New Toyota Corolla Altis vs Old: The differences

Toyota Corolla – they say that it is the best selling car in the world but I would rather say that it is probably the longest running nameplate in 'D' segment of India. Few of its competitors were discontinued & re-introduced but Corolla has been running straight for 10+ years. Sedans like Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Elantra and Honda Civic were discontinued and revived although Honda Civic is still awaited; few added on along its journey like Chevrolet Cruze, Renault Fluence and Volkswagen Jetta. In year 2012, the company celebrated 10 years of Corolla's existence in India by launching a limited edition of the previous generation vehicle. Recently, the company launched the 11th generation Corolla Altis, although if you see it with Indian perspective, it is probably the third iteration of the sedan because we got the Corolla for the first time as a 9th gen model. Lets see how different is the 11th gen from the 10th.

The previous gen vehicle lacked the wow factor compared to its dapper looking rivals like the new 2013 Octavia and Cruze but the new sharper looking successor is at par with this. At the outset, the major step-through is the design, the new Altis features radical alterations to the overall design and indeed, it's very appealing compared to the outgoing version. The 10th gen Corolla lacked the 'flamboyance quotient' of the new car. Comparing the front of the two, the 11th gen Corolla Altis features projector headlamps with day-time-running-LEDs flanked around a large chromed grille whereas the last Corolla offered HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlamps and had a plastic grille. The new car rides on 16 inch radial in few top of the line variants while the previous one only came with 15 inch. Both the generations offer LED tail lamps but the current one looks more up-market.

Mechanically, the cars are identical to each other. The new Corolla Altis carries forward the 1.8L dual VVT-i petrol and 1.4 D4D turbo diesel. The petrol churns out 138.1bhp at 6400rpm and a peak torque of 173Nm at 4000rpm. The diesel gathers 87.2bhp at 3800rpm and 205Nm of torque in the range of 1800-2800rpm.

The new Altis gets paddle shifters unlike the last gen, although it features the same 7-speed CVT. On the inside, the biggest change is the reclining rear seats which is also first-in-the-segment. Upgrading from the previous generation, the new car features a bigger 7.0 inch infotainment screen with voice guidance and reverse parking camera. The wheelbase in the new gen has increased considerably to 2700mm from the previous 2600mm. However, the height has been reduced by 5mm for better balance and aerodynamics.

In a nutshell, the new Corolla Altis is definitely a step-up both in terms of design and equipment. Toyota has priced it right this time too. Let's see how the market reacts to this new Japanese beau.

Read More on : Toyota Corolla Altis India