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Toyota Corolla Altis. It’s better, but how much?
The Toyota Corolla Altis is one of the most popular cars in Singapore. Altis lovers will be delighted to know that their favourite car has now received a mid-life update to its 11th generation model. The changes may not seem like much at first glance, but they are more than a little nip-and-tuck exercise.
The trusty Car team at Budget Direct Insurance has all the latest:
1) So what’s new?
First of all, there are slight revisions to the design, as you can see from our fabulous picture. The front-end design is more streamlined, with a slimmer grille and sharper-looking LED headlights. These changes combine to give the Altis a new, more aggressive look that is guaranteed to turn heads. At least for the first few months before they start to populate our roads en-masse once more.
Inside, the changes are also slight but noticeable. The air con vents on either side of the dashboard are now round instead of rectangular - people seem to find this classier for some reason. The controls for the air con vents have been revised too, and now look and feel a touch more solid and refined.
It’s the things you can’t see that have been changed significantly on this face lifted Altis. For one, the car now comes with seven airbags as standard. For the protective family man, you need no longer worry about your family’s safety should you ever get into a crash. In addition, the Altis now has Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) as standard, to help prevent you from getting into a crash in the first place!
Finally, under the bonnet, the engine has also been tuned to give a slight bump in power; the 1.6-litre Dual VVT-i petrol unit now produces 128bhp and 160Nm of torque. Handy for those times when you want to challenge those pesky taxi drivers at the lights.
2) What’s it like now?
The Corolla Altis has always been known for being a safe, reliable car. The updated model is pretty much the same, just marginally better in all the key areas.
The extra airbags means that the car is a much safer proposition, and puts the Altis in a position to really challenge the best in its class. And the improved engine means that the car feels much more engaging to drive, with better responsiveness mated with its trademark refinement. It is no sports car, but there is plenty here to satisfy the demands of the vast majority of drivers today.
3) So is it worth my money?
If you’re looking for a family sedan that ticks all the right boxes, a solid four out of five star car, then yes, the Altis is very much worth your money. And most importantly, with the extra upgrades, the car has a lot more going for it. The Corolla Altis has always been safe, dependable, frugal and generally assuring. Now it’s still all of that, but 10% better in every way.
For more car reviews and motoring tips, look out for regular posts in this series.
