The Indian car market is receiving superb new cars. The Japanese car major Honda has made it huge by launching the all new fourth generation City with its diesel version in January this year. On the other hand, Volkswagen is going to offer the new refreshed Vento in order to allure more takers for the car.

2014 Honda City

While the new VW Vento is expected to pack in a lot of new added cosmetic updates which should be welcome change. However, being a facelift car, the Vento is only expected to get new cosmetic changes and some new features but not come with any mechanical updates. The VW Vento diesel is powered by a 1.6 liter, 4-cylinder, DOHC diesel mill that has the capability of producing a max power of 103bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. The diesel mill is mated with a 5 speed manual transmission gearbox.

On the other hand, the all new Honda City diesel packs in the highly accomplished 1.5 liter, i-DTEC Earth Dreams diesel engine and develops a max power output of 99bhp and a peak torque of 200Nm. This diesel engine is mated to a 6 speed manual transmission gearbox.

The Volkswagen Vento petrol is powered with a 1.6 liter DOHC petrol engine that generates a max power of 103bhp and a peak torque 153Nm.

On the other hand, the all new Honda City petrol version packs in a 1497cc, 1.5 liter petrol mill that churns out a max power of 117bhp and a peak torque of 145Nm.

When it comes to the fuel efficiency part, nothing can yet beat the outstanding mileage of the Honda City. While the VW Vento offers the ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 20.5 km/l for the diesel and 15.04 to 16.93 km/l for the petrol version, the Honda City diesel offers the industry topping mileage of a stunning 26.0 km/l while the City’s petrol version offers the mileage of 18 km/l.

In terms of dimensions and space, the VW Vento is 4384mm long, 1699mm wide and 1466mm tall with a wheelbase of 2552mm and a ground clearance of 168mm. On the other hand, the all new Honda City is slightly longer with a length of 4440mm, 1695mm wide and 1495mm high. The City also has a longer wheelbase of 2600mm and a ground clearance of 165mm, thus offering better interior space than that of the Vento.

In terms of performance and handling, the Honda City petrol is one of the best sedans in India. The new City has also shed some weight and become lighter than before offering better performance and superb mileage.

On the other hand, the Volkswagen Vento diesel is a stunning car when handling and drivability are concerned. The Vento diesel has great engine capability and suspension system.

It can be said that while the Vento facelift is a great mid-sized sedan in the Indian car market, the all new City is the clear winner hear with everything great and it shows in its ongoing awesome demands.

The Indian car market has become more competitive than before, the competition is not just restricted to new designs, but transmission options as well. Automatic cars are on par with manual ones, and the best example to support this statement is the launch of Maruti Suzuki Celerio built with automated manual transmission technology.

Honda has launched the much awaited new City with automatic transmission gearbox, and Volkswagen has introduced the TSI automatic Vento. The traffic scenario in India is getting tighter and tighter with time, and automatic cars are ideal to move past heavy traffic. Let’s compare two grand automatic models Honda City automatic and TSI Volkswagen automatic.

Automatic cars are built with novel powerful engineering technologies, and the latest automatic models are more fuel efficient. The mileage offered by Honda City automatic is greater than the manual car at 18kmpl against manual 18.6kmpl. Honda City and TSI Volkswagen Vento are poles apart in terms of styling, each unique in its own way. City is tailored with a more modern outlook with more dynamic creases and lines, and the sophistication is highlighted by solid grille structure on swept back headlights and renders a youthful and vibrant image. Vento is elegant in a more simplified form. Vento looks even from head to toe and the evenness is observed in the boot lid as well.

Honda cars are impressively lavish and interiors of new City are splendid with grand décor. The cabin volume is abundant, and cushions are light and super comfy. The interior theme is interesting and one of a kind with jet black classy piano theme, and a feature to look forward to is the green and black backlit dials. The insides of Vento are pretty sturdy as well; the dashboard design is elegant and not too loud and packed with interesting features such as world class music system with Bluetooth connectivity and audio controls on steering. The interior décor and equipments in City is hard to beat, and Vento does not match up to the City in this segment. City is packed with modern day lavish features such as sun roof, power outlets, touch screen, climate control, reverse camera, five inch color screen and 8 speaker entertainment devise.

