[Omkar]

Hyundai Verna

What you'll like:

• An all-rounder sedan that ticks all the right boxes
• Well-positioned overall package. Priced competitively against rivals
• User-friendly interiors with good cabin space
• 158 BHP, 1.5L turbo-petrol engine is the most powerful in the segment. Gets a quick DCT too
• Comfortable, neutral suspension setup riding on 205/55 R16 tyres
• Long list of features includes LED auto headlamps, ventilated seats, electric driver’s seat, sunroof, wireless charging, smart trunk, rear sunshade & more
• Safety equipment includes level 2 ADAS tech, 6 airbags, ESC, 3-point seatbelts for all, rear disc brakes, front & rear parking sensors etc.
• Hyundai's wide service network & up to 7-years extended warranty

What you won't:

• Futuristic styling will polarise opinions. Many BHPians think the design is too edgy & unusual
• Better quality plastics should’ve been used in a car that costs 20+ lakh on-road
• No diesel engine on offer. Outgoing Verna was the last diesel sedan in the segment
• Turbo-petrols are very sensitive to driving style. FE will drop drastically when you drive hard
• Dual-clutch ATs have a history of poor reliability in India. Note: Verna with 1.5L NA CVT is available
• Back seat is more suitable for 2 healthy adults and a child. Not 3 healthy adults
• Not as much fun-to-drive as the VW Virtus & Skoda Slavia
• Missing features like a 360-degree camera, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, auto wipers and foldable rear seat (a must in sedans IMHO)

Review Link

Honda City

Review Link

Volkswagen Virtus

What you'll like:

• 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-liter boot is quite spacious
• 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

What you won't:

• 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
• 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 like the Slavia
• Interior quality doesn’t feel up to oldschool 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 doorpad to keep items in place, or even something as simple as the small reflective tapes on the doors

Review Link

Skoda Slavia

Review Link

Maruti Ciaz

What you'll like:

• Clean and conventional styling that will please the masses
• Value-for-money pricing that undercuts almost all rivals
• Spacious cabin with lots of practical features. Rear legroom is particularly impressive
• 1.5L petrol motor is smooth and refined
• Soft, compliant ride quality. A suspension that's tuned for comfort
• Big 510 liter 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 projector headlamps, DRLs, 7" touchscreen ICE, rear sunshade, cruise control, telematics system etc.

What you won't:

• 1.5L petrol is rather mediocre. City & Verna petrol engines are much superior
• 4-speed Automatic gearbox feels old & outdated
• 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
• Missing features by today's standards like sunroof, driver assistance system, sunroof, side and curtain airbags, 360-degree camera, etc.

Review Link

[GTO]

Other than the antique Ciaz, all C2-segment sedans are very strong offerings . The new Verna is funky & all-rounded in nature, the Honda City remains a car you just can't go wrong with and the Virtus / Slavia are a whole lot of fun.

My tastes are now inclined toward European cars, hence I will pick a VW Virtus or Skoda Slavia. For that awesome 1.5L DSG, driving pleasure & 5-star safety.

[Shreyans_Jain]

The decade + old and obsolete Ciaz does not belong in this list. We’ve had 3 generations of City and Maruti has been pushing its same sedan.

Between the City, Verna and Virtus/Slavia, the least attractive option remains the City. It’s a spacious and reliable car, but in this company, that’s about it. Build, engines, suspensions, ride and handling are all wanting. The hybrid model fixes a lot of the shortcomings but it is obnoxiously overpriced. At 25 odd lakhs, cars like Hector, XUV700 and Harrier also make a strong case for themselves. They have made ADAS standard, but I see it more as a gimmick, not something very useful or deal making.

Tough call between Verna and Virtus/Slavia. All three are very competent all rounders, guess it boils down to personal preferences. My pick will be Virtus, simply on account of the clean, timeless styling. The car is just gorgeous. Also happens to be the safest mass market car you can buy in India.

[IshWish]

Personally, for me, it would be a tough choice between Virtus and Verna. It's a battle of Vs.

Suzuki doesn't care about updating Ciaz because they still get a lot of orders from the Central and State governments. We have an NHAI office in our Corporate complex and there are lots of Ciaz and Scorpio which are being operated by the NHAI staff. We have recently started witnessing XUV700s in their garage as well.

[VRSriram]

There is no mass market car currently which can beat the dynamics of Slavia and Virtus. Voted for Slavia as it has manual in 1.5.
Read some news in TOI that VW is announcing some changes in Taigun and Virtus on 17th April. Hope they plonk 1.5 manual in Highline model.

