Cars/ Comparison/ Hyundai Verna Vs. Skoda Slavia Vs. Honda City | New School Vs. Old School Vs. The School | Comparison Test

Hyundai Verna Vs. Skoda Slavia Vs. Honda City | New School Vs. Old School Vs. The School | Comparison Test

All these three sedans are the best in their segment and have reigned supreme for the longest time, with the balance of power shifting each year amongst them. Let’s see who comes out on top this time.

For

Honda City - VFM
Skoda Slavia - Fun-to-drive, Looks
Hyundai Verna - Performance and Features

Against

Honda City - Old design, Performance
Skoda Slavia - Suspension, Back-seat comfort, Expensive
Hyundai Verna - Interior

Exterior

Honda City

Even though you see the 5th generation of the Honda City, the design looks ever so familiar to the eye, and one could recognise this to be a City even if it were de-badged. Unlike its competition, the City has been receiving slight tweaks as opposed to the complete overhauls the other two have received in terms of a makeover.

A brand new front grille adorns the front along with a bumper that’s quite aggressively styled and doesn’t yell “Family Friendly”. What adds to it is that it’s wrapped in faux carbon fibre, and I have no idea why Honda would need to throw in such a random design element. The lines in the City remain clean and coherent. Come to the rear, and you notice a rear splitter wrapped in carbon fibre, and to me, it starts to look a tad too pretentious, especially when you consider this makes the least amount of power in this comparison. 

The wheels are diamond-cut alloys that don’t look nearly as flashy as the ones on its competitors. Nevertheless, despite little sprinkles of modern technology thrown into the mix, it has a certain old-world charm. I think the City comes with the smartest-looking paint job of the trio, a rather beautiful shade of midnight purple. All in all, the Honda City’s design isn’t offensive or in your face; it’s simply one of those designs that have the potential to go under the radar until it catches your attention. 

Skoda Slavia

The Czech carmaker has taken influence from their German brethren and adopted a rather elegant yet minimalist way of designing a car and the Skoda Slavia. Despite being around for a year now, its elegant yet understated design is handsome and refreshing to the eye. It’s not aiming for downright flamboyance, yet it looks flamboyant in this shade of blue. 

I prefer the Volkswagen Virtus design due to its more sporty approach, but I must admit the Skoda Slavia is the more mature looking one if that’s your taste. It’s based on the MQB platform, like the Virtus and shares nearly all its underpinnings with it. It’s got a handsome-looking front design with a rather big moustache for a grille, and it gets chrome surrounds to make it even more prominent. 

The headlamp design is minimal and smart looking and goes well with the muscular design of the car. The Slavia has a strong shoulder line further accentuated by the classy twin-spoke five-spoke design of its wheels. The rear is done minimally and looks brilliant, like a well-tailored suit. My only gripe with the Slavia is the excess use of chrome, and I would have liked it if there was a de-chromed variant available on offer. 

Hyundai Verna

The Verna has always been known to have an outlandish design, going back to the Fluidics’ curvy lines that challenged the traditional looks of its competitors. This generation of the Verna does precisely that and makes a comeback with a somewhat polarising design. Love it or hate it, the Verna certainly makes a statement and looks like nothing else currently on the street. If muscular was a styling element, then this Verna is on steroids because the number of cuts, creases and haunches will make the Terminator turn back into Arnold. 

The front bumper looks minimal and has a light band running from one DRL to the other. The headlamp is mounted under and does look a bit odd, but I suppose that’s just something that would grow on you in time. Overall the front looks plain and minimal, while the rest of the Verna looks far too cutting. Come to the side, and you can see many lines making it seem busy from certain angles. 

The sporty wheel design finished in black adds to the menacing look of the Verna. The rear of the Verna is something I quite liked and captivated me with its coupe-like roofline and aggressive rear lines. The tail lamp, too, features a light band, and the Verna is quite the looker from the rear, even when the sun sets.



TopGear Magazine February 2024