[RahulNagaraj]

Volkswagen Virtus

Volkswagen Virtus Pros

• A ‘complete’ car that just might bring some love back to sedans
• Classy exterior & interior styling, along with solid build quality
• Cabin has good legroom on offer, supportive seats, perfect ergonomics & enough storage
• 521-litre boot is the largest in its segment (along with the Slavia’s)
• 148 BHP engine makes the Virtus among the most fun-to-drive sedans in the segment
• Sporty 1.0L & 1.5L turbo-petrols are mated to smooth transmissions
• Sorted suspension offers a balanced ride & handling package
• Safety features include 6 airbags, ESC, 3-point seatbelts for all, electronic differential lock, brake disc wiping, multi-collision brake and more
• Features like active cylinder tech, ventilated seats, sunroof, wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, auto headlamps & wipers etc.
• 6-year extended warranty & 4-year all-inclusive service packages available

Volkswagen Virtus Cons

• No 1.5L diesel is a major disadvantage in a world where petrol costs over 100 bucks/litre
• DQ200 DSG transmission has a history of poor reliability & breakdowns in India
• No MT option available with the 1.5L petrol. The Slavia offers this combination, as does the City
• Backseat better for 2 healthy adults and a child, rather than 3 adults
• Lovely 1.5L TSI is only available on the top variant. Should have been there in the mid-trim too
• Interior quality doesn’t feel up to old-school VW standards. Body-coloured interior highlights are polarising too
• Missing some features such as a subwoofer, driving modes (sport), 360-degree camera & electric driver's seat adjustment
• Turbo-petrols are very sensitive to driving style. FE will drop drastically when you drive hard
• VW’s after-sales service can be a hit or miss. The brand’s long-term reliability can be patchy as well
• Slavia's 'clever' touches are missing = no spot on top of the dashboard to place a deity, no smartphone holders on the front seatbacks, no ticket clip on the windshield, no elastic band in the door pad to keep items in place, or even something as simple as the small reflective tapes on the doors

Link to official review

Skoda Slavia

Link to official review

Honda City

Honda City Hybrid Pros

• 20+ km/l fuel economy in city driving conditions, giving it lower running costs than a diesel!
• Seamless Hybrid system that makes driving a breeze. A car you will enjoy driving in traffic
• Tractable power unit that delivers performance on par with internal combustion counterparts
• Loaded with safety tech such as ‘Honda Sensing’ consisting of lane-keeping assist, lane departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, auto high beam, collision mitigation braking system as well as ESP, 6 airbags and a lane watch camera
• This generation of the City feels grown up in terms of overall feel & exterior dimensions
• Spacious cabin will keep your family happy. A sedan you’d love to be chauffeur-driven in as well
• Compliant ride quality in the city. High-speed bounciness (rear) reduced due to beefed-up suspension & battery pack weight
• Honda's proven reliability is comforting, as the hybrid system is complex
• Lower emissions in the city. Will appeal to the environmentally-conscious customer

Honda City Hybrid Cons

• Not a car for enthusiasts - it feels like an alien experience and is completely disconnected
• Honda Sensing ADAS system is too intrusive for Indian highways; requires the driver to adapt to it and be comfortable using it
• Boot space is compromised due to the battery pack and spare tyre. Down from 506 to 306 litres!
• We’re worried about the price. Honda is usually optimistic with pricing, and there is no lower variant without the ADAS features
• Build quality still feels light and not as reassuring as competitors
• Overall road and tyre NVH levels should have been better to keep up with the refined & silent hybrid powertrain
• Missing features for this price point = powered seats with ventilation, rear side sunblinds, wireless charging…
• Honda City Diesel will give you comparable running costs at a far lower price
• Some misses such as the puny 185-section tyres (upgrade is mandatory), outdated audio head-unit, ICE sound quality is just average

Link to City Hybrid official Review

Link to Initial observations

Maruti Ciaz

Maruti Ciaz Pros:

• Clean styling & big footprint. Among the longest & widest sedans in its class
• Value-for-money pricing that undercuts almost all rivals
• Spacious cabin with lots of practical features. The rear legroom is particularly impressive
• Petrol variant has now improved, thanks to the new 1.5L motor
• Soft, compliant ride quality. A suspension that's tuned for comfort
• Big 510 litre boot will swallow your airport & holiday luggage
• Maruti’s excellent after-sales service, wide dealer network & fuss-free ownership experience
• Equipment such as the automatic LED headlamps, DRLs, 7" touchscreen ICE, rear sunshade, cruise control, telematics system etc.

