Sedan war: Renault Scala AT vs. its four rivals

Renault Scala, one of the biggest success stories for its manufacturer in India, is now out in an automatic version.

Launched last year in September with a fleet that offered the solitary option of a manual transmission, Scala presently claims an 8 per cent share in the aggressive sedan market.

And now, with its AT siblings out, its makers can conveniently aim for a much larger share.

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Equipped with the next generation 5-speed automatic transmission system, known as the X-tronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), Renault Scala comes with the promise of a better fuel-efficiency, improved performance and enhanced composition and flexibility of ride, all for a surprisingly low cost of acquisition.

Returning a class-leading mileage of 17.97 kmpl (certified by Automotive Research Association of India), a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, 2-valve, XH2 petrol mill sits under the hood of the Scala AT variants, pumping out a peak 97.7 bhp at 6,000 rpm for a top torque of 134 Nm generated at 4,000 rpm.

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As for the price tags, they have been marked with extremely competitive figures of Rs 899,000 for the RxL and Rs 989,000 for the RxZ (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

But, an aggressive pricing and a refined performance is not all that the French are offering in this new deal.

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Besides all this, there is a whole host of add-ons that come with this package and contribute significantly to not only the flair but also to the safety arsenal of the ride. This includes 15-inch alloys, ABS-EBD-BA, dual airbags, automatic climate control and much more.

Thanks to this very well-polished and impressively-geared avatar, Renault Scala has yet again compelled sedan-aspirants to reconsider their options and, quite possibly, even rework their strategies.

How the rival models will hold against this new competition that's what we try to figure out.

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The solitary automatic variant that features in the Volkswagen Vento fleet is the Petrol Highline priced at Rs 938,000.

Fuelled with petrol, the power-house that drives this model is a 1.6-litre, 16V, 4-cylinder, 4-valve, DOHC, In-line engine that churns out a top 103.6 bhp at 5,250 rpm for a peak 153 Nm at 3,800 rpm.

While the power and torque figures of this car are definitely higher than its French opponent, they come at the cost of fuel-efficiency, which is 14.4kmpl (as per ARAI).

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Same goes for the transmission system as well. While the 6-speed automatic transmission gearbox that works in harmony with Vento's mighty power-mill offers an extra speed option over Scala, it is easily beaten by the CVT masterstroke of Renault.

However, the thing that gives a clear edge to Volkswagen over its relatively young competitor is the brand name. Volkswagen has been around longer and, hence, has established its roots much deeper in the Indian soil.

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Skoda Rapid has three variants in its crew that come fitted with an automatic transmission system. They fall in a price bracket of Rs 843,000 to Rs 934,000, presenting buyers with an alternative range that, besides offering an additional option, lies lower on the monetary scale as compared to Renault Scala.

What makes this singular additional option very significant for the Skoda camp is the fuel efficiency of 20.54 kmpl (ARAI certified).

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As far as the petrol models are concerned, the Czech car-major has put a 1.6-litre, 16V, 4-cylinder, 4-valve, DOHC, in-line engine at their service that maxes out at 105 bhp at 5,250 rpm and 153 Nm at 3,800rpm.

Accompanying this engine is a proficient 6-speed automatic transmission system, which enables the car to maintain a fuel-efficiency of 14.4 kmpl (ARAI certified).

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Presently ranked at No. 2 in the car-bazaar, Hyundai puts up a very strong front against Scala, offering a couple of diesel automatics apart from the petrol ones.

While the Hyundai Verna 1.6 VTVT EX, tagged at Rs 805,000, delivers a mileage of 17.01 kmpl, coming very close to what Scala boasts of, the Hyundai Verna 1.6 SX VTVT, priced at Rs 996,000, promises a fuel-economy of 15.74 kmpl (as per ARAI), which is not too bad either.

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To power these two automatic variants, the Korean manufacturer has employed the same 1.6-litre, 16V, 4-cylinder, 4-valve, VTVT petrol engine that churns out a maximum of 121.4 bhp at 6,300 rpm for a peak torque of 154.9 Nm at 4,200 rpm.

The difference lies in their transmission system, that features a 5-speed mechanism for the EX version and a 4-speed mechanism for the SX variant.

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If there is one area where Honda has never been beaten, it is the exceptionally loyal following that it has earned over all these years in India. And Renault Scala, being a fresher, needs to look out for it extremely carefully.

What's more, the grand fleet of Honda City encompasses as many as four automatic variants, all of which feed on petrol just like the Scala CVT variants.

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Drawback for this Japanese group comes in the face of its price, which starts at Rs 915,000 and goes up to Rs 10.52 lakh (Rs 1.05 million), offering a much costlier deal in comparison to its French rival.

As far as mileage is concerned, out of the four automatics, Honda City 1.5 S AT delivers a 16.8 kmpl output, while the remaining three, Honda City V AT, Honda City V AT AVN and Honda City V AT Sunroof do not go beyond 15.6 kmpl (certified by ARAI).

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