2026 Hyundai Verna Vs Honda City: Old Rivals Go Head-to-head
Both sedans have a loyal fan base in India. Let’s find out which popular sedan makes more sense in 2026
Interested in bringing home the Hyundai Verna facelift? Here’s our Ultimate Buying Guide!
Hyundai recently launched the facelifted Verna, which gets tweaked exterior styling and an upgraded interior with more features. With these upgrades, the Verna becomes an even stronger contender in the mid-size sedan segment. One of its oldest and most popular rivals in the segment is the Honda City, which offers a well-rounded package and proven reliability to those looking for a practical family sedan.
So in this report, we take you through a detailed comparison between the facelifted Verna and the City, comparing their prices, dimensions, features, and powertrain options:
Price
| Model |
Hyundai Verna |
Honda City |
| Price (ex-showroom) |
Rs 10.98 lakh to Rs 18.25 lakh |
Rs 11.95 lakh to Rs 16.07 lakh |
- There is a price difference of around Rs 1 lakh for the entry-level variants.
-
Top-spec variants of the Verna are more expensive by around Rs 2.2 lakh.
-
While many variants of both these sedans overlap in terms of pricing, it is the Verna that is the more expensive sedan.
-
It is important to note that Honda is offering hefty discounts on the City. We advise you to contact your nearest dealership to get more details on the same.
-
Honda also offers a City Hybrid for Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom).
Let’s take a quick look at what all the Verna offers the City for the extra money:
Dimensions
| Parameter |
Hyundai Verna |
Honda City |
Difference |
| Length |
4565 mm |
Up to 4583 mm |
(-18 mm) |
| Width |
1765 mm |
1748 mm |
+17 mm |
| Height |
1475 mm |
1489 mm |
(-14 mm) |
| Wheelbase |
2670 mm |
2600 mm |
+70 mm |
-
Both Verna and City are similar in size.
-
The Verna is slightly wider, while the City is longer and marginally taller.
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In terms of wheelbase, the Verna is 70 mm longer.
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There is little difference in size, but there is a significant difference in how these two sedans are designed.
- Want to see how the Verna facelift has evolved when compared to the pre-facelift one? Detailed comparison can be found here.
Powertrain
When it comes to powertrain options, both City and Verna only get petrol options. Both sedans come with a 1.5-litre NA petrol engine. The Verna also gets a more potent 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine.
Let’s take a look at the specifications:
| Model |
Hyundai Verna |
Honda City |
|
| Engine |
1.5-litre NA petrol engine |
1.5-litre turbo-petrol |
1.5-litre NA petrol engine |
| Power |
115 PS |
160 PS |
121 PS |
| Torque |
144 Nm |
253 Nm |
145 Nm |
| Transmission |
6-speed MT, CVT |
6-speed MT, 7-speed DCT |
6-speed MT, CVT |
-
As seen above, both Verna and City come with a 1.5-litre NA petrol engine. The City’s engine makes the higher output here.
-
The Verna’s turbo-petrol engine makes the most output, and should be considered if you often drive on the highways, or if you are looking for a performance-oriented sedan.
-
Both Verna and City come with a 6-speed manual and a CVT option. The Verna additionally offers a DCT with the turbo-petrol mill.
Features
| Feature |
Hyundai Verna |
Honda City |
| Auto Headlamps |
✅ |
✅ |
| Foglamps |
LED |
LED |
| LED Taillamps |
✅ |
✅ |
| Wheels |
16-inch alloy wheels |
16-inch alloy wheels |
| Infotainment |
10.25-inch touchscreen |
8-inch touchscreen |
| Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto |
✅ (via wired-to-wireless adapter) |
✅ |
| Instrument Cluster |
10.25-inch digital display |
Semi-digital driver display |
| Height-adjustable Driver Seat |
✅ |
✅ |
| Wireless Phone Charger |
✅ |
✅ |
| Sound system |
8-speaker Bose sound system |
8-speaker sound system |
| Push-button start/stop |
✅ |
✅ |
| Ventilated front seats |
✅ |
❌ |
| Powered seats |
✅(6-way driver/4-way co-driver) |
❌ |
| Memory function for the driver's seat |
✅ |
❌ |
| Ambient lighting |
✅ |
✅ |
| Paddle shifters |
✅ |
✅ |
| Powered tailgate |
✅ |
❌ |
| Cooled Glovebox |
✅ |
✅ |
| Connected Car Tech |
✅ |
✅ |
| Cruise Control |
✅ |
✅ |
| Climate Control (AC) |
Automatic |
Automatic |
| Keyless entry |
✅ |
✅ |
| Airbags |
7 |
6 |
| Parking sensors |
Front and rear |
Rear |
| ISOFIX child seat mounts |
✅ |
✅ |
| Electronic parking brake with auto hold |
✅ |
❌ |
| 360-degree camera |
✅ |
❌ |
| Rear defogger |
✅ |
✅ |
| TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) |
✅ |
✅ |
| ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) |
✅ |
✅ |
- As seen above, the Verna offers many extra features over the City.
-
The extra features include a larger touchscreen, a fully-digital driver display, a powered tailgate, powered seats, ventilated seats and a branded audio system.
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The Verna also offers extra safety features like front parking sensors, an electronic parking brake, and even a 360-degree camera.
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Both sedans offer safety features like 6 airbags (7 in the Verna), TPMS, ESC, and even ADAS. They have also secured 5-star NCAP ratings.
Overall, it is the Verna that provides a more feature-rich and premium experience inside the cabin. To know about its variant-wise features, head over to this story.
CarDekho Says
The 2026 Hyundai Verna clearly takes the lead when it comes to features, tech, and even performance, especially with its turbo-petrol engine. It feels like the more modern and well-equipped sedan, justifying its higher asking price for those who want the latest bells and whistles.
On the other hand, the Honda City continues to play to its strengths with a refined driving experience, slightly better naturally aspirated performance, and a reputation for comfort and long-term reliability. While it definitely needs an upgrade to stay relevant in its segment, it remains a sensible choice for those looking for a no-nonsense sedan.
In the end, picking the Verna would make more sense. However, you should choose it over the City only after checking out both the cars back-to-back and getting an in-person experience and feel of the sedans.
You can check out the variant-wise prices of the Verna in this report. If you are looking for a sporty sedan with turbo-petrol performance, you should also read our comparison between the Verna and Virtus. The Slavia, another rival to the Verna, also has the same package of the Virtus, but comes with a different design (check out Verna vs Slavia comparison here).
Which one would you choose? Let us know in the comments below.