Maruti Ciaz Cons:

• New 1.5L petrol is rather mediocre. City & Verna petrol engines are much superior
• 4-speed Automatic gearbox feels old & outdated. No Diesel AT option either
• Petrol Ciaz has gotten more expensive by 34k – 65k (diesel has actually become cheaper!)
• Uninvolving to drive. Enthusiasts, look elsewhere
• Average under-thigh support of the low rear seat. Also, limited rear headroom for 6 footers
• Light build & ordinary interior quality. The game has moved on with newer competitors
• Maruti has missed the opportunity of a true top-end variant with 6 airbags, sunroof, auto-wipers & more

Link to official review

Hyundai Verna

Hyundai Verna Pros:

• A true all-rounder. Styling packs appeal too
• The overall package is well-priced. Offers good value for money
• Refined diesel & petrol engines mated to smooth MTs & ATs
• Precise build & quality (including interiors) are easily among the segment-best
• Suspension delivers a compliant ride & neutral road manners
• Loaded with the kit! Hands-free boot, cooled seats, sunroof, rear sunshade, AutoLink etc.
• Dual airbags, ABS & ISOFIX mounts are standard on all variants. SX(O) gets 6 airbags
• Hyundai's reliability, competent after-sales & 3-year unlimited km warranty

Hyundai Verna Cons:

• Rear seat isn't as spacious as that of the City & Ciaz. SX(O)'s hard seatback makes it worse
• Missing essentials! Reach-adjustable steering, auto wipers, auto-folding ORVMs…
• On select variants, the diesel motor carries a steep premium over the petrol (SX = 1.35 lakhs)
• Petrol AT isn't as fuel-efficient as a couple of its rivals
• While the driving experience has improved, some competitors are still more exciting to drive
• Loses the rear disc brakes that the last-gen Verna was launched with. Braking feel & bite leave a lot to be desired

Link to official review

Link to facelift launch thread

[GTO]

The 1.5L DSG for me . It's the most powerful in the segment and makes for the most pleasurable driving experience. Tough to choose between the Virtus & Slavia. I personally prefer the styling of the Virtus GT-Line (although Slavia is handsome too) and it would hence be my choice. Would have to figure out a way to add that amplifier & subwoofer from the Slavia though (or an after-market one). Have a good equation with the VW & Skoda dealers in town, so after-sales not a worry. These are well-rounded sedans with the DSG failure being the biggest concern (I would mentally prepare myself for 1 failure in the warranty period and 1 out of it).

The Honda City CVT is a close second. Damn smooth, reliable & an equal all-rounder. Just that the VW 1.5L turbo-petrol's additional power seals the deal for me.

Ciaz only if I was looking for a beater or purely chauffeur-driven car. Verna only if Diesel AT was a must-have, I see no other reason to pick the Verna now.

[sreerknair]

I own a City, but if I were to ignore the additional premium on Virtus/Slavia, ignore the reliability concerns of DSG, and has another car in garage then that 1.5 DSG will be my pick. The color and body lines on both these cars are amazing as well compared to City. Voted for Virtus.

But if I were to have only one car, then I would still go for City. In Kerala's stop and go traffic, a CVT works wonderfully well.

[attinder]

I have a month old City cvt With Zero flaws or concerns it is boringly perfect. So that would be my pick.

I would not pay the extra premium of hev over the regular City.

German twins have AC issues right now and reliability / maintenance concerns in the long run.

Others on the list are bit old now.

