Spec comparison: 2023 Honda City vs VW Virtus vs Skoda Slavia

The 2023 Honda City facelift has arrived in India with a mildly updated design and new additional features. Alongside the V, VX, and ZX, it is now available with a new SV variant. Here we stack up the refreshed City facelift with the Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia.

2023 Honda City facelift vs VW Virtus vs Skoda Slavia: Powertrain

The 2023 City facelift has ditched its diesel engine and is now only powered by a 1.5-litre, inline-four, naturally aspirated i-VTEC petrol motor that generates 121PS and 145Nm of torque. This engine comes mated to a six-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission.

On the other hand, the Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia get a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 150PS and 250Nm of torque. While the Virtus is available with a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission, the Slavia can be had in both a six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. This 1.5-litre TSI Evo features Active Cylinder Technology.

In terms of fuel consumption, the 2023 City facelift has a mileage of 17.8kmpl with manual transmission and 18.4kmpl with automatic transmission. On the other hand, the Skoda Slavia 1.5-litre returns a fuel economy of 18.72kmpl with manual transmission and 18.41kmpl with automatic transmission. Whereas, the Volkswagen Virtus 1.5-litre gives out a fuel efficiency of 18.76kmpl with automatic transmission.

2023 Honda City facelift vs VW Virtus vs Skoda Slavia: Features

The 2023 City facelift boasts a slew of features, including Honda Sensing - a suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems also known as ADAS. It includes a collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation system, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, high beam assist, and lead car departure notification system. In addition, Honda has given it a wireless charging pad, ambient lighting, rain-sensing wipers, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Apart from that, the 2023 City facelift carries forward the eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, seven-inch semi-digital instrument cluster, eight-speaker sound system, lane watch camera, six airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounts, a rearview camera with parking sensors, VSA, ESC, TC, BA, ABS, EBD, AHA, HSA, TPMS, auto headlamps, auto-dimming IRVM, LED headlights, fog lamps, Honda Connect with Alexa and Google assistants, smartwatch connectivity, PM 2.5 in-cabin filter, paddle shifters, and LED front and rear reading lamps, among others. Notably, the carmaker offers a five-year subscription of the Honda Connect with the sedan.

Volkswagen has bestowed the Virtus with paddle shifters, cruise control, a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, eight speakers, an eight-inch digital driver display, valet mode, four USB Type-C sockets (front and rear), My Volkswagen Connect, ventilated front seats, electric sunroof, auto headlights and wipers, cooled glove box, auto-dimming IRVM, wireless charging pad, ISOFIX child seat mounts, a rearview camera with parking sensors, TPMS, HSA, six airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, MCB, brake disc wiping, BA, ASR, front and rear reading lamps, and LED headlights.

Since the Skoda Slavia shares the MQB-A0-IN platform with the Virtus, it bears more or less the same features as its sibling. However, unlike the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the Virtus, the Slavia gets an eight-inch unit with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

2023 Honda City facelift vs VW Virtus vs Skoda Slavia: Dimensions

The 2023 City facelift measures 4,583mm in length (ZX trim), 1,748mm in width, and 1,489mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,600mm. On the other hand, the Virtus and Slavia are 4,561mm and 4,541mm in length. Additionally, they have an identical 1,752mm width, 1,507mm height, and 2,651mm wheelbase. Further, the 2023 City has a boot capacity of 506 litres, while the Virtus and Slavia have a boot capacity of 521 litres.

2023 Honda City facelift vs VW Virtus vs Skoda Slavia: Prices

The prices of the 2023 City facelift are between Rs 11.49 lakh and Rs 15.97 lakh (ex-showroom). On the other hand, the Volkswagen Virtus costs between Rs 11.32 lakh and 18.42 lakh (ex-showroom). The Skoda Slavia prices start at Rs 11.29 lakh and go up to Rs 18.40 lakh (ex-showroom).

Honda has taken the 2023 Honda City to the next level with ADAS and the addition of a few features. Except for the ADAS, the 2023 City facelift is now on a level with the Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia in terms of features. It now gets a wireless charging pad and wireless connectivity to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But it still misses out on ventilated seats and an electronic parking brake with auto-hold. Further, the Slavia and Virtus are considerably more powerful than the 2023 City, thanks to the turbocharged functionality. Despite that, the Volkswagen and Skoda sedans return marginally higher fuel efficiency than the 2023 City facelift. Not to mention, the 2023 City facelift has also witnessed a significant price increase over its predecessor.

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