Car enthusiasts in the country are bursting with joy owing to the debut of the 10th generation Civic in India. Loaded with a new set of features, the new Civic emerges as a strong competitor in the D-segment against the likes of Toyota Corolla Altis, Skoda Octavia and the Hyundai Elantra. The Civic is available in petrol automatic and diesel manual engine options. Here below are distinctive highlights of the three key players in the D-segment in India.
Skoda Octavia
The popular premium sedan offering from Skoda, the Octavia, received a mid-life update in July 2017. The Skoda Octavia is available in three variants – Ambition, Style and Style Plus. The most prominent changes are the split set of headlamps and the reworked grille. The front bumper along with the fog lamps and the bonnet have been mildly tweaked as well. The side profile and rear section make do with just a fresh alloy design and new lightning signature for the tail lamps. As for the interior, the Octavia comes with an eight-inch touchscreen unit that replaces the older 6.5-inch unit. Moreover, the instrument cluster is revised with the addition of 10 colour ambient lighting, new steering wheel and added USB ports below the AC vents.
Toyota Corolla Altis
The current generation of Toyota Corolla Altis was introduced with fresh updates in March 2017. Changes in the facelift model were limited to cosmetic and feature upgrades, while mechanically it continued to be powered by existing engine options. Fresh design highlight includes a new fascia with chrome embellished on the new upper grille and a wider radiator grille that is integrated onto the bumper. The sedan also received new LED headlamps with daytime running lamps and new LED cluster tail lamps. As for the interior, the vehicle comes with premium upholstery and circular HVAC vents. The instrument cluster gets a 4.2-inch MID display and also gets a new Touch 2 system with navigation as standard. Interestingly, the car offers a reclining rear seat, thereby making it the only car in the segment to offer this feature.
Hyundai Elantra
The current generation of the Hyundai Elantra was introduced in India in August 2016. Based on the company’s new Fluidic 2.0 design language, the Elantra features a bold, modern and futuristic appeal. The Elantra comes with premium leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, engine start/stop button, rear AC vents and advanced infotainment system with 8.0-inch high definition capacitive touch screen- Audio Video Navigation System (AVN) and a rearview camera. Moreover, for the first time, the vehicle was introduced with an electric sunroof. The sedan is due to receive a mid-life update this year with sharper styling all around the car. The headlights in the new model are now triangular in shape with sharp edges which are tapering into the grille.