City and Vento are miles different from each other in mechanical sector; City is equipped with a potent petrol 1.5 liter IVTEC engine that pumps out 145Nm and 119PS inserted with continuously variable transmission (CVT) technology. The engine is derived from Honda Amaze and Honda has improvised on the already powerful iVTEC technology and the engine is smoother and more responsive.  Vento is built with powerful petrol 1.2 liter engine that releases 105PS and 175 Nm and moves with dynamic turbocharged engine.

Honda City and TSI Volkswagen Vento are posh cars to own, but for a different ride encounter City is a more valuable buy. Consumers can experience a modern day car atmosphere with robust lines and creases compared to the usual yet classy TSI Vento. The iVTEC engine used in City is novel compared to turbocharged engine used in Vento TSI Volkswagen. The most exciting feature to look forward to in City is five inch color touch screen.

The car scene at present is packed with diversity, which is not just restricted to the design layout but also transmission options. During the past few years the phrase automatic was not all that common. Today car companies are releasing cars with automatic and manual gearboxes.

It is a tedious process to engineer an automatic model, because the power consumption in automatic cars is enormously high, and is even pricier than manual cars. Automatic transmission cars are now in huge demand; automobile engineers have devised numerous automatic engineering technologies. Engineers have designed automatic transmission cars in a way that it offers a smooth drive experience. The latest advances in automatic transmission technology are twin clutch and Continuously Variable Transmission technology.

Honda is geared to unveil its brand new City model, and the automatic transmission gearbox inserted into the car is known to be more powerful than manual variant. The technology used here is Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and the mileage offered by automatic variant is 18 kpl higher than its manual counterpart at 17.8kmpl. Volkswagen Vento TSI is fitted with twin clutch automatic, and runs on a potent 1.2 liter direct injection TSI petrol turbo engine.

Car enthusiasts who have driven the City were pretty satisfied by the cars initial take off capacity. The response was amazing, even in circumstances when the accelerator was stretched a bit. The drive experience on the whole was a smooth one, and engine power emission was efficient to render a silky drive encounter. The technology used in gear box design is called slender torque converted and this set off an initial smooth spark.

Vento is not as responsive as Honda, the automatic transmission in TSI Vento is not as efficient, and the initial response is slow. During mid motion phases Vento TSI is more powerful, the running motor is not as noisy as City. The effect is powerful in slow traffic scenarios. When the car moves at lower speeds, the take off by twin clutch gearbox is not as potent as CVT injected in City.

The City emits harsh noises when too much pressure is applied on gearbox, in just 11.8 secs, the kilometer reading dial touches enormous speeds of 100kph and in 23.5 secs the speed attained is 140kph. The average energy pumped by the car is 117bhp.

The average power efficiency attained by Vento is 103bhp, and when full throttle pressure is applied on gearbox the car attains top notch speeds of 120 and 100. Vento offers a smooth gliding feel at lesser speeds; it absorbs tremendous energies to cruise on rough roads with ease. Honda City is not as potent as Vento at lower speeds, and emits slight vibrations; the effect is reduced once the speed output hits 40kph. City too can maneuver on bumpy roads with ease; Vento is a stronger player with respect to lesser noise emissions.

Coming to the interiors, the cabin arrangement in Vento is sober when compared to fourth gen Honda City. Vento is filled with basic fitments like world class audio system with Bluetooth amenities. The City is packed with interesting features like 8 speaker radio system, sunroof, 4 power exists, climate control touch interface and 5 inch color monitor.

The new City has more to offer in terms of interior fitments and opulence, and speed. The Vento is more powerful in noise and vibration department.

The much awaited and speculated all new Honda City is finally available in the official Honda showrooms across India. The fourth generation model of the City comes with a starting price of Rs. 7.42 lakhs for the base petrol variant, while its base diesel model trim is priced at Rs. 8.62 lakhs.

Now, that the all new City is all out in the market along with its prices, let us check how well is it braced against its market rivals in terms of features and pricing, considering its major rivals in India are the segment leader Hyundai Verna and the Volkswagen Vento. India is definitely a price conscious market, and the segment leader Hyundai Verna is offered with a lot of engine choices (4) that are mated to a manual or an automatic gearbox. The Verna’s base petrol model starts from Rs. 7.40 lakh, while the base diesel model starts from Rs 8.62 lakhs.

On the other hand, the Volkswagen Vento’s petrol variant’s starting range is Rs. 7.34 lakhs, while base diesel model is tagged at Rs. 8.49 lakhs. Thus, it is clear that the Honda City has been priced very competitively, as all three cars are priced very closely. Hence it is the features that have to be considered.

