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MORE SPACE AND LUXURY
Moving inside the Altis, it will be apparent that the increased size (135 mm more length and wheelbase) has been fully exploited for greater roominess. Those who have owned Corollas before will find more space than before, especially above their heads. Getting in and out is also more convenient because the hip point has been raised – not as high as a van but just a bit higher so that you don’t have to bend so much to get in or out.

The interior design has a classier look with the two-tone scheme and use of wood trim in the Altis 1.8G. All the materials have a very high class look and feel (leather upholstery is an option) and gaps between instrument panel and audio components and air conditioning vents have been reduced as much as possible. Even the handbrake lever is tightly slotted into the centre console with no unsightly opening around it.

For the driver, there are some new features previous Corolla owners have never enjoyed. For example, the wipers now have an intermittent mode and the instrument panel of the Altis 1.8G uses Optitron meters. These were originally developed for the Lexus models and are extremely sharp in all lighting conditions because additional backlighting is used to increase contrast. When the engine is switched off, the whole instrument panel goes black. What is unique is the capability of switching between three illumination colours – amber, white and blue.

Going all out to pamper the occupants, even the air-conditioning system has been upgraded and not just by increasing its cooling capacity or putting in a more powerful blower fan. There is now an automatic system like the ones found on much more expensive cars where the system determines the right fan speed and volume of air to maintain the desired temperature throughout the cabin. Everything is pushbutton with the system and you can select the temperature in increments of half a degree centigrade. Unfortunately, this sophisticated air-conditioning system is only offered in the Altis 1.8G.

Storage spaces are plentiful which is good because these days, there seem to be more little things to carry in a car – toll cards, electronic toll tags, coins, gate passes, autogate controllers, office passes and so on. The glovebox is still about the same size although it has a very classy way of tilting open: rather than fall open, it gently swings down, thanks to the use of an air dampener in the hinge. Vanity mirrors are provided for driver and front passenger with the one of the passenger’s sunvisor having a namecard holder.

Cupholders are also provided front and rear (which slide out from the armrest) but the front ones are not circular and they can be ‘removed’ by taking out the divisions which slot into a narrow tray. There’s also a double-level console box which doubles as an armrest between the front seats. The upper level is a shallow tray and below it is a deep box which can stow many CDs or cassettes or even small bottles of mineral water. A nice accessory which UMW Toyota Motor throws in is a custom-designed CD pouch if you take the higher-grade audio system which includes a CD player in the head unit. That brilliantly-designed grocery bag hook under the passenger’s headrest continues to be fitted.

Like every Corolla since the first front-wheel drive model in 1983, the rear backrests can be folded down to extend the length of the boot. They are in a 60:40 ratio to give flexibility in carrying people and cargo but they still don’t fold completely flat because they lie on the seats.

Unlatching the boot can now be done even at the press of a button, besides using the lever next to the driver’s seat and manually inserting the key. This new feature is integrated with the remote control unit that also unlocks the doors and disarms the immobiliser.

A CLEAR LEADER IN ITS CLASS
When the new generation made its debut in Japan last year, it seemed like just another well-built Corolla with the usual upgrading in many. But it’s now clear that it is not just ‘another new Corolla’ and it’s almost like an entirely new Toyota model, so different is it from its predecessor.Its styling and package of technological innovations will surely force rivals to change their product planning strategies.

“Buyers are more demanding nowadays and that is why much more than usual has gone into this new generation,” said Wong Lup Hang, UMW Toyota Motor’s Director of Marketing. “We want to stay ahead of our rivals and the only way to do that is to give customers real value for money. That’s definitely what they will find in the new Corolla Altis.”

There are already 2,500 people waiting for the Corolla Altis and we understand that at least 80% of the orders are for the more expensive RM122,000 Corolla Altis 1.8G, indicating that the buyers consider it good value for money, which it certainly is. Even if you can’t afford this version, the Corolla Altis 1.6E, costing about RM12,000 less, is a worthwhile buy because it is more comprehensively equipped than its Japanese rivals of similar displacement.

History of the Corolla
The Japanese version
Test drive report of the Corolla Altis 1.8G


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