Toyota Corolla Altis: Owner’s Review
Toyota has always been synonymous with reliability and performance. And more often than not, Toyota cars are sprinkled with a fairly generous amount of comfort and luxury. Which is why the first generation Toyota Corolla Altis makes for one of the most underrated mid-size luxury sedans in the Indian used car market right now.
With this post, I’m going to try and cover a detailed review of the first generation (2008 -2011) petrol powered Toyota Corolla Altis. And not just any Altis. This one’s mine.
Over the past three years, I’ve owned three Corolla Altis sedans, one of which I sold recently to a dear friend. The two I have now are automatic top-end ‘V’ versions and the previous one I sold was a top-end ‘G’ manual.
Overview
The first generation Altis was a rather refreshing move by Toyota. Apart from sporting a new suffix, the Corolla was flanked by an entirely new design language. The sleeker, more aerodynamic, low slung look made for a much-welcomed change as compared to the hefty and high brow design of the previous generation Corolla.
Although the powertrain and gearbox remained more or less the same from the previous generation, the Altis has more of a dual character than its older brother. There’s a sense of sullen silence in the cabin and an affirmative waft in the way it rides. To put it mildly, the old Corolla was more like Budweiser, and the Altis is a Corona. It’s just that much more distilled and refined.
What’s more, is, the Altis, especially the top-end G and V versions, are packed with a host of features and gizmos that give most of today’s cars a run for their money. Not to mention the solid build quality, safety equipment, reliability, and performance on offer.
Features
Just like any top end vehicle, the Altis came packed with a wide array of enticing features and ‘segment firsts’ for its time. Here are some of the noteworthy features:
6-way electronic driver seat adjustment
Rear sun blinders
Cruise control
Telescopic steering adjustment
Auto-dimming rear view mirror
Climate control aircon
Steering mounted audio controls, cruise control, and instrument display buttons
Auto headlights
Xenon headlight bulbs
All 4 disc brakes
ABS
2 Airbags
5 bolt alloy wheels
Spare alloy
Headlight washers
Auto folding mirrors with turn indicators
Adjustable front armrest
Leather seats
8 cup/bottle holders
Auto-locking doors
Automatic gearbox with sport mode
Most of these features are pretty common in cars now. However, features in the likes of electronic seats, rear blinders, auto dimming mirrors, all disc brakes, and 5 bolt wheels are missing from many 10 lakh+ cars today as they were from many of the Altis’ rivals back in the day.
The only significant feature upgrade I had to make was to update the sound system. The OEM sound system is a basic MP3 player which I upgraded to a sleek Blaupunkt Las Palmas 550 along with a subwoofer amp, new speakers, and night-vision reverse camera with video parking sensors. Oh, I also got iridium spark plugs installed for better performance.
Performance
When it comes to performance, the Altis is no slouch. The power through the 1.8litre unit is satisfying as it’s smooth and linear naturally aspirated engine delivers a brilliant 140 horsepower. However, an aggressive tap on the accelerator and it’ll thrust forward leaving you with a grin the size of the Sahara.
The humble 4 cylinder 1ZZFE block is silent and refined, which makes for a great hustler in Mumbai’s notorious traffic. Truth be told, all that matters in Mumbai traffic is how quickly a car can go from 0–20kph-0 and the Altis is absolutely on point in this stop-go environment.
You get an instant response when you tap the throttle and the brakes too have a nice sharp bite to them. And no turbo means you won’t be experiencing sudden jolts or torque steer or tire squeals every time you accelerate.
A generous power unit and low ground clearance make for a grippy drive. The Altis stays planted on winding roads with sharp hairpin bends and corners with a flurry of exuberance and confidence. A recent drive to Mahabaleshwar left me mighty impressed with the Altis as it munched up the kilometers with ease and conquered the Wai ghats without any fuss.
What about highway driving? The Altis feels rock steady at highway speeds and you can effortlessly conquer speeds upwards of 160kmph and switch lanes without breaking a sweat. The 4-speed torque-convertor gearbox is responsive and you won’t find yourself downshifting in sports mode to make overtakes.
You can push the Altis through the rev range and constantly spool the engine for more power. Having said that, the Altis isn’t a car that begs to be pushed and punished. She wants to be petted and patted like a home cat. But she does pack a serious bite (pun intended).
Transmission
The petrol Altis came with two transmission options at the time. A regular 5-speed manual and a 4-speed torque-convertor automatic. The automatic was generously equipped with a sports mode for better control.
In my opinion, though, the manual transmission makes for a better gearbox option. You can pitch the car better and the gears have a long range which means you can slow all the way down to 25kmph in 5th and accelerate again without having to downshift or work the gears to extract more power.
