it isn’t good enough to take on cars like the VW Jetta and new Skoda Octavia. It lacks their fluency, it lacks precision and it isn’t as confidence-inspiring either. The upside of that soft rear suspension is that the car rides pretty well even over rough patches. It softens the blow from potholes and bumps beautifully with just the rear bobbing lightly over.
First, “Fun to drive, again”? Not quite. The experience behind the wheel is hampered by motors that are dated when compared to the hi-tech competition and despite being more engaging to drive than the outgoing car, the Corolla doesn’t have the thoroughly planted European feel yet. However, the new Corolla partly fulfils Akio Toyoda’s promise, with an emotional design and equipment levels while boosting its traditional values of comfort, reliability and efficiency.
KARTIKEYA SINGHEE