Comparison: Honda City vs Skoda Slavia

Last updated 2 months ago
Comparison Skoda Slavia vs Honda City
Last updated 2 months ago

Into its 5th generation in India, the Honda City has seen many rivals arrive with a bang and disappear without a whimper. The City’s long life can be attributed to its legendary reliability and all-around competence, factors that have made it the byword for mid-size, family sedans in India. However, the decision to go for a City hasn’t been as clear-cut since Skoda launched the Slavia. A replacement for the well-received Rapid, the Slavia is based on the Indianised MQB platform and offers competent powertrain options. If you’re in the market for a mid-size sedan and are torn between these two immensely capable cars, here’s a Comparison: Honda City vs Skoda Slavia on on factors that matter in everyday life. 

Honda City vs Skoda Slavia: Dimensions

Honda City

Skoda Slavia

Length

4574 mm

4541 mm

Width

1748 mm

1752 mm

Height

1489 mm

1507 mm

Wheelbase

2600 mm

2651 mm

Ground Clearance

165 mm

179 mm

Boot Space

506 litres

521 litres

Dimensionally, the Honda City and the Skoda Slavia run each other close. But save for length, the Slavia trumps the City on width, height, wheelbase, ground clearance, and even boot space. Beyond the spec sheet, however, the City’s wheelbase and width handicap doesn’t lead to a comfort handicap at the rear seat, even with three passengers. That’s primarily down to how Honda has contoured the City’s rear seat and kept the transmission tunnel lower compared to the Slavia. 

That said, the Slavia’s additional height and ground clearance would make it the easier car to get in and out of. The additional ground clearance, especially, might be a boon considering how the City with its traditionally lower clearance has gained a reputation for scraping speed breakers. Overall, even though it’s a close call, the Slavia comes across as the more spacious car.

Honda City vs Skoda Slavia: Engine & Transmission

Honda City

Skoda Slavia

Engine

1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol

1.0-litre TSI petrol

1.5-litre TSI petrol

Power & Torque

121 PS & 145 Nm

115 PS & 178 Nm

150 PS & 250 Nm

Transmission

6-speed manual

6-speed manual

7-step CVT

6-speed automatic

7-speed DCT

Mileage

17.8 kmpl

19.47 kmpl (1.0-litre manual)

18.4 kmpl

18.07 kmpl (1.0-litre automatic)

18.72 kmpl (1.5-litre manual)

18.41 kmpl (1.5-litre automatic)

The Skoda Slavia debuted without a diesel engine while the Honda City’s diesel engine has been discontinued because of BS6 Phase 2 emission norms. This leaves us with just the 1.5-litre VTEC petrol engine in the City and the 1.0- and 1.5-litre TSI petrol engines in the Slavia.

The biggest difference between the VTEC and the TSIs is that the former is naturally aspirated while the latter are turbocharged units. This means the Slavia convincingly beats the City when it comes to pure engine output. However, the City and the 1.0-litre TSI-engined Slavia clock similar 0-100 kmph figures, something you can credit the City’s lighter kerb weight for. 

However, the Slavia’s additional torque would make it much faster during in-gear or rolling acceleration. Rolling acceleration is when you accelerate from a low given speed in the same gear; in other words, the sort of practical acceleration that actually matters in everyday driving. The Honda City offers a practical advantage too as the naturally aspirated engine means there’s none of the Slavia’s turbo lag. This makes for better driveability at lower speeds, especially if you go for the manual transmission variant. 

That’s about the only advantage the City has in terms of the engine, in addition to the greater convenience of a CVT transmission and Honda’s trademark bulletproof reliability. But if you’re a performance aficionado, the Slavia 1.5 in either the manual or DCT guise will run circles around the City. 

That it also outshines the Honda in terms of fuel efficiency is down to Skoda’s cylinder deactivation technology, whereby the engine shuts off one of its four cylinders for better fuel economy. And even if you’re not a performance nut, the Slavia’s three-cylinder 1.0-litre powertrains make for a better overall proposition than the City’s powertrain. 

Honda City vs Skoda Slavia: Features & Comfort

Honda City

Skoda Slavia

Infotainment system

8-inch

Up to 10-inch

Music system

Up to 8 speakers

Up to 8 speakers

Climate control

Yes

Yes

Ventilated seats

No

Yes

Adjustable steering

Yes (Telescopic & Tilt)

Yes (Telescopic & Tilt)

Drive modes

Eco & Sport (CVT only)

Sport (DCT only)

Instrument cluster

Analogue-Digital

Digital

Sunroof

Yes

Yes

Adjustable seats

Yes

Yes

Rear AC vents

Yes

Yes

60:40 rear seat split

No

Yes

Cruise control

Yes

Yes

The Slavia is clearly the bigger car here and once you compare its list of essential features with the City’s, it becomes apparent that the Skoda is also the more comfortable and practical one. For instance, unlike the City, the Slavia comes with ventilated front seats. Secondly, the Slavia also gets a 60:40 split rear seat, which just makes its boot space advantage all the more practical when you have awkward shaped things to carry in your car. 

