Small Sedan Showdown | 2016 Hyundai Elantra v Mazda3 v Toyota Corolla
THE THREE TOP-SELLING SMALL CARS IN AUSTRALIA ARE THE MAZDA3, TOYOTA COROLLA AND HYUNDAI i30. HOWEVER, WHILE THE MAZDA3 AND COROLLA CAN ADD SEDAN SALES TO THEIR MONTHLY TALLY, THE i30 IS HATCH-ONLY.
The equivalent sedan in the Hyundai range is the Elantra. But combine i30 and Elantra sales each month, and the Hyundai pair will more often than not sit at number one in the class.
So the small car segment is big news for Hyundai Australia, which has just released a sixth-generation Elantra sedan featuring greater local engineering input than ever before.
We put the new small Hyundai up against ‘the big’ small sedan sellers, the Mazda3 Touring and Corolla ZR Sedan, each a couple of years old now.
TESTEDHyundai Elantra Elite - $26,490 (plus on-road costs)
Mazda3 Touring - $26,790 (plus on-road costs)
Toyota Corolla ZR - $30,990 (plus on-road costs)
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OVERVIEW
Small sedans don’t enjoy the sales success of small hatchbacks. But because they’re bigger, mostly, and add extra boot space thanks to a longer tail, they offer a good alternative for family buyers.
Petrol four-cylinder engines and automatic transmissions rule the roost in this class.
The entry models of each small sedan start at $22,490 (Mazda), $22,990 (Toyota) and $23,790 (Hyundai) – plus on road costs in each case – but private buyers will likely look a little higher up the food chain to the more up-specced models.