Hyundai has never quite managed to crack the executive sedan formula. Its first-gen Elantra launched in India in 2004, met with limited success. And when the Elantra nameplate made a comeback to India in 2012 after a gap of four years with the swoopy ‘fluidic’ version, the car didn’t win over half as many buyers as the segment bestseller. However, this latest generation Elantra’s chances seem a whole lot brighter. Eye-catching design aside, it’s got a smart new interior, it’s loaded with equipment and more importantly, it’s priced competitively as well.
The Skoda Octavia, in contrast, is the most expensive car in this segment. But that’s just one aspect of the package, because the Skoda seeks to lure you with its strong build, high-quality interiors and exciting driving experience. Chevy’s Cruze, fresh from an update earlier this year, comes into the competition with the most powerful engine in the segment, a sporty cabin and more equipment than ever before.
For this comparison, we’ve considered the diesel automatic versions of these three cars and this should explain why we’ve left out the popular Corolla Altis – Toyota doesn’t make the Corolla diesel with an automatic gearbox. Our sole focus is to pick the best diesel automatic sedan in the Rs 14-20 lakh range.
What are they like to drive?
If there’s one thing the Hyundai Elantra’s engine stands out for, it’s got to be refinement. There are minimal vibrations felt at idle and noise levels remain relatively low even when you rev the engine hard. The Elantra’s 128hp, 1.6-litre diesel engine is the smallest here and makes the least power too. No surprises then that it’s not as quick as its rivals when talking acceleration from a standing start or through the gears. But despite what the numbers say, the Elantra is not slow and for the daily grind, performance is more than adequate. In fact, the Elantra’s easy-going nature makes it a car you'd enjoy driving a lot.
You can’t completely get around the slight delay in power delivery on flooring the Elantra’s throttle but what’s nice is that you can fine-tune the driving experience thanks to three driving modes on offer that alter engine, gearbox and steering settings. Standard is the default mode and works fine, though we did wish the six-speed gearbox was quicker to shift gears. In Eco mode, the settings are optimised for efficiency; the gearbox is tuned to shift up to the highest possible gear for a given speed to keep engine revs low. Performance as a result takes a hit. Of course, the mode to be in if you are in a hurry is Sport. The gearbox responds quicker in this mode, and holds gears for longer to make use of all of the engine’s power. The Elantra also allows manual control of the gearbox via the gear lever, but sadly there are no paddle shifters.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
