K.K. Swamy, deputy managing director, India of Toyota Kirloskar Motor poses with the new Corolla at its launch in New Delhi

Across the world, it’s quite common to see Toyota cars with bumper stickers that proudly declare ‘The car ahead of you is a Toyota’. That’s not the case with India so much because what Toyota brought into the country in 2000 was the Qualis, a very old design that made its mark more with the tourist and call centre taxi trade rather than the discerning driver. Toyota then went to the opposite end of the spectrum to bring in the D-Segment Camry. After that launch in 2003, the Japanese company unveiled the Corolla in India. A very popular car at the time, the Corolla was selling in 14 countries around the world. The name had been around for 36 years and what came to India was the 9th generation model. However, it came with a very different front end compared to what was selling in the West ? a concession to Oriental (and Indian) tastes in terms of looks. It had a longer front overhang together with headlights that looked like amoeba or poached eggs gone wrong.

Now, Toyota has launched what they are referring to as the ‘all-new’ Corolla. A new engine? Restyled front end hopefully? Revised suspension, maybe? I must admit I was intrigued. So, I took one home with me for a couple of days to figure out what exactly was so ‘all-new’ about it.

Toyota is free to call their products whatever they like ? after all, making and selling cars is the company’s business. However, in my opinion ? and I’m quite sure many would agree with me ? the new Corolla is nothing but the old Corolla after a slight makeover. The dimensions remain the same ? 4350mm long, 1705mm wide and 1490mm tall ? as does the wheelbase of 2600mm. The boot space is 430litres, which again hasn’t changed. So, the boot is smaller than that in the Skoda Octavia despite being longer overall than the Czech.

Externally speaking though, the Corolla now sports a new front grille. The fog lamps are new and so are the tail-lights. The headlamps are now equipped with sensors that turn them on or off automatically, based on the ambient light.

Getting in and out is easy because the doors open quite wide. Inside, of all the goodies, the most impressive was the multi-function wooden steering wheel with all the audio system controls running down the left-hand side of the hub. This proved itself during driving, reducing the possibility of distracted driving. The automatic air-conditioner was another matter however, as reaching out to adjust it while driving demanded more than a little attention. It would be nice if Toyota could see it fit to have the controls mirrored on the steering wheel, considering there is a bank of dummies on the right hand side of the hub. The music system is quite decent ? a 2 DIN (Deutsche Industrie Norm) unit, it is a six-CD changer, with AM/FM radio and MP3 capability.

Driving the Corolla was always good fun thanks to the MacPherson strut-antiroll bar combo in front and the beam-type suspension with a torsion bar at the rear. The Corolla has revised suspension settings now and handling has improved. However, it was not possible or safe to test the limits on a public road. ABS on the ventilated disc (front) and solid disc brakes (rear) make for a much surer stop as well as improved steering control during panic braking. The Corolla now comes with airbags, thus increasing the safety factor. The seats are supportive and have a sporty edge now, thanks to the perforated leather upholstery.

The 1.8-litre DOHC engine is a solid performer. With 125bhp (max) at 6000rpm and 158Nm of torque at 4200rpm, this is better at high revs ? it certainly sounds nice. It wasn’t possible to check acceleration or fuel economy figures but at an indicated 80kph in 5th gear, the engine is dawdling at an indicated 2100rpm. Even in 4th gear at 80kph, the engine is doing just 2400rpm. Mash the accelerator and it’s easy to redline the engine ? in 2nd gear, redline means an indicated 110kph. Please note: it’s not a healthy practice to redline the engine all the time.

The six-spoke alloys have made way for ten-spoke alloys now, which are fitted with tubeless rubber ? a change from the tubed tyres in the earlier version. This is quite a useful change as I found out on my way back from New Delhi airport after having received my parents. Cruising along Ring Road towards East Delhi late in the evening, I suddenly felt a vibration coming from the rear of the car accompanied by a periodical tapping sound. I thought I had a flat but an inspection of all four tyres revealed nothing ? all tyres were well inflated. So I carried on. Later that night, I changed the tyre on a hunch only to find a stud (the type that is used for the wooden frames found on trucks) had gone through the tread. As it was a tubeless tyre, the stud itself worked as a plug to seal the tyre immediately after puncturing it. The tyres then made the difference between carrying on to my destination unperturbed and sitting on the road and changing it late at night. That to my mind is the biggest single improvement.

Easy listening

Arindam Ganguly
actor/singer/director

When it comes to my musical preferences, it’s Bengali music that rules the roost. Rabindrasangeet, puratoni and adhunik songs, I love them all, so whenever I’m in my car, nothing relaxes me as much as some soothing music. I make it a point to tune into Aamar FM, as it plays a great mix of old and new numbers. I’m not orthodox in my tastes though, which is why, compared to the traditional style of Rabindrasangeet, give me something different anyday. That’s why I prefer artistes like Debabrata Biswas, Suchitra Mitra, Sumitra Sen, Sagar Sen and Indrani Sen, who have managed to stick to the true spirit of the music, while imparting a style that’s their own. As for contemporary numbers, I like the bands who do songs with a folk flavour.

That’s not to say though, that I don’t listen to any other kind of music. I loved the songs of Lagaan, and I also like performers like Elvis Presley and Pete Seeger.