Review: 2020 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 Hybrid
Since its appearance inwards the Philippine market, the Corolla has built a stellar reputation based on 3 pillars: quality, durability, in addition to reliability. They may non live the sexiest adjectives to set on a brochure, but they’re plenty to convince to a greater extent than than 220,000 Filipinos to pass hard-earned coin on one. True enough, everyone knows mortal who’s owned a Corolla at to the lowest degree in ane lawsuit inwards their life, in addition to they’ll live the showtime to tell yous that unexciting equally it is, they’re built to outlast the apocalypse. And that’s a fight troubling for Toyota’s top man, Akio Toyoda who wants a fight to a greater extent than excitement inwards his cars.
Style-wise, it’s difficult to run across where all this verbalize virtually excitement has gone. Yes, it has an all-new platform in addition to yes, there’s a newfound edginess to the blueprint in addition to it’s to a greater extent than cohesive from tip-to-stern too, but past times in addition to large, it’s to a greater extent than evolutionary than revolutionary. It’s the automotive equivalent of wearing head-to-toe Uniqlo—it’s visually agreeable, if a fight plain. Still no ane volition telephone telephone the attending of the fashion police, in addition to for most buyers, that fight of obscurity is golden.
The same tin live said virtually the Corolla Altis’s interior: solid, well-finished, but largely inoffensive. Toyota’s tried doing the whole minimalist matter hither too, but they didn’t practice it convincingly. There receive got been attempts to interruption upwards the large surface area of plain, black-grained plastic, especially from the front end passenger’s side, but the halt number is even so quite drab. Moreover, in that location are some unexplainable elements besides similar how the dashboard is higher than the front end door trims making the front end port windows closed to beingness rendered useless. Truth live told, the straightforward, surprise-free cabin is closer to Shinzo Abe’s stern disposition than Marie Kondo cheeriness.
Now, piece the Corolla Altis won’t win whatsoever interior blueprint contests anytime soon, it does win inwards ane crucial aspect: practicality. Despite its doom-and-gloom colouring textile scheme, front end or back, it feels airy amongst lots of head, shoulder, in addition to legroom to become around. The seats themselves hold off dandy in addition to are supportive, though finding the perfect driving spot tin even so live elusive. In the end, you’ll merely settle for ane that’s “good enough” in addition to yous larn to alive amongst it. Driving long distances are quite alright, but the pedals are even so a fight off-center resulting inwards a numbed out correct butt cheek.
The glove box is deep, in addition to surprising for this twenty-four hours in addition to age, lit; piece the padded arm balance opens up, swallowing most knick-knacks. Weirdly enough, this is where you’ll detect the exclusively 12-volt charging port on offering so proficient luck if yous drive some amongst a dash cam. More minus points become to the archaic-looking infotainment system, too. Not exclusively doesn’t it offering criterion Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but the thick, almost one-inch bezel in addition to lack of physical controls amplifies its aftermarket appearance.
Despite the bluish outside highlights in addition to “Hybrid” badging constitute all throughout, driving the Corolla Altis Hybrid doesn’t differ from driving a conventionally-powered compact machine in addition to that’s the whole point. There’s no special start-up physical care for in addition to there’s cypher to charge; precisely force the “Engine Start” button, hold off for the “Ready” to flash on the musical instrument panel, in addition to you’re laid to go.
Well, okay, because Toyota’s hybrid organisation is aggressive at engaging its EV mode, driving off inwards dead quiet is a fight eerie, but aside from that, it’s pretty much a normal car.
The electrical motor inwards the Corolla Altis Hybrid already makes a salubrious 71 horsepower. Already outpowering the Wigo past times some 5 horses, it comes equally no surprise that past times default, it’ll locomote this equally aggressively equally possible to delineate itself around. Only when extra jar is required or when the battery’s accuse is depression volition it telephone telephone upwards the assistance of the 97-horsepower 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine.
When it does, it’s genuinely difficult to tell which engine is running except for the constant annoyance caused past times the restrain pedal’s vibration (if vibration is present, in addition to so the internal combustion engine precisely kicked to life). That said, force it difficult in addition to you’ll detect that this Atkinson bike engine isn’t the most pleasing engine out there—it fills the cabin amongst a loud, droning sound. Again, the Corolla Altis Hybrid is all virtually sensible, fuel efficient motoring so for equally long equally yous stick amongst that, the experience is tranquility in addition to refined. And speaking virtually fuel economy, its figures are single-handedly the unbeatable aspect here: 20.833 km/L inwards a mixed city/highway setting (average speed of 20 km/h) in addition to 21.73 km/L inwards the metropolis (average speed of xiv km/h).
Like the engine it’s attached to, the accompanying transmission, the E-CVT is tuned for everyday motoring than canyon carving. It prefers to continue itself inwards the background, continuously shuffling its ratios to continue the engine revs downwardly in addition to the speeds up. It’s especially dandy at keeping the electrical motor happy, in addition to amongst a special brake regeneration mode (designated “B” on the shifter), it tops upwards the battery quickly. However, command an overtake in addition to things accept a split-second earlier everything comes to life. Again, ever retrieve to ingrain this inwards your head: sensible motoring, non sporty motoring.