Honda has endowed the all new City with a whole range of features clearly pointing that it has been pitched primarily against the Verna. The new City features ABS with EBD as standard, electronically adjustable OVRMs, driver’s side airbag and tilt adjustable power steering. The higher S and SV variants also get integrated audio system with 3.5 inch screen, steering wheel mounted audio controls, Bluetooth and height-adjustable driver’s seat. The top-end variants V and VX get turn indicators on the OVRMs, five-inch screen, reverse camera, cruise control and 15 inch alloy wheels, while VX variant flaunts a sunroof that the Verna or Vento don’t offer.

The Hyundai Verna offers the same ABS and EBD safety features as standard and so are the electrical adjustable OVRMs along with turn indicators. The higher variants of EX, SX and SX (O) also get Bluetooth, reverse camera with rear parking sensors, steering wheel mounted audio controls and height adjustable seatbelts at front. The top-end SX (O) petrol and diesel model boast of projector automatic headlights and premium leather upholstery.

The Volkswagen Vento is not a real match for the City and the Verna on the safety front, and gets only ABS only in the top-end variant Highline. All of Vento’s three trims get rear AC vents, height adjusting driver’s seat, rear parking sensors and tilt adjusting telescopic steering wheel. The top-end Highline flaunts 15 inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, multi-function steering and leather wrapped seats, handbrake and gear knob.

While the City and Verna are equally impressive, top-end Honda City VX is a little better than the top-end Hyundai Verna SX (O) variant with cruise control and sunroof.

Thus, the Honda City is sure to snatch Verna and Vento’s market share.

The new trends in technology and developing innovative new generation features are definitely increasing the market of automatics. The new transmissions offer nicer and powerful drive. Honda’s City automatic is an efficient sedan than the manual one well equipped with CVT technology. Similarly, Volkswagen’s Vento has been successful in impressing auto markets with its new 1.2 TSI turbo petrol engine. The performance of the car is full of power and transmissions are dynamic.

There’s a very close fight between Honda City and Volkswagen TSI, let’s have a look.

The new City has improved a lot as compared to the older one in the case of every aspect. The new model is very responsive while talking about its start and stop function. When you just dab the accelerator you will feel the instant power from the engine which offers smoother driving experience. The new gearbox provided in the City has a torque converter which works very well and delivers great power. When you want to go to the next level City disappoints at this point. Push down the throttle hard in order to sprint down the road you will experience the rubber band effect. There will not be increased in the speed, but slippage in the transmission. With the proper use of pedals you can select gears to have a control over the speed. The preset gears are tall, so when you change gear you will feel the engine hard.

When you take a reverse, the Powertrain becomes noisy; however, it has a quick pick up feature which is not shabby at all and allows it to deliver 117bhp.

Talking about the performance, the City and Vento comes under the same category. The Vento has 103bhp engine, but is a bit quicker than City. The factors that contribute to the faster performance is direct injection and turbo charging which helps in delivering 17.4 kgm of torque at 1500rpm. The seven speed twin clutch gearbox makes the engine best than anything else.

The Vento’s TSI comes with no paddles for manual intervention and engine is smoother than City’s. However, Vento is not that responsive on lower speeds like that of Honda. At first, you will feel flat footed with no torque converter and thus delay is experienced when the throttle is floored. The TSI engine works appreciable well but not as lively as City on city roads. At lower speeds, the twin clutch gearbox doesn’t work efficiently as CVT in City.

The Volkswagen Vento offers flexible driving experience at low speeds. While driving through rough roads, it has a tendency to handle the rough patches and there’s a vertical movement on an uneven road. City, however, is not as flexible as Vento; it is a bit stiff at lower speeds. But when you increase speed around 40kph, the ride improves. Big bumps are not felt while driving and comparing with Vento, the City makes a noise of tyres on the roads.

The steering of the City is nice but gets numb at times. The straight line stability of City impresses the most. The Vento’s steering is light and doesn’t take your time in handling like City’s. The vent does carry the straight line stability, but it is not that impressive as City’s.

Verdict:

The Vento TSI is very impressive coming with a package of technology and features. However, new City CVT costs around 10.98 Lakhs which is more than Vento i.e. 9.8 Lakhs.

The city is comfortably priced and is brilliantly equipped with amazing features with which you can drive anytime anywhere. Honda City offers a class and it is definitely more valuable than the Vento.