It’s no secret that our protagonists have a history — and an intense one at that. The story goes that Toyota was so stunned by the new Civic that it sent its soon-to-be-launched Corolla back to the drawing board. However, none of that matters today as these two stand locked in mortal combat. What matters is who remains standing.

STYLE FILE

It’s clear from the outset that these cars are head-on competitors. Still, there’s a subtle difference in character. Look at the pair standing side by side and it’s the Civic that’s slung lower and sportier. The Altis, on the other hand, looks more aggressive and its rakish profile has some really strong styling cues like the headlights, the sharp cut of the bonnet and the ridge that runs along the bottom of the car. But the Honda flaunts the more cohesive design, has the better build and finish.

INSIDE STORY

This impression is carried over to the cars’ interiors. Although in terms of inside quality the Altis is a big improvement over the previous Corolla, the Civic still has a clear edge over it. The Altis is not as well-insulated as the Civic. Besides having a cabin that allows more noise from outside to filter in, the Altis also has a more raucous motor. Start up the Civic, take off, and it feels refined. As the motor is extended to the redline, the snarl is not thrashy nor over the top.

This round doesn’t go all Honda’s way, though. Toyota has some heavy artillery in its arsenal too. The new Altis wins the important rear seat test. Not as low-slung as the Honda, it’s easier to step in and out off, you’re seated higher off the floor and it offers more room in the rear. It also has features not found in the Civic — powered seats for the driver, HID (high intensity discharge) headlamps with automatic washers, split seats for the rear, steering wheel mounted-controls, automatically dimming rearview mirrors, a rear sun blind, trip computer and even cruise control.

DRIVER’S DEAL

With more power and 130bhp now, the Altis is faster than before. But it is also heavier, blunting its performance a bit. Also, the motor doesn’t revel in being revved like the Honda’s i-Vtec unit does. Considerably smoother, with an enthusiastic top-end and more punch, the Honda steadily noses ahead of the Altis in a straight drag. The gap in performance gets wider as you go faster or further down the road.

The Altis impresses as soon as you drive it though. The motor is very tractable, always awake and ready for action at almost any speed. Half-throttle is all you need to overhaul other traffic and Toyota’s use of a shorter third gear is perfect for city driving. You rarely need to downshift, and this fact is borne out by very fast in-gear acceleration times, especially in third. Also perfect for city conditions is the low-speed ride. With 65-profile tyres to take the edge off low-speed thumps, the Altis coasts over bumps. There are no thuds and sharp whacks from the suspension, delivering a comfortable ride. And ride quality continues to impress as speeds increase — there isn’t too much pitching and diving either.

In contrast, the Civic is less at home in the city, its ride not as pliant and the motor not as responsive. The Civic uses harder, shorter-travel springs so the ride over broken roads is slightly stiffer. It too has 65-profile tyres, and these help at low speeds. But you still get a fair amount of thumps and thuds; however, as speeds rise, Honda’s better body control evens things out.

The Civic also suffers from a low ground clearance and a loaded Civic will scrape its belly over speedbreakers. It’s motor hasn’t got as much urgency in the lower part of the powerband either. Throttle responses are quite flat until around 3500rpm, and you often need to downshift. But then Honda’s gearbox is light, slick and direct whereas, the gearbox on the Altis needs more effort.

But the Altis falls short of the Civic as a driver’s car. Not as stable at speed, the Altis is a somewhat lacklustre drive. Introduce it to a corner and turn-in is reasonably good. But there isn’t too much feedback from the power steering system and the driver is pretty much in the dark as the car rolls on turn-in. The grip is decent and the brakes don’t deliver anything quite like the Honda’s brakes. The Civic’s steering is much quicker — it darts into corners and body control is quite good. But the Altis is slightly more fuel-efficient, both in the city and on the highway.

FINAL VERDICT

Pound for pound, kilo for kilo, these two are probably the best cars you can buy, delivering comfort, performance, generous features and decent fuel economy at a reasonable price.

The new Altis is comfortable inside and better equipped. Its motor is responsive and it rides well, though its interiors aren’t great. On the other hand, with a stunning futuristic interior design and high quality cabin, the Civic delivers bagfuls of the feel-good factor. Its motor is more refined, the gearbox is super-slick and it delivers plenty of tactile feel when you’re behind the wheel. The Altis’ motor is more responsive at low engine speeds, its low-speed ride is better and so are its equipment levels. But that’s not enough to unseat the Civic. And since there isn’t too much difference in the price, the Honda still rules quite easily.

spec check

TOYOTA COROLLA ALTIS GL (H5)

Price: Rs 12.65 lakh
Top speed: 205kph
0-100kph: 10.42s
Economy (overall): 12.75kpl
Engine: 4 cyls in-line, 1794cc
Installation: Front, transverse, FWD
Power: 130bhp at 6000rpm
Torque: 17.3kgm at 4200rpm
Gearbox: 5-speed manual
Kerb weight: 1215kg
Wheelbase: 2600mm
Suspension F/R: Independent, MacPherson struts/ Non-independent, torsion beam
Tyres: 195/65 R15, tubeless

HONDA CIVIC V

Price: Rs 12.76 lakh
Top speed: 205kph
0-100kph: 9.59s
Economy (overall): 11.5kpl
Engine: 4 cyls in-line, 1799cc
Installation: Front, transverse, FWD
Power: 130bhp at 6300rpm
Torque: 17.5kgm at 4300rpm
Gearbox: 5-speed manual
Kerb weight: 1210kg
Wheelbase: 2700mm
Suspension F/R: Independent, MacPherson struts/ Independent, dual wishbones
Tyres: 195/65 R15, tubeless