The D-segment, the last bastion for mass market brands before buyers cross the RM200k threshold into the realm of premium makes. Buyers in this segment range from affluent young executives upgrading their lifestyles to pensioners getting a retirement car.
Requirements for cars competing in this segment are specific, yet diverse. Duties which these cars can be called upon to perform can be as varied as personal transport, fleet usage, family car, and in some cases even being chauffeur driven. Then, in addition to practical considerations, these vehicles additionally need to double as status symbols, not quite as a sign that you’ve made it in life, but that you’re getting there fast.
Once upon a time, shopping in this segment was a straight forward choice between the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, but the pool of options have widened considerably these days. Working together with our peers from several other local motoring publications, we assembled a collection of nine cars and pitted them each other in a mega-test against each other.
Pricing and Variants
The D-segment covers a wide base of customers, with some variants in the market starting from as low as RM139k with insurance. For the purpose of this review, cars supplied by the respective manufacturers all represent their models in top-spec guises.
We start with the pair of Korean models, both of which offer only 2.0-litre variants kicking off pricing at the RM150k ball park, a region which the Japanese quartet also offer their 2.0-litre alternatives at similar prices. The Kia Optima is the more affordable of the two, its sole variant yours for RM148,000 inclusive of on-road costs, whilst the Hyundai Sonata, as tested in Executive specification, asks for RM10k more. Both cars are very well-equipped for the money, and if you take engine power out of the equation, they are far from embarrassed by other costlier metal on offer here.
Flying the flag of the rising sun, the Nissan Teana is the only other model in attendance whose asking price dips below RM170k in its 2.5 XV guise here. The Honda Accord 2.4 VTi-L and Toyota Camry Hybrid both perch themselves in the RM170k-RM175k bracket, whilst the recently-facelifted Mazda6 SkyActiv 2.5 soars past the RM180k mark.
Rounding off the set are a trio of continental vehicles, all of which bring turbocharged performance to the table, although only the Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI enjoy any pricing parity with the rest of the cars on offer. The Peugeot 508 starts at RM175k for its 1.6 THP model, but the diesel-powered GT variant supplied to our group by Nasim’s PR team edges just past the RM200k mark in its asking price.
Joining the 508 north of RM200k is the all-new Ford Mondeo EcoBoost. We are big fans of the previous-generation Mondeo, and this one will have very big expectations to live up to as a result; we are also mindful of the fact that a brand new BMW 316i can be had for not much more money.
Specifications
Despite all cars following a transverse engine layout with four-cylinder powerplants driving the front wheels, the engine-drivetrain combinations on show here could not be more varied, everything ranging from natural aspiration to turbocharging; petrol, diesel, and hybrid; direct and port injection systems; with conventional automatics, dual clutch transmission, and CVTs making up the transmission palette.
All nine cars featured demonstrate some levels of parity in equipment that reflect their ambitions in seducing interest from buyers of some affluence. Some offer more than others, but there isn’t a car here without xenon/LED headlamps, leather upholstery, electronic stability control, powered front seats, 6-7 airbags, and all-round parking sensors.
The Passat loses early ground in this regard by being the only car that fails to offer keyless entry and a reverse camera. Volkswagen’s gambit was to claim superiority in engine and drivetrain technology with its powerful yet frugal 1.8-litre TSI engine mated with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Despite having the smallest engine in this company by some margin, the VW pushes out respectable outputs of 158hp and 250Nm.
Leading the performance charts are a pair of turbocharged powerplants consisting of the Mondeo’s 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol mill with 237hp and 345Nm on one hand, and the 508’s 2.2-litre diesel with 203hp and 450Nm on the other. Both engines are paired with conventional 6-speed automatic transmissions and, incidentally, the Pug’s mill is actually the result of joint-development between Ford and the PSA Group – this same engine can be found in the Range Rover Evoque. These two engines are joined on the far side of 200hp by the Camry Hybrid, which pushes out 203hp from the combined efforts its 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine and electric motor.