[bijims]

The Ciaz isn't even a contender among the other four, Between the Verna, Virtus, Slavia, and the City my pick would be the Virtus or Slavia, they are almost perfect except for lacking the interior quality of old VWs/Skodas, the next best option would be the Verna and finally the City.

The Slavia/Virtus offers a complete package in my opinion with powerful engines, excellent DSG transmission, well-tuned suspension, ride and handling,5-star safety, and an almost complete feature list as far as essential features are concerned, with only a few omissions.

The Verna on the other hand tries to wow you with an altogether different styling and modern features combined with an engine that's the most powerful in its class. In my opinion, it comes in a close second to the Virtus/Slavia owing to a few omissions in the feature list and the polarizing design.

The City has been the go-to sedan in this segment for quite a while now and still is the leader in terms of sales. The unmatched Honda reliability and overall package offered by the City still appeal to the ones looking for a sedan in this segment, which is why it still remains on top of the mid-size sedan sales charts.

[Aditya]

Skoda Slavia 1.5L turbo + MT. It's got looks, space, pace and safety. I don't want anything to do with DSGs. So the VW Virtus is out of the reckoning.

I don't like the Honda City's high speed driving dynamics and I am not sure of the Hyundai Verna's looks. The Ciaz is too old to be considered.

[SNA411]

Voted Ciaz, because of its immense VFM proposition.
The base sigma variant itself has everything that you need, at a price point of 10.21 Lakhs on-road.
AC, Power Steering, 4 power windows, factory fitted music system with bluetooth, remote lock-unlock, rear center armrest etc.
Good reliability, good service center network, and great fuel economy being added advantages.

Just spend 30k on alloys, and you're set.

Although if I had to buy a car for 11L on-road, my money would probably go to either a Brezza or a Bolero Neo.

[jigar1791@gmail]

Ciaz it is.

If you do a statistical comparison between the contenders on the vote list and their performance, you will find the %age increase in price is not in direct co-relation to the performance improvement in those cars.

Eg - the Ciaz Delta and Alpha variants tops out at about 10.30 L, where as the others are with a premium of about 15% - 30% (Variant to Variant, pertol only).

Do these cars offer a similar improvement in performance output? Or even in the overall size or width or comfort? I doubt.

PS - above are personal views, not meant to offense anyone else on the forum.

[saket77]

Voted for the City. Reliable and does most things well.

Virtus and Slavia, I am sure are better built and possess better driving dynamics but overall package rating must include after sales, reliability and cost of ownership for which I am not sure about. If VW and Skoda had these factors going in their favor, then Virtus/ Slavia would have been no brainer picks in the segment but if I am in the market today for this segment, I would have to make the compromise towards the more practical choice which is the Honda City.

And Ciaz- Is it even relevant in 2023? Doesn't deserve to be in the list in my opinion.

[FAIAAA]

Voted for the Verna. Yes the looks are polarizing ( and not to my liking). However it seems like a " nearly " complete package ( barring safety). As for reliability of DCT, it will be a gamble but I would rather place my faith on Hyundai viz VW/Skoda esp. when one continues to read horror stories on this forum about VAG's poor QC ( veering to left, AC, power window motor, rattles etc) , ASS and general apathy/ incompetence.

Honda City - a good and reliable car, good steering, great seats and space management, smooth CVT paired to probably the best NA engine on sale in India. However, after back to back test drives on turbo petrols and NA engines, one realizes how much the game has moved on esp if your use case is predominantly highway rides / road trips.

Ciaz - VFM. Old but meets needs of folks on a budget

[Manudon]

We often end up comparing only the top end versions, but all of these have a lot of different flavours in the lower variants which could change the equation.

For e.g, the automatic versions of Slavia Ambition 1.0, Vitrus Highline 1.0, Verna SX iVT and Honda City VX are all priced very close to each other (just a shade before 15L). Would the City be a clear winner in this case?

[broke_enthu27]

I am a family oriented guy. A few years ago Virtus would have been the obvious choice but having a city makes life easier and does make you look back at it after parking it.

[Jangra]

Took me an hour to conclude between Virtus and Verna and still undecided. But if I have to choose one, Virtus it is!
Virtus has everything one would need with the assuring 5 star safety which I’m positive Verna wouldnt.

[AutoInt]

It is between Virtus and City. Heart goes out for Virtus, mind says City for practical, peace of mind. Heart wins over mind. Voted for Virtus for the safety, fun to drive engine and style.

PS: I am a happy owner of Vento 1.6 TDI 2011 into 12th year