Lets Drive the New Toyota Corolla Altis 2008

I’m a bit of a car maniac. I like cars, in a manner of speaking, and when I got wind of the new Toyota Altis 2008 last year I’ve been like a cat on hot bricks waiting for it to debut here in Malaysia. What sold me was the look of the exterior. From the pictures, it was looking like a mini Toyota Camry! And the Camry is my affordable dream car. We don’t talk about luxury cars in the same breath yes?

So, this last weekend, after going with sis to a wedding workshop (!) I headed over to the nearest Toyota Showroom for cakes, tea and the new Toyota Altis 2008! If you want the full specs and technical review, head over to Paul Tan. If you want a girly point of view, then keep reading

Ok, the Toyota Altis 2008 is not a new model but is a facelifted model… kinda like a super model eh? So, it doesn’t look like the old Altis, it doesn’t sound like the old Altis, but it is still a Corolla Altis.

Unfortunately, all the previous press pictures did it more justice than it really looks. I thought it was going to look like a baby Camry. Wrong! It looks like an older brother of the Vios! See the front? Could be mistaken for a Vios. Not a bad thing, but not what I was expecting.

I myself drive a Vios, which is a smallish car. I’ve been in the previous model of the Altis, and I felt that this new model felt smaller in the inside. I read that they actually made the interior cabin slightly bigger, but it didn’t feel that way. Also, the seats were covered with fabric while the model just before this one had leather seats. Instant let down.

There were more let downs to come:-

What I dislike about the new Toyota Altis
Please click on picture to enlarge

While sitting in the front passenger seat, with the seat pushed towards the front, I found that the glove compartment could not be fully opened. The plastic felt flimsy too. In fact, every bit of plastic in the car felt cheap and flimsy. I actually heard people saying that it looks and feels like a Proton Gen-2. Not a car Toyota would want to be compared with!

The car also felt narrower to me. While sitting in the passenger seat, with the doors closed I felt that I was sitting very close to the driver. Not a bad thing if you like being close to the driver, but it just felt cramped.

The Altis comes in 3 models – 1.6E, 1.8E and 1.8G and 1.8G Sporty. 1.6E is like the no frills version (in my view) and looks just like a Vios from the inside. Even the centre console looks like a Vios with those horrid dials for air-conditioning control. The grey paneling throughout the car on the handles and trim looks cheap with that funny matt plastic look.

Altis 1.6E vs 1.8G
Please click to enlarge

I’m not for faux wood paneling in cars, but for the Altis, it definitely looks better with it than without. The sports model has all the sporty frills e.g. panels and spoilers and sporty dashboard etc for RM2,350 more.

On the road prices for the Toyota Altis 2008 are:-

1.6E – RM102,900
1.8E – RM109,900
1.8G – RM117,900

I hate to say this, but I actually think the older model looks better. Maybe I’m swayed by the leather seats which feel more luxurious. All in all, the Altis 2008 is just a bit of a bore with a high pricetag and cheap looking interior. Oh well, at least its money saved up towards the Camry – woot! Oh and I didn’t test drive it so I don’t know how it performs. I’m a girl remember?!