Battle of the Execs

The insides of the Corolla, although not dull, don’t make you feel excited either. Though the material used is very good, you don’t have many options by way of controls. The centre console is quite basic, as is the steering column. But what you do get is a massive amount of space—it’s probably got the finest rear seat in the segment, as is the knee and headroom all around. The interiors are typically Toyota—functional but not overboard.

Under the hood

Both the cars come in petrol as well as diesel engine options. While the Elantra petrol gets the 1.8-litre engine producing a maximum power of 149.5PS@6500rpm and a maximum torque of 18.1kgm@4700rpm, its diesel mill is essentially the same CRDi unit that powers the Verna—it produces a decent power of 128PS@4000rpm and a maximum torque of 26.5kgm@1900-2750rpm. The Corolla petrol is powered by the proven 1.8-litre engine that produces 140PS@6400rpm of power and a maximum torque of 17.6kgm@4000rpm, while its diesel mill is relatively dull on paper—the 1364cc engine produces 88.4PS@3800rpm of power and a torque of 20.9kgm@1800-2800rpm.

On the road

Petrol: Although Elantra’s petrol mill produces higher power on paper than Corolla’s, it doesn’t quite reflect on the road. While the Elantra goes from 0-100 kmph in about 12 seconds, the Corolla takes 13 seconds to hit the ton. While the Elantra covers close to 12 km to a litre of petrol, the Corolla betters it with 14 km.

Diesel: Again, the

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