Lean, mildly mean and generally green - that in a nutshell pretty much describes the new diesel-engined Toyota Corolla Altis. We put the D-4D-powered machine through its paces.

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Now that the reason behind the delay is out of the way, let me say that there is much more significance to this oil burning Corolla than just being the first mass-market diesel engined Toyota offering for India. The key to this lies in the 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine which to many might seem pretty small for duty in a D-segment saloon but as was proved in our road test, is an engine which allows the Corolla to punch higher than its capacity. Designated the 1ND-TV internally, this 1364cc engine with long stroke cylinder dimensions (bore and stroke measuring 73.0 x 81.5mm) is also just perfect for Toyota's biggest ever project for India - the Etios hatchback and saloon, plus also a mini-MPV on the same platform. Getting the engine to be tested in the heat of actual real-world motoring in the land will only help the Toyota boffins to tweak it just right for duty in the Etios when it is launched at the end of this year.

So while the Corolla Diesel is important on its own accord and refreshes Toyota's mass market offering in the light of rivals like the Chevrolet Cruze and the Skoda Laura, it is the bigger picture which Toyota could be looking at with this all new 1.4-litre diesel. Given the way it performs in the large Corolla, just think what sort of performance and efficiency it can deliver tellingly in a smaller, more compact package like the Etios? Volkswagen and the rest have been given ample notice I should say.