We do an on-paper comparison to find out how exactly does the new Hyundai Verna fare against its rivals.
Hyundai Verna vs Honda City vs Maruti Ciaz
Hyundai launched the fifth generation Verna in India and has made a comeback of sorts in the mid-size sedan segment. The automaker advertises the new Verna as ‘truly next generation Verna’, let’s find out whether this new kid on the block is truly a next generation car.
Design
The Verna’s fluidic design philosophy definitely comes across as appealing and stylish, while the updated Honda City also looks good. The Verna and City look well-proportioned and feature a sportier design theme. The Maruti Ciaz in comparison looks plain and has a neutral design theme. You only get a chrome grille and projector headlamps at the front, while the other 2 here offer LED Daytime Running Lights as well. Overall, in terms of looks, the Verna does look tempting, but the City isn’t far behind.
Features
Now, this is where the Hyundai Verna aces this game. Not only the Verna, take any Hyundai car for instance and compare it to its respective rival, you’ll find Hyundai winning hands down when it comes to features. The Verna gets ventilated front seats (segment first), electric sunroof, hands-free smart trunk (segment first), voice recognition, cruise control, 7.0-inch audio system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Navigation, automatic climate control, rear parking camera and the list goes on.
The Honda City also comes with a whole lot of features like automatic LED headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking camera, electric sunroof, cruise control, 7.0-inch DIGIPAD touchscreen infotainment system with MirrorLink, automatic climate control, and push button start etc. The Verna with the ventilated front seats and hands-free smart trunk has an edge over the City and the Ciaz. The Ciaz also comes handsomely loaded but misses out on cruise control, automatic headlamps and rain-sensing wipers. Overall, if you’re someone looking for a whole lot of goodies in your car, then both the Verna and City won’t disappoint.
Engines & Mileage
The Verna with bigger engines and higher power outputs on paper definitely has an upper hand here, but when it comes to driveability, things change. The City’s petrol engine is the best out of the lot. The Verna gets 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines. The petrol makes 123 HP and 151 Nm of torque, while the diesel makes 128 HP of power and 260 Nm of torque. Both the petrol and diesel engines come paired to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
The Honda City gets 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines. The petrol makes 119 HP and 145 Nm of torque, while the diesel makes 100 HP of power and 200 Nm of torque. The petrol engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual or a CVT gearbox, while the diesel only gets a 6-speed manual gearbox. The Maruti Ciaz, in comparison, has the smallest engine and is also low on power, but is lighter on your fuel bills with a claimed fuel-efficiency figure of 28.09 km/l (on the diesel) and 20.7 km/l (on the petrol). The Ciaz is powered by a 1.4-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre diesel engine. The petrol engine makes 92 HP and 130 Nm of torque while the oil-burner churns out 90 horses and 200 Nm of torque.
The Verna with its bigger engines and higher power is low on the fuel-efficiency front and hence the Honda City makes for a better choice here.
Price
Maruti always nails it when it comes to pricing. The Ciaz is the most affordable of this lot, with prices starting at Rs. 7.66 lakhs and Rs. 9.42 lakhs for the petrol and diesel versions respectively. The Verna comes next and last is the Honda City (which comes at a premium). Prices for the top-end petrol and diesel variants for the Honda City are Rs. 13.37 lakhs and Rs. 13.43 lakhs respectively, all prices (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Verdict
The Verna has a lot going for it, but rear seat space is where it lacks. Considering some of you would be chauffeur-driven, rear seat space is something you’d not want to compromise on. However, that said, if rear seat space isn’t your concern, and a whole lot of fancy goodies is what you’re looking for in your next car, you won’t go wrong picking the Verna. If you want the best of both worlds, i.e. space and enthusiastic performance, we’d recommend checking out the facelifted Honda City. The Maruti Ciaz isn’t bad either and at that price, it is definitely not a bad buy either.
