Toyota today launched the new 1.6-liter Corolla Altis at S$132,988 (COE Rebate S$65,000).
The new Toyota Corolla Altis adopts the same theme showcased on the athletic Corolla Furia Concept during the 2013 North American International Auto Show in January.
This is the 11th generation since the first Corolla rolled out of the factory in 1966 some 48 years ago.
The Altis maintains an increased emphasis on style, as seen in Toyota vehicles launched in the past year, which has produced more expressive vehicle designs.
The bold T-shaped motif of the all-new Corolla Altis represents Toyota’s intent to bring sharper, sleeker and sportier designs that will appeal to current Toyota customers while also attracting more youthful buyers.
The new Corolla Altis has a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs,to give the car an athletic stance with greater presence.
Viewed in profile, a sweeping crease in the body sheet metal spans the length of the sedan and accentuates the integrated door handle design.
The exterior tapers towards the front and rear of the vehicle to emphasize its wheel arches, with a longer, faster sloping roofline that blends into a shorter rear deck to give the sedan a sportier image.
Borneo Motors is bringing into Singapore the 1.6-liter Corolla Altis with four-cylinder 16 Valves DOHC engine equipped with Dual VVT-i that generates a power output of 121 bhp and 154 Nm torque.
More pronounced flared wheel arches, and a clean yet impactful sculpted surface adds an air of elegance to its sporty exterior.
The Dual VVT-i varies the timing and lift of the engine’s valves to suit your driving requirements, resulting in improved responsiveness, superior fuel economy of 6.5l/100km and low CO2 emission of 151g/km.
The new Corolla Altis also offers improved fuel economy thanks to its advanced Super Continuously Variable Transmission with intelligence (CVT-i).
Key features
- Smart Key/ Push-button start
- Chrome-plated with Honeycomb pattern speedometer
- Electric Trunk Release
- Electrochromic Rear View Mirror with Auto Dimming
- Auto Headlamps
- Rain Sensing Wipers
- Auto Climate Air-conditioning
- Nanoe Ion Generator
- DVD Infotainment with Navigation
- Multi Information Display with Blue Illumination
- 4-Speaker system with bamboo fiber diaphragms
The Super CVT-i features several enhancements to improve transmission efficiency and driving performance with discrete shift points that help create a sensation more similar to traditional hydraulic automatic transmission.
With Super CVT-i, Toyota’s engineers have improved the driving experience of the all-new Corolla Altis by adapting discrete stepped “gears” or shift points into the car’s acceleration and deceleration curves.
Its new Super CVT-i even mimics the familiar characteristics of hydraulic automatics, creating a sense of positive shift engagement. 7-speed sequential shift-points can also be manually actuated from the shift gate to enjoy a more spirited drive.
The new Corolla Altis promises improved handling and steering thanks to a rigid chassis that takes advantage of improved suspension tuning to offer a more engaging and more dynamic car.
Colours available for the new Toyota Corolla Altis in Singapore.
The chassis makes extensive use of high-strength steel to improve the rigidity of the structure, while keeping the vehicle’s curb weight under 1,300 kg, contributing to fuel efficiency.
The use of high tensile-strength steel allows for reduced thickness and optimized shape of structural panels while increasing strength to better protect passengers in the event of a collision.
It also features additional chassis bracing (tunnel brace and rear floor brace) to increase platform rigidity, compared to the 10th generation Corolla Altis.
Test Drive
I took the new Corolla Altis for a test drive after the launch.
Overall, the new Altis provided a smooth drive that’s suitable as a family car – featuring more upmarket trimmings and little creature comforts such as wipers and lights that turn on automatically upon detection of drizzle and dimming light.
The interior features piano-black gloss trim highlighted by cyber carbon accents.
Depending on interior color theme (ivory or black), blue, black or amber pinstriped accents are used in conjunction with the dash and door panel ornamentation to enhance the premium appeal of the interior.
