The “shake your bon-bon” Brad Pitt campaign of the Toyota Corolla Altis goes, hands down, as one of the most memorable ever done.  In a single swoop, Toyota revitalized the image of its then flagging compact sedan.  Simply put, the mental image of Mr. Pitt power sliding the Altis through a wet slalom is enough to rub on sex appeal to the otherwise staid nameplate.  Putting the A-list celebrity endorsement aside, Toyota got it bang on right with the Altis: it finally had the looks and the features to compliment its reputation for being well-built and reliable.  It was boring no more—it was sexy, and the people bought into it.  That was then.

Fast forward 7 years and here is an all-new Altis.  The tenth-generation to carry the Corolla nameplate and the third to have the suffix Altis, the latest one proves that even if Toyota is the world’s richest car maker, they can become a bit too complacent in designing a car.  Everything seems to be a bit too “copy-and-paste” this time around.  Don’t get it wrong, the Altis is way sleeker and much more modern, but it looks too much to the model it replaces.  It doesn’t send that special tinge up anyone’s spine.  Drive it around the Metro without a license plate or even a conduction sticker, and no one will seem to notice—it’s the unashamed wallflower of the compact car world.  Still, park the Altis and go up for a closer inspection and you’ll like the subtle details.  The lines have been smoothened and the headlamps, protruding from the hood, are clearly a nod to the Camry.  The rear is the Altis’s weakest point where it looks too much like the previous car, down to the lamp pattern.

The interior’s like tuna maki: no matter how much you dress it up, the ingredients will always be a role call of raw fish, rice and seaweed.  If you were to enter the Altis blind-folded, you’d swear you’re sitting inside the 2001 model.  Everything from the control layout, seat position and even color scheme all seemed to have been recycled.  Toyota’s love for everything beige and wood causes you to age 10 years by simply sitting inside.  Fortunately, that’s the only criticism you can level at the Altis’s interior.  Cabin quality’s up a notch and now features more toys to play with including a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, powered driver’s seat (with push-button lumbar support), illuminated vanity mirrors and glove box and next-generation Optitron gauges which finally doesn’t washout in direct sunlight.  There are various knick-knack storage bins also including two glove boxes, a compartment behind the center console (ala Vios/Yaris) and a sliding arm console between the front seats.

The 2008 Corolla Altis looks a bit too "copy-and-paste" this time around. Toyota, with its financial muscle, should have put "daring" as the main ingredient.