So far I found the following 1.6 litre Jap cars:

1) Mazda 3 1.6 sedan, 99k  (C segment)

2) Nissan Latio 1.6 sedan, 90k  (B segment)

3) Nissan Latio 1.8 hatchback, 99k  (B segment)

4) Nissan Sentra 1.6 sedan, 90k  (C segment)

5) Suzuki Swift Sport 1.6 basic, 99k  (B segment)

6) Suzuki SX4 Crossover 1.6 basic, 90k  (B segment)

7) Toyota Altis 1.6, 106k  (C segment. This one is slight above 100k but when you're shopping at that level what's a few extra ks?)
There are a few notable non-Jap models at or below 100k too, like the Ford Fiesta 1.6, Pug 207 1.6, Proton Inspira 1.8/2.0, VW Polo TSI etc. At this price range there are so many choices to go for. One would have to be a die hard K-fan to consider a 1.6 K-car at around 100k.

Let's put it this way. For example if the Elantra 1.8 wants to go against the Civic, ppl will compare it against the Civic 1.8, not 2.0. You can't BS ppl and say that the 1.8 Nu engine is comparable with the Honda K20Z, there's simply no comparison, so unless the pricing is quite far apart I don't see why ppl would go for Korean. Push start, keyless entry are nice to have but aren't essential as far as the general population are concerned.

I'm not against Korean cars, I drive a Forte 2.0SX FL and I love it. But if it had been priced let's say even 10k less than the Civic 2.0 I'd rather go for the Civic since the difference is only around RM100++ per month. All I'm saying is that Hyundai mustn't delude themselves into thinking that the mainstream market is all ready to jump ship against the top two Jap brands. Plus the fact that SD hasn't really built up enough consumer confidence with their constant delays and questionable service while the top two Jap brands have yrs of established presence in the market.

Also, the Elantra isn't the most beautiful car in its segment with its radical smiley face. You either love it or you hate it. Same thing with the weird looking face on the Sonata. The bottomline is, you either price it right or you might as well give up the game. SD knows it all too well, hence the fight for CKD.