Ornamental stitching along the edge of the dash pad adds the intricacy of craftsmanship to the interior.
Cup-holders and shiny gear shifts.
As vehicle wheelbase has been increased by 100cm, there is more legroom for rear seat occupants.
Compared to the outgoing model, the rear seat hip point has been moved back 75 mm, with additional leg-room gained by adopting a slim front seat back.
The boot is cavernous and can easily fit 3 strollers and golf bags.
The rear passenger floor was also made flatter by re-routing the exhaust pipes beneath the vehicle to offer a better middle position flat floor bed.
The new sporty 3-spoke steering wheel is designed with a characteristic V-shaped silver ornamentation and clad in genuine leather.
Shortcuts to access frequently required information and audio controls are placed on the steering wheel within easy reach of the fingers during driving.
The new Corolla Altis’ suspension system uses a Macpherson strut design in the front with a new, more rigid control-arm design.
A rear torsion beam is arranged with both suspension layouts designed to take advantage of the additional body rigidity to provide improved handling responses and steering control.
The rear torsion beam’s attachment points are now fastened to the body at a slanted diagonal angle for its bushings as opposed to the straight attachment orientation of the 10th generation Corolla Altis.
This diagonal attachment point layout contributes to improved rear handling, grip, and overall stability.
Design DNA
One of the aesthetic factors presented by the original Furia concept design was more deeply rounded corners to create a sleeker image.
The thick structures of conventional headlamps make this a challenge.
The new Corolla Altis adopts sleek, compact LED lamp assemblies that reduce corner mass and help accentuate its tapered, rounded-corner design theme.
In addition, the lower amounts of heat generated by the LED lamps enable the use of a lighter weight PES (Polyethersulfone) resin lens instead of conventional glass.
Toyota states that the new Corolla Altis is the first compact sedan to offer LED projector headlamps as standard equipment.
The new Corolla Altis is equipped with an electric power steering system.
The use of an electric rack and pinion system eliminates the need for an accessory-driven hydraulic steering system, which would have caused parasitic loss to the engine.
The lightweight and compact components of the manual tilt, telescopic steering structure are designed to help enhance steering rigidity and reduce vibrations.
Safety features in the new Toyota Corolla Altis
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking while braking. EBD complements this by optimizing brake force distribution between the wheels to compensate for different loads. Together, the two systems work to help you to maintain steering control during sudden braking.
Brake Assist (BA)
BA detects emergency stops and applies additional brake pressure. This enables ABS to work to its maximum potential.
Supplement Restraint System (SRS)
Dual front airbags ensure both driver and front passenger are cushioned from unforeseen impact.
3-Point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
Both driver and front passenger’s seatbelts can be manually adjusted to adopt the optimum comfort level. The front seatbelts are equipped with Pretensioner function that tightens the seatbelt within split seconds upon crash impact. Thereafter, force limiters will be activated to prevent belt tension above threshold level. This is to prevent upper body injury by releasing the belt at a predefined force. For rear passengers, three-point seatbelts are adopted, even for rear centre seat.
Impact Protection Structure
High tensile steel impact beam reinforcements are optimized to minimize side pillar intrusion into the cabin, in the event of a side collision.
Pedestrian Protection Performance
Impact absorbing materials have been installed on the front bumper, front fender and engine hood to reduce pedestrian injury during impact.
Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) Headrest
Seats incorporating the WIL (Whiplash Injury Lessening) concept are designed to cushion the driver and front passenger’s head and chest simultaneously, helping to minimize injuries in lower speed collisions.
ISO-Fix Child Restraint
ISO-Fix complies with International safety standards which specify the anchoring system for child safety seats. It defines standard attachment points to be manufactured into cars, enabling compliant child safety seats to be quickly and safely secured.
A more structurally rigid steering intermediate shaft helps improve the turning radius to only 5.4m.
Below are the key specifications for the new Toyota Corolla Altis.
my bestie, oing with this car to the town,