Rounding up the rest of the entries, the pair of Koreans with the only 2.0-litre engines in this company unsurprisingly make do with the least outputs, with 152hp/194Nm coming out from the Sonata, and 162hp/196Nm from the Optima. Amongst the conventionally-powered Japanese engines, the Mazda6 benefits from the advantage of petrol direct injection, producing 185hp and 250Nm, compared to the 170hp/230Nm ball park of the port-injected Accord and Teana.
Exterior
Outward dimensions of the cars on test mostly fall within centimetres of 4.85 metres long by 1.85 metres wide, whilst wheelbases hover around 2.8 metres. Furthest deviation from this norm is the Passat, which is the smallest car in this company by some margin – its length and wheelbase measurements of 4,769 and 2,712mm are some way short of class norms.
At 1,828mm wide, the Passat is also the narrowest car of the lot, although this deficit is perhaps not significant, since the widest car, the Sonata, spans less than 40mm wider at 1,865mm. Longest car in the group, meanwhile, is the Teana at 4,885mm, although it is the Mondeo that puts the most amount of space between its axles, with its wheelbase measuring at 2,850mm.
Aesthetics, as we always say, is a matter of preference, and in our opinion, the Mazda6 is perhaps the sexiest-looking car of the lot, thanks in great part to the curvaceous lines of its Kodo styling language. The Optima fares well too, with tastefully sharp angles projecting an air of confident sophistication. At the other end of the spectrum, we have the Accord and Passat, both of which are styled with deliberate restraint enabling them to blend in anonymously with their surroundings.
Rim diameter in this company range from 17 to 19 inches. Unsurprisingly, the Camry and Teana has the smallest-sized rubber, both rolling on 215/55 R17 tyres. The Passat and Mondeo both run on 17s too, but with shod on wider 235-section footwear.
In appearance, the Mondeo dynamic styling seem least suited to such conservatively-sized rubber but, as we would discover, benefits come in the form of a flawless ride over poor surfaces, and lower tyre replacement costs over the long run. The Mazda6, meanwhile, is the opposite here – its 19-inch rims complement its sheet metal perfectly but, on the road, it rides with less pliancy than the Ford.
Interior
There isn’t a bad interior to be had between the nine vehicles on test, but each cabin exudes sufficiently different qualities. We start with the opulently luxurious interior of the Peugeot 508, which is simply unmatched in this company; it combines an impeccable selection of materials with superb build quality. It is a thoroughly impressive cabin in appearance, if less so in usability, which is where the Honda Accord excels in contrast.
If the 508’s cabin is one that wows and delights on first impression, the Accord is the one which we reckon is the best to live with on the long run. In true Honda fashion, its ergonomics are spot on – important controls are all within easy reach and effortless to operate with small item storage space in abundance. Among all cabins present, the Accord is by far the easiest to acclimatize.
Honorable mention goes to the Mazda6, which almost matches the 508’s build quality if not quite replicating its expensive ambience. It is more clinical and business-like in the Mazda, lacking the Peugeot’s warmth, and it is also noisier on the move; road and wind noises are known Achilles heels of Mazda’s current generation of SkyActiv models.
Driving Experience
My first driving stint of the day put me behind the wheel of the Peugeot 508 and embarrassingly, I had to admit that it took me a few kilometres before I realized I was driving a diesel-powered vehicle, such was the excellent sound-deadening of the Peugeot cabin and also the pleasantly smooth-revving nature of its turbodiesel mill.
If this comparison was done perhaps, a year ago, there would have been little doubt on which would be the best driving car of the lot; and it would have been the Ford Mondeo. The previous-generation Mondeo was far and away, the D-segment’s dynamic benchmark and the overriding question in my mind as we approached this group test was, will the new one be just as much fun?
Well, Ford’s chassis engineers were able to successfully carry over the confident poise and razor-sharp handling that characterized the previous model to the current one, and its ride quality remains beyond fault. There is that hint of firmness typical of cars with European suspension tune, but it never crosses the line into being brittle.
In objective terms, this new Mondeo is a more thoroughly-engineered car than its predecessor and still resides at the segment’s pointed end in overall ability. Subjectively, however, the added layer of polish robbed it of some of the previous model’s intimacy and feedback in controls. Where the previous Mondeo felt like an extension of your body as you flowed from apex to apex on a twisting road, this one merely obeys your orders, although it does a pretty darned good job at it.
