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The rest of the car is the Altis we all know. Apart from a new grille to differentiate it from its petrol cousin, there are no significant cosmetic changes in the car. Ride quality, especially at the back, remains superb, despite the springs and dampers having been stiffened in order to compensate for the heavier engine. The soft suspension means that you’ll have to look elsewhere for a slick handler, although high speed stability is faultless and the steering is accurate without being razor sharp. The interior, while not as appealing as the Honda Civic’s cabin, remains a comfortable, well-built, quality affair. The knockout punch comes in the form of the car’s pricing — at Rs 10.95 lakh for the base model (ex-showroom Delhi), the Altis undercuts the Chevrolet Cruze, the Skoda Laura and the Volkswagen Jetta by Rs 57,000, Rs 2.91 lakh and a whopping Rs 4.97 lakh respectively. The competition may have the drop on the Altis in terms of engine size and power output but, given its brilliant track record with its other diesel offerings like the Qualis, Innova and Fortuner, don’t be surprised if it’s Toyota who laughs all the way to the bank.
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