The changeover to the TNGA platform has also given the Corolla Altis ameliorate route manners than whatsoever model earlier it. High speed driving even so isn’t a potent accommodate in addition to and it for certain won’t qualify equally beingness exciting, but at to the lowest degree it feels sturdy, stable, in addition to obedient plenty through corners. The chassis besides are good set-up inwards that they soak upwards bumps without whatsoever noticeable float or wallow. More than anything, it apes the current-generation Subaru Impreza inwards its solidity, so that’s proverb something.
However, there’s even so no mistaking the extra heft some the middle due to the nickel-metal hydride batteries. Throw it into a corner, in addition to you’ll experience them similar a pendulum. This reduces the Corolla Altis’s feeling of immediacy, a employment when yous desire to laid on switchbacks. Furthermore, the brakes practice endure from the typical hybrid setback: an artificial-feeling pedal. There’s bite, but its on/off nature has largely to practice amongst its regenerative properties.
Priced at P 1,580,000, the Corolla Altis is P 395,000 to a greater extent than expensive than the similarly-equipped 1.6 V variant. For some, the toll gap is justifiable because the hybrid is the to a greater extent than environmentally-conscious choice. And since it’s the exclusively variant amongst Toyota Safety Sense, some may live swayed for security reasons. In both cases, their arguments are valid, but there’s no escaping that at the halt of the day, the hold off in addition to feel, especially the interior is to a greater extent than sensible than premium. There’s merely no elbow grease to degree upwards the compact machine experience hither relieve for the engine in addition to the security features.
In the end, the Corolla Altis’s route manners summarize what this entire machine is: excitement even so isn’t its middle name. Thanks to a frustrated Toyoda-san, the radical determination to re-do it from the top-down has resulted inwards the best, most sorted Corolla Altis ever. However, inwards the greater scheme of things, it’s even so at its heart, a commuter car. It’s a ameliorate commuter car, but a commuter machine nonetheless. And that’s non such a bad thing. It’s for certain non the enthusiasts’ choice, but it doesn’t acquire inwards less worthy of consideration.
2020 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 Hybrid | |
| Ownership | 2020 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 Hybrid |
| Year Introduced | 2019 |
| Vehicle Classification | Compact Car |
| Warranty | 3 years / 100,000 kilometers |
| The Basics | |
| Body Type | 4-door sedan |
| Seating | 5 |
| Engine / Drive | F/F |
| Under the Hood | |
| Displacement (liters) | 1.8 |
| Aspiration | Normally Aspirated |
| Fuel Delivery | EFI |
| Layout / # of Cylinders | I4 |
| BHP @ rpm | 121 @ 6,000 (combined) |
| Nm @ rpm | 207 @ 5,200 (combined) |
| Fuel / Min. Octane | Gasoline / 91 |
| Transmission | CVT |
| Cruise Control | Yes, Adaptive |
| Fuel Economy @ Ave. Speed | 21.73 km/L @ xiv km/h, 20.833 km/L @ 20 km/h |
| Dimensions in addition to Weights | |
| Length (mm) | 4,630 |
| Width (mm) | 1,780 |
| Height (mm) | 1,455 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,700 |
| Curb Weight (kg) | 1,310 |
| Suspension in addition to Tires | |
| Front Suspension | Independent, MacPherson Strut |
| Rear Suspension | Independent, Double Wishbone |
| Front Brakes | Vented Disc |
| Rear Brakes | Disc |
| Tires | Dunlop SP Sportmaxx 050 225/45 R 17 W (f & r) |
| Wheels | Alloy |
| Safety Features | |
| Airbags | 7 |
| Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) | Yes, amongst EBD |
| Traction / Stability Control | Yes |
| Parking Sensors | Yes, Front in addition to Rear |
| Front Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR amongst pre-tensioner x 2 |
| Rear Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR x 3 |
| ISOFIX Child Seat Anchor | Yes |
| Other Safety Features | Hill Start Assist Pre-collision System Lane Trace Assist w/ Steering Assist Lane Departure Alert w/ Steering Assist |
| Exterior Features | |
| Headlights | LED |
| Fog Lamps | Yes, Front (LED) |
| Auto Lights | Yes, Auto High Beam |
| Rain-sensing Wipers | Yes |
| Interior Features | |
| Steering Wheel Adjust | Tilt/Telescopic |
| Steering Wheel Material | Leather |
| Seating Adjustment (driver) | Electric, 8-way |
| Seating Adjustment (front passenger) | Manual, 4-way |
| Seating Surface | Leather |
| Folding Rear Seat | Yes, 60/40 |
| On-Board Computer | Yes |
| Convenience Features | |
| Power Steering | Yes |
| Power Door Locks | Yes |
| Power Windows | Yes |
| Power Mirrors | Yes, amongst Fold |
| Proximity Key | Yes |
| Climate Control | Automatic, amongst Rear Vents |
| Audio System | Stereo DVD MP3 Aux USB Bluetooth T-Link Smartphone Mirroring |
| # of Speakers | 6 |
| Steering Controls | Yes |