[Joelinf]

I will go with the Honda City, for the peace of mind and the safety rating of 4 star. I don't have to worry about the DSG failures. Also, the both the German cars mentioned here don't have the solid nature of the erstwhile Germans. At least, that is how I felt. They are not crash tested yet as well.

[AYP]

If the Virtus had a 1.5+MT combo, my vote would have gone to it. In the absence of this combo, the Slavia it is for me.

Voted for the Slavia.

[Col Mehta]

Voted for Honda City with CVT: reliable, spacious and smooth CVT. The overall quality has gone down drastically in recent years, but still a very capable car.

Hyundai Verna: lacks rear seat space. Not comfortable there at all. A good car otherwise though.

Maruti Ciaz: Typical Maruti rattles and ofcourse that ancient 4 speed TC. Spacious and reliable though.

VW/Skoda twins: A mere shadow of VW/Skoda cars. Being a owner of 2015 Vento, I will never touch these half baked 2.0 goods. Wonderful 1.5 engine though. Definitely the best of the lot.

[Candy$Cars]

Voted for the City. It is a reliable workhorse that will also turn into your weekend fun car when you are alone and a comfortable family car when required.

However, the Virtus and Slavia twins would have been my pick in the segment if they had a working air-conditioner. Paying 20 lacs on road and still having to sweat it out or fiddle with the manual mode because the automatic mode doesn't work properly is a absolute deal breaker for me irrespective of any amount of fun or convenience the car has. A proper air-conditioning is a necessity that I won't compromise on.

The city is tried and tested, battle-hardened and is a reason why it is still the King of the segment.

[Porcupine]

Voted for the Virtus. I'm currently in this market, looking to upgrade the Honda Amaze which is used as the beater in the household, and will most likely be going ahead and booking the Virtus 1.5 DSG this week.

It's the newest and best looking of the lot. It came down to the Virtus and the Slavia, but the looks were the main deciding factor in the end.

[Eddy]

You definiletly cannot go wrong with a Honda City as a petrol sedan. And that's where my vote goes. It is the best overall package of product, service, reliability etc.

[SoumenD]

When I spend 17-20L OTR nothing less than a 5* GNCAP rated car would suffice. I follow this thumb rule while spending my hard earned money:

10-15L: Minimum 4* with stable bodyshell (current car satisfies this)
15-20L: 5* (can compromise on features but not basic build quality).

Although I own a Honda Jazz cvt and city would seem like a natural upgrade, unstable bodyshell rating was disappointing to see. Hyundai I won’t touch with a bargepole unless CKD. Skoda/VW cars have not been tested yet and being a india specific model, I would like to wait till/if they are tested. For now at that budget there’s nothing that I would buy, might stretch to XUV700, so voted Others.

[sunikkat]

Slavia / Virtus 1.5 TSI in a beat of heart. Enough said of its strengths. Second choice would be Slavia / Virtus 1 TSI. Don’t think I will anymore put money on NA engines. Also VAG twins (though not like old VAGs) have better build quality than City, looks better and has much better high speed stability (> 100). And I hate those skinny tyres that Honda has been giving since ages.
Voted for Slavia because the Skoda service in Bangalore is excellent. Do not have much experience with VW service personally.

[Rajeevraj]

The 1.5 TSI DSG in either the Slavia or Virtus. Both look great and are loaded enough for most needs. Actual choice would boil down to the smaller significant things at the time of purchase.

Having driven the TSI DSG combo for close to 9 years now, hard to think of buying any other combination in this segment. Just will not match up from a driving pleasure perspective and ultimately that is what will sustain over the years of ownership.

Note: I don't see the pros and cons of Slavia listed like th others.

[SafeDrive]

City it is for me. And the new hybrid just seals the deal

[Dieseltuned]

Voted for the city, just got one a month ago and have already done almost 3000 kms in a month. Supremely smooth and comfortable plus Honda's reliability plus effortless to drive won it hands down. However "fun to drive" the car might be what's the use of plonking 20 big ones on it if it will leave me and my family stranded on a highway. For us it was a tough call between the slavia and the city but at the end mind won over heart.