An Indian customer looking for a premier sedan has a lot of models to choose from. The appearance, the comfort and safety levels, the fuel economy and the price are the major points the customer will be looking for. A comparison of the two best selling models the Hyundai Elantra and the Toyota Corolla Altis will be quite helpful.
The Elantra introduced in 2004 and re-launched in 2014 as the Neo Fluidic Elantra has 4 diesel and 3 petrol variants with the SX AT petrol and diesel models having auto transmission. The successful Corolla launched in 2003 has an upgraded version the Altis unveiled in the 2014 auto expo. Toyota Corolla Altis comes in 4 diesel versions and 5 petrol versions. The G AT and VL AT models have auto transmission.
The prominent features of the Elantra exterior are a grille with lot of chrome, swept back type headlights, a large solar glass wind screen, body coloured ORVMs and chrome door handles and 16” alloy wheels. The eye shaped adjustable headlamp cluster, fog lights on the body coloured bumper, the body coloured power operated ORVMs with turn indicators, reflectors on the rear bumper and the body coloured door handles make the Altis more appealing.
An automatic AC, leather wrapped multi-functional steering wheel, a rear camera and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat are the important features of the Elantra. A power steering, fabric seats, tilt and telescopic steering column and a music system with Bluetooth connectivity are the features common to both the cars. The cabin of the Altis is more spacious with a foldable rear seat, a keyless entry and start/stop push buttons. Safety features in higher variants are almost similar including dual airbags for driver and co-driver, fog lamps and a crash sensor.
The Elantra powered by a 1797 cc, 147 bhp petrol engine gives a mileage of 16.3 kmpl. The Altis with a 1798 cc, 138 bhp engine has a mileage of 14.53 kmpl. The 1258 cc Elantra diesel gives a mileage of 22.7 and the 1364 cc Altis diesel 21.43 kmpl.
The ground clearances of the 4530 mm long Elantra are 167 mm and of the 4620 mm long Altis 170 mm. The suspension is McPherson strut type at the front and Torsion beam type at the rear for both the models. The brakes are solid disc type for the Elantra and the ventilated disc type at the front and the solid disc type at the rear for the Corolla Altis.
The Elantra is priced between Rupees 12.73 to 16.02 lakhs and the Altis 11.99 to 16.89 lakhs. The easy availability of spares and better after sale services make the Elantra more preferable.
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