Head to Head

Considering a subcompact sedan no longer means sacrificing interior space. These days, with advancements in packaging in automobiles, these cars boast a lot of room despite their small footprints. On top of that, many come fully loaded with features unimaginable in this segment from a decade ago.

The biggest sedan in the subcompact class is the Suzuki Ciaz. Introduced earlier this year, Suzuki aims to get a bigger share of the market by offering room that can rival cars in bigger segments. Nissan on the other hand has been offering the Almera for quite some time now. It was recently updated to keep it fresh in the face of new competition. There are a lot in common with these two and this week's head to head sorts out two of the roomiest subcompact sedans you can buy today.

The Nissan Almera is available with two engine options. Its base engine is a 1.2 liter, inline three engine with an output of 80 PS and 108 Nm of torque. Opt for the high trim levels and you get a 1.5 liter, four-cylinder engine standard. This engine puts out 99 PS and 134 Nm of torque. In the Suzuki Ciaz, there is only one engine option. Derived from the Ertiga and Swift, it is the familiar 1.4 liter, four cylinder engine. Power is rated at 92 PS and 130 Nm of torque.

Transmission options are the same for both the Almera and the Ciaz. These include a 4-speed automatic and a 5-speed manual. Another similarity are their respective suspension systems as both ride on MacPherson struts up front and torsion beam at the rear. Power is transferred to the front wheels for these subcompact sedans.

Moving on to their interiors, these two couldn't be more different. Stepping inside the Ciaz, it features an upscale feeling interior with a more formal design. It employs a wraparound dash with its sweeping lines merging to the center console. On the entry-level model, seats are trimmed in fabric while top spec variants come standard with leather seats. More leather trimming can be found on the steering wheel and shift knob. Soft touch padding is present on the passenger side dashboard face and door armrests.

In the Almera, the dashboard design follows a circular theme. This can be seen in the air-con vents, center console, climate control interface and even its gear selector. Giving the Almera a more spacious feeling is its color, trimmed in beige instead of the usual gray. The Almera prides itself in offering legroom that can rival that of larger sedans. A novelty in the Almera is its rear fan system, allowing rear passengers to experience Nissan's signature cold air-conditioning system.

For their entertainment systems, the two subcompacts take on different approaches. The Suzuki Ciaz comes with a touchscreen on mid-level models while the top of the line variant gets an Android based system with Wi-Fi capability.  On top of that is MP3, Bluetooth and Auxiliary function.

In the Almera, it sticks to a 2-DIN audio system with CD, MP3 with Auxiliary Input. Both get steering wheel mounted controls for added convenience.

Updated earlier this year, the Almera sports a new front fascia. It gets bigger, upswpt headlights with a unique treatment along with new grill which Nissan dubs 'V-Motion'. The front bumper gets restyled as well and a new set of alloy wheels. The rest of the exterior carries over unchanged from the pre-facelift models.

Despite the underpinnings from the Swift, the Suzuki Ciaz gets its own unique look. At the front, it gets wide headlights the sweep upwards and a 4-bar grill. On to its side, it has distinct character lines that defines its profile and at the rear are large wraparound tail lights.

On to the safety check, the Suzuki Ciaz has dual airbags and anti-lock brakes, with electronic brake-force distribution on all models. Moving to the Nissan Almera, mid to top spec models get ABS with EBD and dual airbags. Moving up the range, the airbag count rises to six and it gets parking sensors standard.

The Nissan Almera is available in five variants. Range starts with the 1.2 M/T, followed by the 1.5 E M/T, 1.5 E A/T, 1.5 V A/T to the range-topping 1.5 VL A/T. Meanwhile, there are three variants for the Suzuki Ciaz, namely the 1.4 GL M/T, 1.4 GL A/T and the top of the line 1.4 GL A/T. SRP for the Almera starts at Php 630,000 to Php 880,000 while the Ciaz starts at Php 738,000 to Php 888,000.