Motor Kind: 3rd World War – Battle amongst the D Segment Diesels

“What happens when 772 horses run down on open tarmac flushing out 1720 foot pounds of torque amongst them”? The answer is simple! You wouldn’t have any tarmac left.

But let’s see how this battle between the CRUZE, LAURA, JETTA, ELANTRA, FLUENCE and ALTIS pan out which will give us the ruler of the D segment Diesel world!

The Armoury:

If only looks can kill. You are totally unaware of cars that pass by on road and all of a sudden there is this beautiful, elegant and yet so smart looking moving being that passes by and you go ‘WOW’! To cut the long story short the RENAULT FLUENCE emerges undoubtedly the winner in the design and styling battle. The Germans of VW and Skoda have adopted a very boring laid back rigid feel approach which shows on the Jetta and the Laura. The big American muscle of CRUZE speaks lot about its origin but the dipping roofline makes it look smaller. And there is this sedate ALTIS and the ELANTRA again inspired by Fluidic styling which becomes a little monotonous for us.

The French wine not only tastes the best but also looks. The small grille, swept-back headlights, smooth belt line and large taillights work well, while the sleek roof and wheels that fill the arches nicely give the Fluence a strong stance.

The Weapons:

Go under the hood and there you find whole loads of power and torque waiting to be delivered at the battle front. On paper the CRUZE is the powerful of all 2.0L churning out 166bhp with 380nm of torque. But does this translate into real world performance! NO. You will have to put up with the huge turbo lag it comes with making it undesirable on open roads.

Having a relatively lower displacement of 1500cc which produces only 110hp and 250nm torque, the FLUENCE does not disappoint at all. Power delivery is almost immediate with minimal turbo lag at 1700rpm. The mid range is punchy too which gives a lovely highway driving experience.

The ELANTRA gets the same 1.6L 126hp 256nm torque motor from its smaller sibling the Verna. Does this suffice? Well yes if you are looking at a plush overall performance. There is a bit of turbo lag however and this could be mildly irritating in traffic. The Elantra also does not feel as quick as something like a VW Jetta, despite also having a six-speed gearbox.

1.4L, 90hp, 200nm power train! You would be wondering how in the world you can put up with such figures in a D segment diesel car especially with the choice you have. Behold! The Japanese have produced nothing short of a miracle from this puny engine in the ALTIS. The sleek gearbox with so smooth gear shifts, excellent clutch makes driveability of this car simply stunning. Yes on open roads you would yearn for that extra power and torque but you value Quality and Toyota look no further.

The LAURA and the JETTA share the same power train 2.0L pumping out 140hp with 320nm torque. Driveability of these diesels is absolutely stunning and the timings reveal with 0-100kph coming in just ABOUT 12 seconds. But if the Laura feels great, the Jetta feels better still. There is a strong tug from low down in the rev band and, though the engine does not like to be revved too hard, you won’t mind short-shifting the slick six-speed ’box. The wide power band and sufficient power allows the Jetta to seamlessly shift from city commute to long-distance mode thus clinching ahead of its rival.

Foot on Battle Ground:

Drive and Let Drive. You chose to sit at the rear with your legs folded and one arm resting and the other with an open newspaper. Or you simply rubbish it and sit tightly holding the wheel with all the power beckoned at your foot. This will what will split these 6 into.

Is SPACE is your criterion both front and back with good amount of knee room, head room and leg room the first set of FLUENCE, ELANTRA and the ALTIS offers these with pomp. Sit back and relax the luxurious journey ahead without having to fear about bumps, traffic etc. Comfortable long drives would be ideal in them.

Burning rubber, screeching noise, diesel fumes from the exhaust is what you want? The Germans and the American are favourites to do this. Both the JETTA and the LAURA offer identical performance. The Laura offers a good mix. It doesn’t mind being pushed around and while it’s slightly stiff, the ride won’t leave you complaining. On the highway it feels completely at home and it also takes the broken roads without too many spine jarring moments. The Jetta’s suspension, Macpherson struts at the front and multi-link suspension at the rear, ensures that even the most unforgiving of roads are dispatched with ease. The ride quality gives the impression of being in a premium car. The Jetta’s steering isn’t as light as that of the Fluence but has just that much weight which makes it comfortable at low as well as high speeds. CRUZE does well only after it exits the lag of its turbo.

Thus for pure comfort, luxury and relaxed seating the FLUENCE comes good. If Speed, power acceleration is what you want then the JETTA would do justice with the LAURA coming a close 2^nd.

Inside the Castle:

There is only one synonym to the word Features in this segment – ELANTRA. The discussion starts and ends there. ESP, 6 airbags, powered and ventilated seats, cruise control, heated mirrors, audio control for rear seat passengers and dual zone AC are just the beginning. Hyundai always believes that the Indian wants more for less and that is exactly what they have done. The touch and feel of plastics are upmarket and the blue lighting inside gives a nice ambience which the others in this segment do not get.

One thing that fascinates us especially on the inside is the ‘Soft touch Plastics’ used on the IP and the dashboard. The JETTA, LAURA, FLUENCE and the ALTIS boast of these which make it premium as compared to the tacky plasticky finish of the LAURA and the ELANTRA.