Hyundai Elantra: Competition check

The new Elantra is pitted directly against the Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla Altis and Renault Fluence, and on the higher end of the spectrum the car is up against the Skoda Laura and the Volkswagen Jetta. It’s not an easy marketplace to operate in as these big brands are determined on demanding their piece of the pie. Hyundai has already burnt its fingers once by offering a run-of-the-mill product in this segment. However, this time around, the new Elantra does have the mettle to play its cards right. The new car boasts a stellar design that has worked wonders for Hyundai, it’s well kitted, aggressively priced and, on the whole, is a rather commendable package which definitely has the competition’s attention. Let’s take a closer look at what the Elantra is up against.

Chevrolet Cruze
The Chevrolet Cruze has received an upgrade in the form of a brand-new engine. The new 1998cc unit churns out an astonishing 166PS @ 3,800rpm and a solid 380Nm of torque @ 2,000rpm, making it a rather powerful option against the diesel Elantra’s 128PS @ 4000rpm and 265Nm of torque between 1,900 and 2,750rpm. The Cruze also boasts of a rather fresh design despite being three years old and it offers a rather decent level of creature comforts as well. It is a great value-for-money option, but it does lose out to the Elantra in terms of overall comfort as the rear is a little tight, whereas the Elantra offers a rather decent rear bench.

 
Toyota Corolla Altis
The Toyota Corolla Altis is pretty much the no-nonsense car amongst this brigade. It boasts of Toyota’s legendary build quality, offers great ride comfort as well as spacious interiors and, honestly, is a fantastic value-for-money proposition. Offered in both petrol and diesel variants, the Corolla Altis is positioned similarly like the Elantra. However, the Altis does lose out in terms of exterior design as its bland, rounded look is no match to the fluidic design philosophy the Elantra boasts of. It is worthy to mention that the Corolla Altis prices starts about a lakh rupees cheaper than the entry-level Elantra, so if you can look past the looks, the Altis might be the car for you.

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Renault Fluence
The Renault Fluence is one of the best looking cars amongst the competition. Its French flair has done wonders for the brand and the Fluence is finding steady takers in the market. Similar to the Elantra, the Fluence has been conceived as an all-rounder rather than just a tyre scorcher. Preference has obviously been given to fit and finish, features and comfort, while drive dynamics can best be described as easy going. The Fluence is priced slightly below the Elantra, but when you compare the list of creature comforts, the Elantra does end up offering a lot more.

Skoda Laura
The Skoda Laura is a formidable contender to the Elantra in terms of pricing, but in the looks department, the Laura is starting to show its age while the Elantra has a striking shape. Where the Laura really scores is in the performance department and is a scorcher in both petrol and diesel avatars. In comparison to the Elantra, the Laura also loses out on interior space as the rear seat space is rather cramped. The interiors on the Laura do measure up to the fit and finish on the Elantra; however, the Elantra’s list of creature comforts is longer.

Volkswagen Jetta
The Volkswagen Jetta made a strong impression at the time of its launch and as a package it pretty much offered everything one could expect from an executive sedan. It is a good looking car that boasts of German engineering and build quality, powerful yet frugal engine options, great fit and finish and a plethora of creature comforts. In a lot of ways, the Jetta does pip the Elantra as a package, but it’s the pricing that holds the key here and the Elantra is rather aggressively priced and that should see a lot of Jetta takers shift their choice to the Elantra.

* All prices ex-showroom Delhi