With the bookings of the Toyota Yaris already underway at an upfront payment of Rs 50,000, its prices should be out very soon. The Toyota sedan is expected to be priced in the same range as the Honda City, which is currently the most expensive buy in the midsize sedan category.
Let’s see how these arch-rivals stack up against each other on paper.
Dimensions
CAR MODELS
TOYOTA YARIS
HONDA CITY
Length
4,425mm
4,440mm
Width
1,730mm
1,729mm
Height
1,495mm
1,475mm
Wheelbase
2,550mm
2,600mm
With the specs of the Yaris revealed on April 17, 2018, we now have the official data of the India-spec car. Not the biggest sedan in its class, the Yaris is 20mm taller and slightly wider (1mm) than the City. The City, on the other hand, is longer and has a bigger wheelbase (50mm) than the Yaris. This should translate into more room inside the City’s cabin. The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz continues to be the longest and widest car in the midsize sedan segment and also has the largest wheelbase among its rivals.
Engines
Unlike the Honda City (available with both petrol and diesel engine options), the Yaris will only be offered in a petrol avatar. Hence, we are only considering the petrol engine of the City in this comparison.
CAR MODELS
TOYOTA YARIS
HONDA CITY
Petrol engines
1.5-litre
1.5-litre
Power
108PS
119PS
Torque
140Nm
145Nm
Transmission
6-speed MT/7-speed CVT with paddle shifters
5-speed MT/ 7-speed CVT with paddle shifters
Mileage
17.1kmpl/ 17.8kmpl (CVT)
17.4kmpl/18kmpl (CVT)
Between the two, it’s the i-VTEC petrol engine of the City which is more powerful and torquier. While the Yaris’ engine comes mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed CVT, the City offers the option of either a 5-speed manual or a 7-speed CVT. Both the sedans stand neck-and-neck when it comes to fuel consumption.
Must read: Toyota Yaris Review: In Pictures
Features
Standard features
The base-spec J variant of the Yaris is loaded with 7 airbags (driver+passenger+driver knee+side+curtain), 60:40 rear split seats, keyless entry, tilt-adjustable steering, central locking, power windows, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA) and audio system with CD, MP3, Aux-in, Bluetooth connectivity and 4 speakers.
On the other hand, the entry-level variant of the City gets dual airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seats, rear defogger, daytime running lights, keyless entry, remote central locking, power windows, tilt steering and audio unit with MP3, Bluetooth and Aux-in port.
With the extensive safety package of 7 airbags, along with practical features like 60:40 rear split seats, the Yaris has an advantage over the City as far as base-spec variants are concerned.
Features on top-spec variants
The top-spec Toyota Yaris VX variant gets features like tyre pressure monitoring system, front parking sensors, power-adjustable driver’s seat, gesture controlled infotainment system, 15-inch alloys and roof-mounted rear AC vents. However, it doesn’t get a sunroof and a telescopic adjustable steering even in its top-end variant, unlike the City. The Honda City also gets LED headlamps in comparison to projector headlights (not LED) on the Toyota.
On its top-end ZX variant, the City also gets 6 airbags (side and curtain), push-button start/stop, tilt and telescopic adjustable steering, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, sunroof, diamond cut 16-inch alloys and LED headlamps, fog lamps and tail lamps.
Like the base variants, the top variants of both of these cars are also closely matched as far as features are concerned. The Honda City is the flashier car here with LED treatment all around, along with the all important sunroof. The Yaris scores high on functionality, though, with features like gesture controls for the infotainment system and front parking sensors.
Price
The current prices (as on April 23, 2018) of the Honda City start from Rs 8.71 lakh and go up to Rs 13.77 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), whereas we are expecting the Toyota Yaris to be priced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 14 lakh.
