Toyota Corolla Altis G (HV) or Honda Civic: Which is the more value for money automatic?

Toyota has launched a new low-end variant G (HV) of the Corolla Altis petrol sedan, priced at Rs. 13.76 lakh, the Altis G (HV) is Rs. 20,000 cheaper than the Honda Civic AT (without sunroof).

Here we find out if the Altis G (HV) variant is attractive enough to woo customers from the Civic V AT.

Driving and handling

The Corolla Altis is powered by a 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol motor that puts out 138 bhp of power and 173 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to 7-speed, CVT automatic transmission. The Honda Civic is powered by 1.8-litre iVTEC petrol motor that puts out 130 bhp of power and 172 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to 5-speed automatic transmission.

The 7-speed CVT automatic in the Altis offers quick acceleration unlike the 4-speed CVT it replaces. Further, with the responsiveness of this transmission makes it more involving to drive. However, the 5-speed auto in the Civic is equally responsive and with paddle-shifters and makes things even easier than the Corolla Altis.

When it comes to handling, clearly the Civic has an edge over the Corolla Altis. The low body height (read low CG), long wheelbase adds to the Civics’ sporty handling characteristics. Further, the body roll is minimal high speed stability is too good. The Corolla Altis is best when driven in a sedate manner for its stiffer suspension setup and vague steering feedback doesn’t inspired confidence if driven spiritedly. Summing up, the Altis drives well while the Civic excels in handling.

Space and comfort

The Corolla Altis and the Civic offers huge cabin space. Both the Civic and the Altis are good in terms of rear space because, both the cars have flat floor that makes the middle passenger feel more comfortable.

Comfort-wise, the Corolla Altis has an edge over the Civic. This is because, the Corolla Altis is relatively taller and hence ingress or egress is pretty easy. The Civic is low slung and hence, it’s a bit difficult to quickly enter or exit the car. Both the cars come with excellent cushioning seats that offer good overall support.

Both cars are equally spacious and comfortable. So no clear winner here.

Looks

Honda is yet to launch the latest generation Civic in India and hence its design is dated couple of years back. However, its futuristic sporty design language hides its age. The Corolla Altis resembles Toyota’s family such as the Camry. However, it fails to turn heads that the Civic does.

Features

The Honda Civic comes with paddle shifters, cruise control, leather upholstery and reverse parking sensors. The Corolla Altis misses out these two features. However, the Altis has in-dash DVD touch screen audio Bluetooth connectivity while the Civic comes only with CD player.

Otherwise, both the cars are well equipped with standard features such as ABS, EBD, keyless entry, fog lamps, alloy wheels, auto AC, electric mirrors, driver seat height adjust, front and rear central armrest.

Price, mileage and overall VFM

With a price difference of only Rs. 20,000 and the Corolla Altis being the cheaper car (Rs. 13.76 lakh); there is no clear winner here. When it comes to mileage, the Altis AT has a claimed mileage of 14.3 kmpl while the Civic V AT has a claimed mileage of 13.90 kmpl. Here, the Altis AT has a slight advantage over the Civic.

Overall, though the Civic costs Rs. 20,000 more, it packs in more features such as paddle shifters, cruise control, leather upholstery and reverse parking not offered in the Altis. The top-end AT variant of the Altis which has these features is priced Rs. 1 lakh more than the Civic V AT and Rs. 50,000 more than the Civic V AT with sunroof.

Hence, Civic is the better value for money car than the Altis.

Verdict

The Corolla Altis G (HV) variant, though costs Rs. 20,000 less than the Civic V AT, it doesn’t offer as many features as the Civic V AT does. The Civic, despite its 5-speed gearbox, is quite responsive and doesn’t spoil the fun when it comes to outright performance. Further, the Civic rides and handles better than the Altis. So, the winner in this comparison is the Honda Civic V AT.