Car Wars: Toyota Corolla Altis vs. Hyundai Elantra

Over the years, Toyota’s Corolla Altis has transformed from one of the most competitive compact cars to one of the most sought after mid-sized sedans in the automobile market. The Altis was not alone in its transformation phase since other compact vehicles eventually entered the mid-sized market to reach out to a larger audience. But unlike the Altis and other cars, Hyundai introduced a vehicle that was specifically made for the mid-size segment in the automobile market – the Elantra. The Hyundai Elantra was introduced in 1992, and since then, it incessantly became the second longest car nameplate as of today.

You might wonder why the Toyota Altis and other vehicles have transformed into mid-sized sedans. The answer is really simple: more people are looking for mid-sized sedans than compact cars. This is all because of the performance, space, and the minimal price difference that sedans have. When talking about the overall performance and car space, sedans are way more superior from compact cars because of the ancillary space which are suited for bigger engines. In terms of its price, compact cars will always be cheaper and affordable than sedans. But spending a little more money will always be worth it if the vehicle has superior characteristics. In addition, a mid-sized sedan is always the best choice when family utility is in question.

As the manufacturer of Altis, Toyota is always coming up with top-notch and quality cars that have stood the test of time. One example of Toyota’s expertise is the Camry, which has been around for decades – and Toyota still continues to innovate and make this superb vehicle better. Given this logic, it is no wonder that their other car nameplates will unceasingly transformed for the better, like what they did to Altis. On the other hand, Elantra is manufactured by Hyundai, a South Korean company, that has literally taken the automobile world by storm through their impressive cars and sheer competitiveness. There are a lot of things that can be discussed about the two manufacturers, but we’ll just let their mid-sized sedans do the talking!

Interior

The Toyota Altis’ interior is ultimately made for maximum comfort and convenience. Its instrument panel is made of carbon which also holds a 7-inch LCD infotainment display system. The three spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel is also mounted with infotainment and panel board controls that aids you to avoid unnecessary accidents while tinkering with the LCD display. But what makes the Toyota Altis stand out is because of its unique feature – the reclining backseat – which is not found in any other alike cars in this segment. Its infotainment system is complete with voice command, bluetooth, AUX-in, and navigation systems that are readily available. Other features include: cruise control, paddle shifter, eco driving gauge, push to start/stop button, rear sunshade, and rear reading lights.

For the Hyundai Elantra, its interior was made to look luxurious and premium. If you choose the black and beige color combination for the interior, it’ll feel classier and roomy. The Elantra also excels in its built-in features such as leather seats, cup holders, powered driver’s seat with lumbar support, two 12 volt sockets, cruise control, power windows, and sliding armrests. The infotainment system has a 2-DIN audio radio, Bluetooth, AUX, and USB capable. In addition, the steering wheel has mounted buttons that you can use to control the audio and to answer incoming calls. The rear seats also have volume buttons that the passengers can use to control the car’s audio volume.

Engine

For the Toyota Altis, its engine can cater to both gasoline and diesel variants. It has a 1.8 liter 16-valve dual VVT-i petrol engine that can put out 138 brake horsepower at 6400 revolutions per minute, and a maximum torque of 173 Nm at 4000 rpm. You can either choose a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7 speed CVT-i automatic transmission. For the diesel variant, it comes with a 1.4-liter engine that can put out 87 bhp at 3800 rpm, while the torque puts out 205 Nm at 1800 – 2800 rpm. Additionally, the diesel variant also comes with a standard 6-speed manual transmission. However, it does not have an automatic option.

On the other hand, the Hyundai Elantra’s engine can also cater to both the gasoline and diesel variants. It has a 1.8-liter engine that can put out a maximum of 147.45 bhp while having a torque output of 173 Nm at 4700 rpm. For the diesel variant, it has a 1.6-liter engine that produces 126.24 bhp at 4000 rpm, and a torque of 259.87 Nm at 1900 – 2750 rpm. Unlike the Toyota Altis, the Hyundai Elantra has a manual and automatic transmission for their diesel variant.

Mileage

The Toyota Altis’ petrol automatic variant can deliver a total of 14.53 kilometers per liter on the highway and 10.5 kilometers per liter in the city. Their manual diesel variant produces a total of 21.43 kilometers per liter on the highway and an estimate total of 18.4 kilometers per liter for their automatic diesel variant.

For the Hyundai Elantra’s automatic gasoline variant, it can deliver a total of 14.5 kilometers per liter on the highway and 11.2 kilometers per liter in the city. On the other hand, their manual transmission diesel variant can deliver a total of 19.5 kilometers per liter in the city and 22.7 kilometers per liter on the highway.

Hyundai Elantra

Toyota Corolla Altis

The Verdict

Given these two superior mid-sized car comparison, both the Toyota Altis and the Hyundai Elantra has their own share of pros and cons. However, the one that stood out the most in this mid-sized sedan car collation is Toyota Altis.

The Toyota Altis takes home the winner for the best interior since it ultimately focused on the comfortability and convenience that the passenger can experience. The Hyundai Elantra has numerous features in its disposal and interior design, but if they get in the way of the comfortability of the passengers and drivers, then the feature has all been for naught.

The Hyundai Elantra has also its good points, but when everything is considered, the Toyota Altis takes it all. This is because the other features that the Toyota Altis possesses triumphs over the ones that the Hyundai Elantra have. Although the Hyundai Elantra has lost in this comparison, it really is a close fight with the Toyota Altis.

This mid-sized sedan comparison result goes to show that even the smallest details in a car can be a deciding factor for a person to determine which vehicle will he/she choose.

Over the years, both of these vehicles have come a long way from their former appearance. We cannot say if there will be revolutionary versions of these cars – any vehicle for that matter – will come out. But one thing is for sure; Toyota and Hyundai will continue to strive hard to give the automobile market something new and better. All we have to do is wait!