In that sense, we might argue that the Mazda6 has surpassed the Mondeo in offering a driving experience that thoroughly tingles the senses. Mazda’s resolute approach in finetuning the efficiency of every component to minute detail under its SkyActiv umbrella is reaping handsome dividends in the 6. It is the only car in this group with a kerb weight below 1.5 tonnes, and that is reflected in the way its nose eagerly follows the helm. Also delightful to wield is its 2.5-litre SkyActiv-G engine; it’s not brutally muscular like the turbocharged lumps operated by the Europeans in this company, but it rewards with a wonderfully linear build-up.
Pleasant surprise here is the Honda Accord. Whilst far from being the most powerful or the most dynamic, it has remarkably few weaknesses to pick on the move. The Hyundai Sonata was quietly competent in this company too, its chassis offering a level of composure that is uncommon among Korean cars; pity that Hyundai has opted not to offer a more powerful engine that would have given it greater parity in this battle. The Sonata’s Kia cousin, the Optima, was less impressive, lacking both the power and chassis dynamics to offer any sort of delight to the driver.
Verdict
Based on their diverse mechanical configurations, we can separate the nine cars in question here into three clusters. With both Korean models curiously refusing to venture beyond 2.0-litre territory, it would perhaps have been fairer to pitch them against lower variants of the Japanese quartet of the same capacity. For both the Optima and Sonata, it is fair to describe them as products of excellent value. They are also well-styled and decently-equipped, meaning they can no be longer viewed as the poor man’s choice the way their predecessors were. Between the two, we’d say that the Kia is more handsome-looking, but the Hyundai has the better-sorted chassis and is notably more refined on the move.
The Camry, Accord, and Teana collectively represent the segment’s heartland. Traditionally, this is a battleground which Toyota dominated, but Honda’s latest effort with Accord produced such a finely-packaged vehicle that the Camry was relegated to playing second fiddle until the recent facelift launched earlier this year. For the money, there’s no arguing that the new Camry Hybrid represents great value within the context of its price range, but we were also impressed at how the Honda hardly seemed overwhelmed in this company despite its relatively simple moving gear. The Teana is far from embarrassed in this company but does not offer any standout quality to distinguish itself. However, if you’re shopping with a smaller budget, you should know that the Nissan is the only one that comes standard with six airbags, stability control, and keyless entry in all variants.
Finally, we are left with the more sophisticated choices of the lot, cars that boast four of the most advanced engines in this company and also the most satisfying to drive. The Passat is the most affordable of this quartet, but one also has to live with Volkswagen’s parsimony as a result – it is the only car this group that requires you to fumble through your pockets for the key in order to unlock the car. At the opposite end, we have the Mondeo and 508 being the most expensive cars of this lot, and they feel that way – the Mondeo has perhaps the longest list of toys in this company whilst the 508 delights with having the most luxurious-feeling cabin. Between this two, however, we’d say the 508’s premium credentials are the more convincing. Also, Peugeot offers buyers the option of a more affordable 508 in the form of the 1.6 THP version; Ford, regrettably, has not done the same for the Mondeo.
That leaves us with the Mazda6. At RM180k, it is one of the costlier vehicles on test, but still someway short of being the costliest. Its combination of an alert chassis and rev-happy engine makes the 6 a very satisfying and engaging vehicle to drive, even if it probably lacks the Mondeo and 508’s outright firepower. Its distinctive styling and excellent vehicle build also makes it a highly-aspirational vehicle for anyone to want to own. Biggest drawbacks of the Mazda, perhaps, is poor sound insulation and less-than-convincing packaging of space. No car is perfect, however, and our take is that the 6 boasts the most convincing blend of qualities among the lot.
Editor’s Note: Fellow writers who participated in this shootout hail from Autofreaks, Carlist.my, Malaysian EVO, Live Life Drive, DSF.my, and Motor Trader
Keyword: Nine-car D-segment shootout – Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda6, Nissan Teana, Peugeot 508, Toyota Camry, VW Passat