REVIEW (Contd)......11th Gen Corolla
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Look guys, by now you've seen loads of 11 Gen Corolla and sucked up gigabytes of internet bandwidth just to see photos of the new gen, read reviews and compare it to Civics. See? I knew I was right. So, having said that, I won't waste time on unnecessary things and bore you to hell. But, being a Civic fan boy, ex owner of Viper (The legendary 8[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civic of PakWheels), i WILL tell you this:
* Shape/Look. New does not necessarily mean better, make no mistake about it. It should but it may not. In this case, (I've found) the 11th Gen Corolla to be better looking (as a whole) as compared to the previous 10[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Corolla, hands down. But its comparison with an 8[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civic? I reserve my comments and I bet you know what I mean. Compare it to a 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civic and the Corolla wins again while looking bigger and bolder (and I give a damn to what the millimeters on papers under the technical specifications say). Still the overall package is conservatively modern and better looking than the rest of the competition.
Just Added: This point is a case of personal preference. I am so happy that there is no full chrome front grill in my Hornet. I can't get myself to like too much chrome that too on a black car. Minimum or small chrome accents are dear to me but a full chrome grill is a painful sight to watch (for me). Apart from that, maintenance of the chrome itself for detailing freaks like me with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) specially when you find rust, discolouration (due to negligence) and more commonly the scratches/ nicks/ chipping as a result of flying road debris.I would have absolutely loved it if the front grill was smoked chrome like in some models of Toyota Axio.
* Ride Height. 11[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Corolla compared to 10[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Corolla, 8[SUP]th[/SUP] and 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civics, is taller, thanks to the "Special Edition Ultra High Performance Coils/Springs exclusively made for Pakistani bumps, pot holes, ditches (read: I didn't say roads)". Hey, Indus Motors Corporation, how about offering optional coils/springs with lower height? Save us from low quality MaxSpeeds, Kabar Markets hunting for decade old used lowering springs for our brand new rides and from shopkeepers (the rippers) asking Rs. 40,000/- for TRD springs alone. Hey, Am I asking too much? Seriously, I'm not taking any chances of even the slightest aggressive cornering with these springs and tyres/tyre profile. The ride height means higher centre of gravity, so not a very good thing.
* Aerodynamics. Not that Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) would not have tested the 11[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Corolla for aerodynamic stability and improvement but I have personally not seen or heard or it being subjected to tests in a wind tunnel. Judging by the looks, I cannot consider it to be much aerodynamic but then there are more things to aerodynamics than just the shape.
* Build Quality. Abso-freakin-lutely, nice when compared it to 8[SUP]th[/SUP]/9[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Civics and 10[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Corolla. Once it comes to PKDM, we all know Toyota?s paint work is superior to that of Honda and Suzuki. There is almost no orange peel compared to the rest of the competition. The doors feel heavy/solid while closing/opening and nicely produce solid sound. Strangely, the metal/alloy feels solid too this time around. You could easily place your kid on the bonnet or deck without the fear of an inevitable dent. Headlamps are really well designed specially the smoked accent look awesome. Tail lights look beautiful and the next generation LED lights and "lava" illumination is great compared to anything else badged PKDM and many more. The only gripe is the quality control reflected in minor details like misaligned tail lights (right ones mostly) and mysterious scratches in a brand new car. No biggie, with so many vehicles rolling down the assembly lines, this is understandable but not acceptable.
* Wheels/Tyres. I can't praise enough the world class ultra high performance Eurostars in a whopping 195/65-R15 wrapped around solid steel wheels. But hey, I can't complain either. I'm just an ordinary Joe, I can feel the pain of Altis owners. Specially when you purchase the OEM alloy rims for around Rs.19,000/- and install them in XLi, GLi. I feel ya bro. I'm sure the 12[SUP]th[/SUP] Gen Corolla will also come with the same 15" wheels and tyres. IMC raises the spring height for more clearance but they will not take steps to finally introduce 16"/17" even as optional. Perfectly understandable. Lots of stakes involved here.
* Wheel Base. Don't dare ignore this. This time around the wheel base has increased meaning more stability. But the increase is not that much that it would affect the manoeuvrability since Corolla is designed as a standard C-Segment sedan for a purpose that it's been fulfilling for decades now. Simple, functional, reliable.
