Ride and handling
The Corolla, having always been a big family saloon, has had ride comfort as one of its priority areas. The New Corolla too delights with its absorbent suspension system which soaks up almost everything you throw at it with aplomb. The ride quality on the Corolla is quite extraordinary. But there never have been any issues with the car’s ride comfort anyway. What comes as a surprise, though, is its substantially better handling. The thick rimmed steering wheel feels nice to hold and is very well weighted too, to our liking. While it would still take some effort from Toyota to endow the Corolla with driving dynamics to beat the Octavia, we were impressed with the poise exhibited by the big saloon.
During our spirited run ascending the Nandi Hills, the new Corolla Altis impressed us. That was the easier part for the car, though, with ample traction from the rubber and a weight bias towards to the rear. We liked the poise of the car, and the controlled way the body behaved even when chucked around. On our way down, however, with more momentum, less grip and harsher braking, the car did show some bit of edginess. The Corolla impresses with its combo of great ride and handling, though it isn’t as satisfying as the German machines on the limit.
Having said that, however, there is no reason why the engineers at Toyota should not be proud for having brewed a tasty blend of all absorbing ride and above average handling for this saloon.
Verdict
The new Corolla comes across as a big, comfortable, reliable and well styled car. They say you can never go wrong with the Corolla and the adage stands true for the latest model as well. We preferred the 1.8 petrol engine to the lazy 1.4 diesel power plant, and sincerely believe that this car deserves a more potent oil burner. We also found the new Corolla a bit lacking in terms of the features and equipment list, as compared to the rivals.
However, the Corolla has always been known for its no-nonsense demeanor, cabin comfort, extremely low running and maintenance costs and minimal trips to the service stations. It one of the best chauffeur driven cars you can buy across segments. Pricing, of course, would be crucial. If priced right, though, the Corolla has all the qualities to set the sales chart ablaze. We will get back to you once we know the price of this global bestseller and weigh it for its merits against its competitors rupee-for-rupee. Stay tuned!
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Thanks Deo. This is the Indian version.
Cheers!
Nice review, did you test the Indian version or the one from another shores?