The manual also makes for a more fun experience when driving on twisty ghats and highways. It’s a very immersive and enjoyable experience. On the other hand, the automatic transmission makes for more of a gentle and laid back experience.
Sure you have the sports mode to control which gear you’re in, but it lacks the instant punch and maneuverability that the manual has. But just like every automatic, this one is a boon in city traffic. And it makes for a very comfortable cruiser on the highways.
The upshift in the automatic is a tad slow and sluggish, but the downshift is instant. Which means you can draw power instantly and make that overtake or plunge through the corner without hesitation.
Styling
The Altis is a remarkable upgrade from its predecessor. The sharp floating lines and voluptuous curves coupled with a low stance and a hunkered down nose make for a beautiful site. There’s a certain understated elegance and splash of flare in an otherwise straight forward design. And that’s something that was lacking in the sedans of that era.
You can see that Toyota made a conscious effort to make the car more aerodynamic and sleek. Which helps it to be planted and grippy at high speeds. The design elements are well balanced and everything looks adequately proportioned. There are no rough edges or chaotic lines.
It’s all very well put together. There are subtle chrome inserts in places where you’d expect and that makes the Altis look plush and timeless. From no angle does it look like an 11-year-old vehicle. The interiors too are very neat. The two-toned interior color is broken with tasteful wood finished plastics on the steering wheel, door panels, and center console.
The almost waterfall-like stance of the cockpit is accentuated with smart looking climate control buttons and displays along with soft-touch plastics and leather draped seats. The gated automatic gear stick is furnished in stylish black leather and a center-mounted wood finished piece to match the center console. Reminds me of the Mercedes W124 gear stick.
To sum things up, the Altis, dressed in shiny metallic paint and tasteful chrome inserts oozes of simplicity and timelessness. If this were a person, she’d be a smart and sophisticated woman who’d attend cocktail parties and Sunday luncheons and know many things.
Comfort and Ride Quality
The Altis has a lot to offer when it comes to comfort. To start with, the leather seats are well cushioned and have adequate back and under thigh support. It’s got headrests for all passengers including the middle seat at the back.
There’s no transmission tunnel that runs across the length of the car. Which means it’s a flat floor at the rear, so three people can comfortably occupy the back seat without having to wrestle for leg room. The headroom isn’t too bad either and the rear blinders make for a cozy and intimate atmosphere.
Toyota has nailed the Altis’ ride quality too and I am particularly impressed with the way it rounds off broken paver blocks and jagged pieces of tarmac with not more than a muted thud.
The combination of well-judged damping and my Michelin Primacy tires provide sufficient cushioning from the perennially atrocious roads that are a constant ally of the Mumbai motorist’s life. In fact, the more I drive the Altis in the city, the more I fall in love with its smooth and fuss-free ride quality.
There are no frantic bounces or unnecessary jostles on bumpy roads and the car stays dead planted at high speeds. You can do 150kmph and your passenger wouldn’t notice.
Furthermore, the car is very well insulated and so you won’t be hearing too much of what’s happening outside. And this especially good in a bustling and crowded place like Mumbai.
Maintenance
Coming to the most integral part of the article, let’s talk about maintenance. The BIGGEST advantage of owning the Corolla Altis is that all parts are available with the company. The parts support and company assistance are abundantly brilliant.
The Altis is a well-built car and doesn’t ask for much maintenance. However, if you’re looking for perfection (like I do) then you can find yourself spending quite a hefty amount to make your car run like brand new. The upside to this is that your car becomes fail proof and you’re good to go for another 50k kilometers without any worry.
To give you a gist, my silver manual Altis had run 93k kilometers when I bought it. But it was always company maintained and so the car was in amazing condition. However, over the two year period, I change almost everything. Here’s the list:
All engine and gearbox foundations
All shock absorbers
All brake pads and discs
Clutch
Tires
Lower arms
Axel boots
I’ve changed the steering rack and brake caliper pins on my automatic Altis. I have no complaints about fuel efficiency though, the Altis returns an average of 9kmpl (manual) and 8kmpl (automatic) in the city with traffic and 16kmpl on the highway.
Final Thoughts
The Altis is definitely very underrated considering the dwindling resale value. You can buy a decent Altis (2008 to 2011 model) anywhere between 2.5 lakhs to 4.5 lakhs depending on the condition and the model year. And looking at the generous features list and the ample parts support and company service available, the Altis makes for a very sensible purchase.
Considering the top variant 2019 Altis costs around 28lakhs, you can enjoy almost all the same features for one-tenth the cost! All in all, the Altis is hard to beat.
