Maruti Kizashi sized against competition

The country's largest carmaker has forayed into the premium segment with its sports sedan Kizashi. The car comes equipped with the engine that also powers Grand Vitara. The 16-valve VVT DOHC inline-four displaces 2393cc and generates 176 bhp at 6000 rpm and 23 kgm of torque at 4000 rpm. It comes with a six-speed manual gearbox and an optional CVT. The car is priced between Rs 16,50,000 – Rs 17,50,000 (ex-showroom, New Delhi). With the kind of powertrain and output potential Kizashi comes in direct competition with the like of Honda Accord, Volkswagen Jetta, Chevrolet Cruze, Skoda Laura and Toyota Camry. Let's take a look at what does Kizashi's competition has on offer:

Volkswagen Jetta – The car is available in both petrol and diesel engine options – the 1.6L, 1595 cc Trendline petrol variant has a five-speed manual gearbox that enables the car to reach maximum power of 102 PS at 5600 rpm and a maximum torque of 148 Nm at 3800 rpm. The diesel variant comes in two models – 1.9L TDi Trendline with five-speed manual gearbox and the 1.9L TDi Comfortline with six-speed automatic DSG gearbox. The powerful diesel engine produces maximum power of 105 PS at 4000 rpm and maximum torque of 250 Nm at 1900 rpm. The car is priced at Rs 12,99,332 – Rs 16,38,252 (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

Chevrolet Cruze – The car is powered by a 2.0L, 1991cc, four-cylinder, In-line VCDi diesel engine with five-speed manual transmission gearbox that delivers maximum power of 150bhp at 4000rpm with maximum torque of 320Nm at 2000rpm. It is priced at Rs 11,58,335 - Rs 14,04,014 (ex-showroom, New Delhi). This sedan by General Motors has been developed by global designers and engineers. The car also comes with an automatic gearbox, which makes driving the Cruze effortlessly. Cruze is a good sprinter and revs well it gives a mileage of about 9.5kpl in city that is about 1kpl less than the manual version of the car and 15kpl on highway.

Skoda Laura – There are six variants of Skoda Laura available in the Indian market – Laura Ambiente 1.8 TSI, Laura Ambiente 1.9 TDI MT, Laura Ambiente 1.9 TDI AT, Laura Elegance 1.9 TDI MT, Laura Elegance 1.9 TDI AT and 2.0TDI L and K AT. Skoda recently added the ‘Corporate Edition' and introduced the Laura TSi Classic for 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) recently.The Laura Classic is the base petrol variant and does not include features like front fog lamps, rear parking sensors, lumbar support adjustment for driver and front passenger seats, a front center arm-rest, automatic climate control, rear-A/C vents, leather wrapped steering wheel, gear knob and brake lever, and storage compartment under the front passenger seat.Skoda Laura gives a mileage of about 9.8kpl in city and 14kmpl on highway for all except 2.0 TDI L and K that gives a mileage of 10.1kpl in city and 14kmpl on highway. All the variant go from 0 to 100kph in 8.17sec and touch a top speed of 223Km/h except 2.0 TDI A/T L and K which touches the 100kph mark in 11.07sec and has a top speed of 207Km/h. the car is priced in the range of Rs 13,31,672 - Rs 17,98,032 (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

Honda Accord – The car comes with a 2.4L engine that is available in three trims –Accord 2.4, Elegance and Inspire. It offers both automatic and manual transmission and gives a mileage of around 7.3 kmpl in the city and 10 kmpl on the highway. The car's other 3.5 L V6 engine, has i-VTEC with advanced Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system that according to the driving condition switches amongst six, four and three cylinder combustion. It is priced at Rs 18,53,500 – Rs 26,71,731(ex-showroom, New Delhi).

Toyota Camry – The car is powered by a powerful 2.4-litre engine producing 141 bhp and 20.9 kg-m at 5600 rpm with a variable valve timing-intelligent system (VVT-I) on board. This engine also has an intelligent electronic control system (ETCS-I) that optimises the engine output. Toyota Camry has stylish looks and very comfortable interiors. It has a spacious cabin and comes loaded with good safety features. It is priced between Rs 21,58,220 - Rs 23,73,170 (ex-showroom, New Delhi).