Determined Performance
The only D-word we were waiting to get to was the drive, and for reasonably large cars, they didn’t disappoint. While some will have chauffeurs to drive them around, there are quite a few who would drive themselves and their families around, and here is where it’s a very different experience in each of them.
The Corolla Altis has a spacious cabin and good headroom, but push the car for a performance run and it doesn’t really want to go. The 1.4-litre D-4D turbo-diesel engine has 88(.4) PS and 205 Nm of torque, but it does not come on song soon enough, with rather excruciating turbo-lag until 1,800 RPM that takes away from the drive experience. However, the suspension setup is quite soft and soaks up bumps very well. It’s also very silent inside the cabin and the seats are supremely comfortable and supportive. The Altis is equally happy pottering around town and steadily munching miles on the highway, but dynamics at speed could be better. That said, it handles quite well, even around corners. The steering feel is good, but is nothing to write home about. There is a bit of body-roll and the soft suspension setup isn’t especially cut out for high-speed cornering. There is a good amount of torque from the engine and it feels quite capable, although it’s better left unhurried to go about its business well.
The Elantra, with its 1.6-litre CRDi turbo-diesel engine making 128 PS and 260 Nm of torque, has decent shove with a strong pull, but the gearbox just doesn’t harness all of the power as it should. The car has a very soft suspension setup which makes it ideal for city and bumpy roads; but show it a corner and the undulations make it feel jittery and disoriented: high-speed stability is quite an issue, especially around the bends. The steering is also quite numb and the material used doesn’t make it the most comfortable to grip for long periods. As a driver’s car, the Elantra could be much better.
On to the Octavia now. It packs the most powerful engine – a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with 143 PS and 320 Nm of torque – and the six-speed manual transmission is geared just right to let you get the tyres squealing in first, second and third! The tank-like build shows in its dynamic ability and it can accelerate in a straight line and jump into a corner with equal aplomb. It feels planted and stable no matter what you end up doing. The manual ‘box lets you have a lot of fun and, coupled to that feeling of safety, can mean you might end up doing something stupid. However, the sharp Czech suit it wears makes it a great all-rounder. You can toss about the bends and, moments later, drive up elegantly to the business meeting at the posh hotel you were heading to.
Verdict
Pound for pound, the Octavia wins this round, no questions asked.
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NEED TO KNOW
| Car | Toyota Corolla Altis D-4D GL |
Hyundai Elantra CRDi SX |
Škoda Octavia TDI Ambition |
| Engine | 1.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel | 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel | 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel |
| Max Power |
88.4 PS @ 3,600 RPM |
128 PS @ 4,000 RPM |
143 PS @ 4,000 RPM |
| Max Torque |
205 Nm @ 1,750-2,500 RPM |
260 Nm @ 1,900-2,750 RPM |
320 Nm @ 1,750-2,500 RPM |
| Transmission |
Six-speed manual |
Six-speed manual |
Six-speed manual |
| Price (OTR, Pune) |
Rs 20.39 lakh |
Rs 19.06 lakh |
Rs 20.34 lakh |
