Renault Fluence [2014-2017] vs Toyota Corolla Altis [2014-2017]

Reliability. It’s what we seek in life: a stable job, a stable set of relationships, and most definitely a car that will not break. Failing that, one that repairs easily. Gone are the days when cold-start problems were forgiven in vehicles. In fact, just being reliable isn’t enough – the product needs to be exciting.48 years and 40 million units later, the Corolla doesn’t need to prove its reliability. However, it certainly needs to inject some excitement into itself, and that’s exactly what the 2014 year model aims to add to what was already the best-selling diesel sedan in its segment in the Indian marketplace.

The Fluence has a difficult job. It lies in a segment of the market that covers a range of nearly ten lakh rupees. At the bottom end are the likes of the Honda City and Hyundai Verna, that offer more legroom and gizmos than ever before. At the other end lies the Skoda Superb – and these are only the sedans. We haven’t considered the Maruti Ertiga and Honda Mobilio, and the cars that are generating the most sales in the price bracket: the SUVs. Sure, one of the most successful is from the Renault stable itself, but that only makes the Fluence’s job harder. How, then has Renault managed to update the Fluence to battle a shrinking segment?