Essential Motoring 101

Introducing the all-new Toyota Corolla Altis, or the Altis as we all fondly know, after 7 years of ’silence’. UMW Toyota, the assembler and distributor of Toyota cars in Malaysia had officially launched the car yesterday, re-introducing the Altis that now boasts sleeker looks and spatial enhancements albeit using the same engine as its predecessor. More on the engine later.

The new Altis after 7 years of design hiatus

The new Altis is the 10th generation of the Corolla breed and, aesthetially, shares similar DNAs as the Camry and the Vios. Some people call it the smaller Camry. In terms of size, the Altis is now longer by a mere 10mm compared to the older version and is slightly wider by 55mm. The car is nearer to the ground by 15mm making it not only look sportier but should also provides sturdier support for hard cornerings.

A Korean car resemblance

Under the hood of the Altis, there are 2 engine options to choose - the 1.8L and the 1.6L versions. The 1.8L has 4 packages while the 1.6L has only one. Details are at the bottom of the post. The same ‘G’ and ‘E’ codes still being used to differentiate between the models.

Let’s examine the two extreme ends of the Altis: the premium 1.8G and the standard 1.6E.

The variant that gets the luxury treatment is the 1.8G offering the signature wood grain finishings on the interiors specifically on the door panels, steering wheel and the centre console. The audio department gets a 6-speaker with 6-disc changer headunit combo that plays songs in Mp3 and WMA formats. The driver gets an additional convenience to adjust the seat, electrically.

The ambience can actually lull you to sleep

The steering wheel features audio controls and a button to toggle views on the Multi-information Display (MID) embedded in the meter panel. On the exterior, only the rims differ from the ones in the 1.6E with 10-spoke wheels wrapped in 205/55R16 Michelin donuts.

Looks better in real life, the meter dials

In the comfort department, however, the 1.8G offers automatic air-cond control. In terms of safety features, the Altis has an additional VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) and TSC (Traction Control System); all for the sake of better grip and stability on the road. The industry-standard ABS with EBD, dual airbags and seat belt pretensioners with force limiter are also available on the 1.8G Altis for assured driving.

The 1.6E, however, is no loser to the 1.8G version. Besides having a lower engine capacity, it gets a single-disc CD player that is MP3 and WMA ready with 4 speakers to enjoy. Air-cond controls are of the manual dial type. The chassis are fitted with 7-spoke 15″ alloy wheels with195/65R15 tyres.

On the engine, the newer dual VVT-i engine is not planted on the new Altis this time but uses the same powerplant as the previous version. However, the all-aluminium engines have been re-tuned to meet the Euro-3 emission standards.

Automatic or manual, shift it anyway you like

The 1.8L 1ZZ-FE engine kicks out 132ps of power at 6,000rpm, with maximum torque of 170Nm at 4,200rpm. As for the 1.6L 3ZZ-FE engine, it churns out 109ps at 6,000rpm and achieves peak torque at 145Nm at 4,400rpm. Both engine types are mated with 4-speed gearbox featuring a gated shift lever, where, the 1.8G gets the exclusive of sequential gear for manual shifting.

True optimisation of dashboard space

Rear occupants of the Altis will love the comfort it gives. The centre hump of the floor has been reduced to the maximum, providing more space and ease of moving the legs for better blood circulation, so to speak. The rear seats can be folded on the 1.8G but not for the 1.6E though.

Spacious is the word

Transform and fold out!

For the younger or those young at heart, the 1.8G Sporty and 1.8E Sporty are slapped with aerokits such as front, rear and side skirtings on the bumper and a boot spoiler.

Standing on a lower stance this time

The Corolla Altis is fully imported from Thailand and comes in five colours – Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Medium Silver Metallic, Beige Metallic and Greyish Blue Metallic.

 

Prices are fixed at RM117,900 for the premium 1.8G and RM109,900 for the 1.8E while the 1.6E is priced at RM102,900. As for the Sporty version of the 1.8G and the 1.8E, they are fixed at Rm120,250 and RM112,250 respectively. Prices above are on the road with insurance.

UMW Toyota targets to achieve sales 800 units monthly for the new Corolla Altis.