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Japanese face-off in India
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The Mitsubishi Cedia has rallying in its blood. Is this enough to beat Toyota's long time bestseller, the Corolla?
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CROSSING SWORDS With its fresh, appealing lines, the Cedia looks like a million rupees, while the Corolla, with its bland styling, just can't keep the heat going
If lineage is a true showcase of class, then the new Mitsubishi Cedia is a sure-shot superstar. The car comes from the same legendary family of cars which has won the World Rally championship many times over. The Corolla, on the other hand, has something else to boast about. Since its launch in 1968, it has sold well over a million units, making it one of the largest-selling cars of all time. Surely, so many people in the world cannot be wrong...
Design and interiors
The Corolla has generic Japanese looks; its front grille with vertical slats makes the car look fresh. Clear lens headlamps and fog lamps integrated into the bumpers complete the front end of the car. The Corolla's interiors are bright, spacious and airy. The white dials look great and are clear to read. Even the base model, which comes without leather seats, has good quality seat fabrics. Both the front and rear seats offer good space and right amount of support.
The Cedia has a purposeful stance and its overall design is sporty, the headlamps and tail lamps look youthful. The front end, with cuts and swoops, looks great and it's a car that has a strong personality thanks to its striking design. The interiors are well made, the stalks feel built to last and layout of the gauges is neat. Cubbyholes abound in the cabin. The front seats are impressively comfortable and offer a good driving position. The rear seats however, are not as impressive due to the low sitting position.
Performance and handling
Mitsubishi has given the Cedia a 2-litre engine that instantly wins the cubic capacity battle on the brochure with Toyota, which has a 1.8-litre unit. However, Mitsubishi seems to have tuned this engine more for driveability and economy rather than outright pace and performance... and remember, bigger doesn't always mean more power! The Corolla VVTi (variable valve timing) system manages to produce 125 bhp, which is a whole ten horses up on the Mitsubishi. Both these motors reaffirm our belief that the Japanese make the best petrol motors in the world. The gearbox on the Cedia is a better unit and offers a slick and smooth shift. It is easily one of the best in the business today.
Being lower on the power charts doesn't do well for the Cedia, but does that mean that the Corolla wins the performance battle. Well here are the figures, 0-100 kph in the Corolla takes place before you can read ten on the stopwatch (9.07 seconds), while the Cedia takes 10.23 seconds. If all you want to do is 0-100 kph all day, the Corolla is the one for you, but real world driving goes beyond such numbers and that's where the Cedia scores. First of all, it is built solidly and doesn't feel tin-like as most other Japanese cars do. Secondly, it has a better sorted out suspension than the Corolla. So while the Corolla's passengers are tossed around on less than perfect surfaces, the Cedia won't even allow occupants to know what lies beneath. Most importantly, the Cedia's motor feels more flexible than the Corolla's unit, which feels harsh at the top of its rev band.
Another major factor in favour of the Mitsubishi is that it manages to deliver an overall fuel efficiency figure of 12.2 kpl, which is good for a car in its class and seems even more impressive when compared with the Corolla's 10.9.
What do we think?
The Corolla has a lot going for it - superb reliability, brilliant brand image and a powerful engine, to name a few. But this Toyota also feels flimsier, sports a few iffy plastic bits in its cabin and is built to a price; not a good thing considering you will spend over a million rupees to buy this car. Also, its suspension isn't that great and doesn't inspire confidence at high speeds, a pity because its motor is capable of delivering a lot more.
The Cedia is dynamically the better of the two, its rallying lineage an obvious reason. It also seems to be better engineered than the Corolla and has that built-to-last feeling written all over it. It may be behind the Corolla in terms of outright performance, but in all other respects, is the better choice. Also remember this - it costs a little less than the Toyota.
TECHNICAL DATA
Mitsubishi Cedia
How much?
Rs 9.87 lakh
(ex-showroom, Mumbai)
How big?
Length: 4,480 mm
Width: 1,695 mm
Height: 1,455 mm
Wheelbase: 2,600 mm
Fuel capacity: 50 litres
Trunk volume: 430 litres
Engine
Type: 1999cc, 4 cylinders in-line, petrol
Max power: 115 bhp @ 5250 rpm
Max torque: 17.8 kgm @ 4250 rpm
Performance
0-100 kph: 10.23 seconds
Top speed: 195 kph
Fuel efficiency: 12.2 kpl
Toyota Corolla
How much?
10.6-lakh
(H1 model, ex-showroom, Delhi)
How big?
Length: 4,530 mm
Width: 705 mm
Height: 1,490 mm
Wheelbase: 2,600mm
Fuel tank capacity: 50 litres
Trunk volume: 430 litres
Engine
Type: 1794cc, 4 cylinders in-line, petrol
Max power: 125 bhp @ 6000 rpm
Max torque: 16.1 kgm @ 4200 rpm
Performance
0-100 kph 9.07 secs
Top speed: 195 kph
Combined fuel efficiency 10.9kpl
ASHISH MASIH
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