Couple those omissions with the fact that the City gets a smaller infotainment system and you have a valid reason to raise your eyebrows, especially considering the price point these cars retail at. 

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      Honda City vs Skoda Slavia: Safety Features

      Honda City

      Skoda Slavia

      Safety Rating

      5-Star ASEAN NCAP

      5-Star GNCAP

      Airbags

      Up to 6

      Up to 6

      ABS with EBD

      Yes

      Yes

      ESC

      Yes

      Yes

      Traction control

      Yes

      Yes

      Automatic headlamps

      Yes

      Yes

      Rain-sensing wipers

      Yes

      Yes

      Hill hold assist

      Yes

      Yes

      Hill descent control

      No

      No

      Rear parking sensors

      Yes

      Yes

      Rear parking camera

      Yes

      Yes

      ISOFIX child seat anchor points

      Yes

      Yes

      ADAS

      Yes

      No

      Safety is one aspect where the Honda City and the Skoda Slavia are evenly matched. However, you can pick one over the other depending on what matters more to you – ADAS or a safer body structure. 

      That’s because the City is the only car here to get ADAS, which includes features such as autonomous braking in the case of an imminent collision and if the driver doesn’t respond to visual/audible warnings, lane assist and deviation warning systems, and auto high-beam.

      However, if a safer structure and body matter more to you, there’s no looking past the Slavia as it scored a full 5 stars in a recent test by Global NCAP. Notably, this test was as per Global NCAP’s new protocol that’s more stringent than the previous one, making the Skoda Slavia one of the safest cars in India.  

      That isn’t to say the Honda is structurally unsafe. Indeed, it does boast a 5-star rating from ASEAN NCAP. However, that score was based on the older (2017-2020) ASEAN NCAP protocol. Generally, the ASEAN NCAP and Global NCAP protocols are quite similar. But, until and unless the Honda City is tested under the new ASEAN NCAP (2021-2025) or Global NCAP (2022-2026) protocols, the Skoda Slavia walks away with the safety crown. 

      Honda City vs Skoda Slavia: Price Comparison

      Honda City

      Skoda Slavia

      Base Variant

      Rs 11.49 - 12.37 lakh

      Rs 11.39 - 13.19 lakh

      Mid Variant

      Rs 13.49 - 13.62 lakh

      Rs 14.29 - 14.94 lakh

      Upper Mid Variant

      NA

      Rs 15.99 - 16.24 lakh

      Top Variant

      Rs 14.72 - 15.97 lakh

      Rs 16.99 - 18.44 lakh

      For both sedans, it makes more sense to go for their mid or upper-mid variants as the base variants miss out on a lot of important features such as ADAS and multifunction driver information interface in case of the City and 60:40 rear split seat, auto AC, and rearview camera on the Slavia. 

      And while the Slavia 1.5’s higher asking price can easily be justified on account of its much better performance, equipment, and on-par fuel efficiency, the story repeats itself even when you compare the similarly priced City and the Slavia 1.0 TSI variants. 

      Whether you go the manual or automatic transmission route, the Slavia 1.0 TSI is the better choice owing to its more practical dimensions, similar performance and fuel efficiency, greater torque, better features and comfort, and higher safety rating. 

      Honda City vs Skoda Slavia: Summary

      The mid-size sedan segment in India has steadily lost out to SUVs since 2015. The two cars featured in this comparison are unarguably the best shot this segment has at arresting that decline and making sedans great again. And while the City is a wonderful car that’s backed by Honda’s famed reliability and refinement, the Slavia has all but forced it to play catch-up in the mid-size sedan segment for the first time in a long time. 

      1. Q. Which car is bigger: Honda City or Skoda Slavia?

        The Skoda Slavia is slightly bigger than the Honda City in terms of width, height, wheelbase, ground clearance, and boot space. However, the Honda City is longer by a small margin. Overall, the Slavia offers more interior space and practicality.

      2. Q. Which car offers better ground clearance: Honda City or Skoda Slavia?

        The Skoda Slavia has a higher ground clearance of 179mm compared to the Honda City’s 165mm, making the Slavia better suited for rougher road conditions.

      3. Q. Which car is safer: Honda City or Skoda Slavia?

        The Skoda Slavia has a 5-star Global NCAP safety rating, while the Honda City has a 5-star ASEAN NCAP rating. However, the Slavia’s rating is based on a newer and more stringent testing protocol, giving it an edge in terms of safety.

      4. Q. Which car has more powerful engine options: Honda City or Skoda Slavia?

        The Skoda Slavia has a more powerful engine option with its 1.5-litre TSI engine delivering 150 PS and 250 Nm of torque, outperforming the Honda City’s 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine with 121 PS and 145 Nm of torque.

      5. Q. Which car offers better comfort features: Honda City or Skoda Slavia?

        The Skoda Slavia offers more comfort features, including ventilated seats, a larger 10-inch infotainment system, and a 60:40 split rear seat, making it a more practical option compared to the Honda City.

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