Come to think of it, there is no point in writing a driving impression of the Toyota Corolla Altis – it is not going to make a difference to prospective buyers in any case. They won’t even read it. They will ask their secretary to organise a test drive, and even if they are given a Hyundai Verna with Toyota badges to drive, they will end up booking one. Brand loyalty of the extreme kind? Well, to be honest with you, you cannot go wrong with a Corolla. This is the brand that made Toyota what it is – every generation of it (nine or ten, depending on whom you are asking and which website you are searching) meant extreme reliability, refinement and economy. These are the cars you see when you go to a new country. Any new country. They reach new shores before McDonald’s and they fry the competition. They are used as first cars in America, luxury cars in India and as taxis in Thailand. Toyota wants to sell 2,000 units of the Altis a month in India. Can they deliver? Let us get to know the car to begin with.
Looks and design
The Altis looks like a small Camry the same way the Volkswagen Jetta looks like a small Passat. The grille, the bonnet shutline, the lighting structures that define the form, the air-dam and auxiliary lamps and all the way to the tail lamps, everything looks inspired by the Camry. While it looks smart from the front-three quarters, it is the profile that is lacking in design terms. Nothing a flared wheel arch here or a few creases to catch light on the bonnet couldn’t have improved. Overall the design will appeal to people of nearly all age groups – which in all probability was the philosophy of Toyota.
How does it compare with the Honda Civic? The Civic is way too futuristic to look at – no comparison here.
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