At a time when the once high and mighty Wall Street investment banks are succumbing to their inherent high-risk nature and crumbling like a house of cards, industrial powerhouses like the Toyota Motor Corporation are strengthening their hold on the automotive industry through a sustained common sense approach and focus on quality.

Toyota has left the once Big-Three American automakers in a trial of dust as it’s assumed the role of being the most powerful and profitable car company on the planet. And one model in particular that’s had a large role to play in its rise to the top is the Corolla. It’s Toyota’s bread and butter sedan, and one that’s been around since 1966. It’s also one of the best selling cars of all time with over 30 million in sales from across the globe.

The new Corolla Altis that you see here is the 10th generation Corolla – so let’s see what they’ve learnt over the years, or decades for that matter.

Aesthetics

At first glance, the Corolla Altis looks like a shrunken Camry. The family resemblance is unmistakable, which is no bad thing in itself since the Camry is a very pretty car in a curvaceous, full bodied sort of way. In fact, the likeness is so striking that it really does look as though the folks at Toyota put the Camry in a washing machine, selected the wrong cycle, and out came the Altis. And while the Altis isn’t quite as striking as the Camry, it’s a great deal more interesting and eye catching than the model it replaces. It’s also not quite as dramatic and sleek as its global sparring partner, the Honda Civic – although the Civic has now lost some of its novelty just by virtue of the sheer numbers on our roads.

The interior, once again, is not quite as theatrical as the Civic but is very functional and a great deal more contemporary than the model it replaces. The first thing you notice is a very nice multi function steering wheel that looks like it came straight out of a Camry. And while the wood trim on the steering feels nice, the lacquer finish on the center console and door panels looks and feels plasticky. The dials, like the rest of the car, are not exactly dramatic like in the Civic but are a huge improvement over the outgoing Corolla. They’re very functional and clear with a tachometer that houses a digital readout that provides a wealth of information, including a real-time fuel efficiency readout.



Finding a good driving position is easy since the Altis has a telescoping steering wheel that adjusts for reach and rake. It also has an electrically adjustable drivers’ seat that includes a control to adjust lumbar support. And while they’ve raked the windshield a little more than in the previous model to give it a streamlined stance, visibility is still very good. It doesn’t feel as driver centric as the Civic where you sit lower down opposite a small three-spoke steering wheel. It does have a lot of toys though, such as an in-dash 6 CD player, climate control, auto anti-glare rear view mirror, HID auto headlights with washers, and cruise control. It also has an adjustable center arm rest, multiple cubby holes, cup holders and a dual glove box to tend to your every need. But at the same time it doesn’t feel particularly special, and there are some pieces of trim, while good quality, that feel quite ordinary. All in all though, it works very well in a no-nonsense sort of way that’s typical Toyota.