Come 23rd August, 2016, South Korean carmaker, Hyundai will launch the new Elantra. Ahead of its launch, we’ve put together a comparison of the Hyundai Elantra with Toyota Corolla Altis, Skoda Octavia and Chevrolet Cruze to find out how well does the Elantra stack up against its competitors.
Engine
The sixth-generation Elantra will be offered in both petrol and diesel units. The 2.0L, 4-cylinder petrol unit produces 147 hp of power, while the 1.6 L petrol and diesel engines are also expected to be offered in the upcoming Elantra. The 1.6 L petrol and diesel also powers the current-generation Elantra. The larger 2.0 L engine is also expected to be paired to a dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The Skoda Octavia uses 1.4 L and 1.8 L petrol units and a larger 2.0 L diesel motor. The company offers a smaller engine that makes power of around 147 hp while the bigger petrol motor makes 177 hp of maximum power. The diesel motor too generates a respectable 140 hp of power.
The powertrain options for Toyota Corolla Altis consists of a 1.8 L petrol with 138 hp and a 1.4 L diesel unit that produces 87 hp of maximum power. However, the Japanese car manufacturer does not offer the Altis with a 2.0 L engine neither in petrol nor in diesel. Despite that, the 1.8 L petrol produces 138 hp which is just 2 hp less that the Elantra’s 2.0 L with 140 hp of power.
The Chevrolet Cruze comes only with a diesel engine, displacing 2 L with a maximum power output of 163 hp and 360 Nm of torque. The Cruze is the most powerful car in its segment presently and offers a decent balance between power and efficiency.
Transmission
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra will come with a 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic gearbox. The automatic transmission will be available only with petrol variants. Skoda offers its sedan with a 7-speed DSG (1.8 L petrol), 6-speed DSG (2.0 L diesel) and 6-speed manual transmissions (1.4 L petrol and 2.0 L diesel).
The Corolla Altis’ petrol engine is mated to a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed CVT gearbox, while the diesel mill is paired to a 6-speed manual. The Corolla’s 7-speed CVT transmission is the only transmission at par with the Octavia’s 7-speed DSG gearbox on paper but in reality, the DSG is bound to be a lot quicker than any CVT. The Chevrolet Cruze uses a 6-speed automatic and manual gearbox to transfer its power to the front axle.
Dimensions
| Dimensions | Hyundai Elantra | Skoda Octavia | Toyota Corolla Altis | Chevrolet Cruze |
| Length (mm) | 4570 | 4659 | 4620 | 4597 |
| Width (mm) | 1800 | 1814 | 1775 | 1788 |
| Height (mm) | 1450 | 1476 | 1475 | 1477 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2700 | 2688 | 2700 | 2685 |
| Ground Clearance (mm) | NA | 155 | NA | 165 |
| Turning Radius (m) | NA | 5.2 | 5.4 | NA |
Dimensionally, the Skoda Octavia is the longest of all cars at 4,659 mm. Other dimensions include 1,814 mm width and a height of 1,476 mm. While these figures are more than that of the competition, the 2016 Hyundai Elantra and the Corolla Altis are longer in terms of wheelbase at an identical 2,700 mm. The Skoda Octavia however, offers more legroom, even on the rear seat and ample of headroom and shoulder room.
Safety
Cars in this segment are usually well-loaded with features and at times are at par with more expensive premium cars. All cars in this segment come with a similar set of active & passive safety features along with crash-optimised body structures. Even in terms of crash-test ratings, all these models have a positive rating across most key areas.
Conclusion
It’s unfair to pass a conclusive judgement on any vehicle till we’ve driven them at length. This being a spec-based comparo, we’ve arrived at the conclusion that the Skoda Octavia takes the lead here as it is spacious and comes with a wider choice of engine and transmissions, which produce almost similar power output as compared to the Elantra, but less than Cruse’s 2.0 L diesel engine. Stay tuned to Express Drives for a road-test based comparison soon.