Drove 5th-gen City after driving 2023 Verna: 10 key comparison points

The Honda is better put together whereas the Hyundai has more bells and whistles.

BHPian cityslicker86 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

We have a 5th Gen City at home and I just drove it after having driven the Verna (not on the same day though).

Few observations:

1. While visually Verna's interior may look better, the overall quality of plastics, gloss and tactile feel of the buttons is better in City. It just feels slightly more premium.
2. The seats in the City have a softer cushioning that works well in the city. Verna seats are harder. They are ventilated though, City's are not.
3. The AC in the City is friendlier to use. It's easy to direct the air from the vents as they are upfront. In the Verna, the vents are below the infotainment display, and they are narrower. It's not as easy/simple to direct the airflow.
4. City's seating is a bit higher up. Verna is relatively low slung. (Yes, I have raised the seat height in both cars).
5. Verna's music system and infotainment display are much better. City's audio system is ordinary, and the screen is un-viewable in sunlight. No such problem in the Verna. The music sounds much better as well.
6. City's doors felt lighter than those of Verna's.
7. Verna and City are equally smooth, and the cars move forward with a gentle push on the accelerator. However, at low speeds, City's engine is noisier and not as smooth as Verna's.
8. City appears to have a better suspension system. Verna has a softer set-up.
9. City's steering wheel is better weighted than Verna's, but only marginally so.
10. Verna's after-sales experience is certainly better than that of Honda's (Comparison based on Honda in Hyderabad vs Hyundai in Mumbai).

Though not present in my City, the latest variants have ADAS which Verna does as well. However, Verna has a Blind Spot Monitor). I found these to be a boon in heavy traffic. Only yesterday, while driving in heavy traffic, I bumped into an Auto Rickshaw in my City because he swerved in front on the left-hand side and I didn't notice because I was busy avoiding a vehicle on my right that was trying to squeeze past. The end result was a chipped and scratched front bumper! I can imagine how this would not have happened in the Verna. I keep the front sensors turned on and don't mind the warnings. Considering the number of reckless drivers/riders on the road, it's a good feature to have.

Overall, looking at the paint quality, interior materials, seats and the general feel while driving, the City feels like a more premium product that is better put together, whereas Verna has more bells and whistles, level 2 ADAS system and probably has better after-sales support.

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