Twenty years ago, a typical bread-and-butter, 1.6-litre four-door was humbly equipped, reasonably spacious, adequately air-conditioned for our hot weather and cheap to run. That was enough for the family man. Today, however, the same head of the household wants more from his everyday runabout – it must also be nice to look at and deliver an equally nice drive.
Ready to reclaim its place atop the family saloon segment is the all-new Toyota Corolla Altis. Having been overshadowed in the past few years by better equipped and sexier models from Hyundai and Kia, the Altis is out to impress with its “younger” design, roomier and plusher cabin, and improved driveability.
Also keen to showcase its improvements here is the mildly updated Hyundai Elantra. Although it looks similar to the pre-facelift model, the Elantra promises an upgraded interior, which includes a newly specified variable-assistance steering system.
Aiming to make its mark in this story is the second-generation Nissan Sylphy. It boasts design attributes, cabin amenities and refined road manners derived from those on the larger and more luxurious Teana, which is good news for customers and bad news for competitors.
Which of these three “beyond basic” family saloons does the best job of appealing to the family man? Keep reading to find out.
In this company, the Hyundai Elantra is unquestionably the nicest to drive thanks to its quick gearbox and well-tuned suspension. But it doesn’t do as well when it comes to roominess and economy, which are what cost-conscious family men require. Had its 2014 upgrade been more extensive, the Elantra might have kept its two rivals at bay.
Displaying a marked improvement overall is the latest Toyota Corolla Altis. Aside from being more spacious and more stylish than its predecessor, it is also, shockingly, more enjoyable to drive. The Altis’ main weakness, however, is its equally shocking sticker price, which is $15.9k and $12.1k more (at press time) than the Elantra and Sylphy, respectively. Had it been priced more competitively, it would have been the clear winner here.
Matching the Altis in this shootout is the Nissan Sylphy. Despite what its paper figures suggest, the Sylphy has a peppy yet frugal powertrain, plus a well-executed cabin that belies its status as a family runabout. In this story, both the Sylphy and the Corolla Altis are the modern Asian saloons that go “beyond basic” most appealingly.
SPECIFICATIONS
Hyundai Elantra 1.6 (A)
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE Inline-4, 16-valves
CAPACITY 1591cc
BORE X STROKE 77mm x 84.5mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 10.5:1
MAX POWER 130bhp at 6300rpm
MAX TORQUE 157Nm at 4850rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 110bhp per tonne
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic
with manual select
DRIVEN WHEELS Front
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 11.6 seconds
TOP SPEED 195km/h
CONSUMPTION 14.9km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 159g/km
SUSPENSION
FRONT MacPherson struts, coil springs
REAR Torsion beam, coil springs
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs / Discs
TYRES
TYPE Hankook Kinergy Eco
SIZE 205/55 R16
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 6
TRACTION CONTROL ABS with ESP
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 4530mm
WIDTH 1775mm
HEIGHT 1445mm
WHEELBASE 2700mm
KERB WEIGHT 1181kg
TURNING CIRCLE 10.6m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE $119,999
(after $5k CEVS rebate)
WARRANTY 5 years/unlimited km
WE SAY
+ Quickest gearbox, punchiest engine, most airbags as standard
– Least fuel-efficient, least spacious backseat, smallest boot
* BEST OF THE THREE IN DRIVEABILITY
SPECIFICATIONS
Nissan Sylphy 1.6 (A)
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE Inline-4, 16-valves
CAPACITY 1598cc
BORE X STROKE 78mm x 83.6mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 9.8:1
MAX POWER 116bhp at 5600rpm
MAX TORQUE 154Nm at 4000rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 96.3bhp per tonne
GEARBOX CVT with
6-speed override
DRIVEN WHEELS Front
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 11.7 seconds
TOP SPEED 180km/h
CONSUMPTION 16.1km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 149g/km
SUSPENSION
FRONT MacPherson struts, coil springs
REAR Torsion beam, coil springs
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs / Discs
TYRES
TYPE Bridgestone Ecopia EP150
SIZE 195/60 R16
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 2
TRACTION CONTROL ABS
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 4625mm
WIDTH 1760mm
HEIGHT 1495mm
WHEELBASE 2700mm
KERB WEIGHT 1205kg
TURNING CIRCLE 10.4m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE $123,800
(after $5k CEVS rebate)
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km
WE SAY
+ Biggest boot, most economical drivetrain, cushiest front seats
– Narrowest rear bench, least practical cabin, no folding rear seats
* BEST OF THE THREE IN EFFICIENCY
SPECIFICATIONS
Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6 (A)
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE Inline-4, 16-valves
CAPACITY 1598cc
BORE X STROKE 80.5mm x 78.5mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 10.2:1
MAX POWER 121bhp at 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 154Nm at 5200rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 95.7bhp per tonne
GEARBOX CVT with
7-speed override
DRIVEN WHEELS Front
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 11.1 seconds
TOP SPEED 185km/h
CONSUMPTION 15.4km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 151g/km
SUSPENSION
FRONT MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
REAR Torsion beam, coil springs
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs / Discs
TYRES
TYPE Yokohama Decibel E70
SIZE 205/55 R16
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 2
TRACTION CONTROL ABS
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 4620mm
WIDTH 1775mm
HEIGHT 1460mm
WHEELBASE 2700mm
KERB WEIGHT 1265kg
TURNING CIRCLE 10.8m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE $135,988
(after $5k CEVS rebate)
WARRANTY 5 years/unlimited km
WE SAY
+ Best infotainment, roomiest interior, most refined motor
– Highest sticker price, only two airbags, tiniest boot light
* BEST OF THE THREE IN OVERALL PERFORMANCE
