Honda City vs Volkswagen Virtus: which should you buy?
The full picture
The Volkswagen Virtus starts at ₹10.71L against the Honda City's ₹12.00L ex-showroom, so it is ₹1.29L cheaper to get into.
They run together up to ₹19.20L, where the Virtus tops out. Past that only the City has anything left to sell you, up to ₹21.36L.
Fuel is a real difference here: the City comes in petrol and hybrid, the Virtus in petrol.
Same money, which car?
Take ₹19.20L to both showrooms and you come out with the City ZX+ at ₹17.36L or the Virtus Anniversary Edition at ₹19.20L, the City leaving ₹1.84L of that in your pocket.
Our take
₹1.84L more, and the Virtus Anniversary Edition runs the turbo engine
- Choose the Honda City ZX+ if
- You would rather keep the ₹1.84L than pay for features you will not missOnly one here withlevel 2 (core suite) ADAS360° camerablind spot monitor
- Choose the Volkswagen Virtus Anniversary Edition if
- You want the quicker of the two and will use the 150 PSOnly one here with6-way powered driver seat60:40 split rear seat
City vs Virtus, on paper
| Spec | Honda City | Volkswagen Virtus |
|---|---|---|
| Price (ex-showroom) | ₹12.00L to ₹21.36L | ₹10.71L to ₹19.20L |
| Variants | 8 | 12 |
| Body type | Midsize Sedan | Midsize Sedan |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Fuels | Petrol, Hybrid | Petrol |
| Cheapest automatic | ₹14.51L | ₹14.71L |
| Boot | - | 521 litres |
| Length | 4,594 mm | 4,561 mm |
| Width | 1,748 mm | 1,752 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,600 mm | 2,651 mm |
| Ground clearance | - | 179 mm |
| Fuel tank | 40 litres | 45 litres |
| Turning radius | 5.3 m | 5.05 m |
| Warranty | 3 years | 4 years or 1,00,000 km |
The working behind our take
₹1.84L more, and the Virtus Anniversary Edition runs the turbo engine. Here is everything that fed that call.
- Extra featuresVirtus Anniversary Edition60:40 split rear seat
- Trade-offVirtus Anniversary Editionlevel 2 (core suite) ADAS360° camerablind spot monitor
The full story
Worth the extra ₹1.84L: the Virtus Anniversary Edition runs the turbo engine, 150 PS against 121 PS, a jump of 24 percent you will feel and about 164 km further between fill-ups, at 19.6 km/l against 18 km/l. The useful extras on top: 6-way powered driver seat and SOS call.
- Also on the Virtus Anniversary Edition: 60:40 split rear seat, and some minor trim beyond that
- Going to the Virtus Anniversary Edition, you give up level 2 (core suite) ADAS, 360° camera and blind spot monitor, which the City ZX+ keeps
Whichever you pick, the variant is where the money goes
City vs Virtus: the questions people ask
- Is the Honda City or the Volkswagen Virtus cheaper?
- The Volkswagen Virtus, by ₹1.29L: it starts at ₹10.71L against ₹12.00L ex-showroom for the City. Both run well past that, so what you actually pay depends on the variant.
- Honda City vs Volkswagen Virtus: which gives you more for the same money?
- At ₹19.20L it is the City ZX+ against the Virtus Anniversary Edition. Worth the extra ₹1.84L: the Virtus Anniversary Edition runs the turbo engine, 150 PS against 121 PS, a jump of 24 percent you will feel and about 164 km further between fill-ups, at 19.6 km/l against 18 km/l. The useful extras on top: 6-way powered driver seat and SOS call.
- Which is cheaper as an automatic, the Honda City or the Volkswagen Virtus?
- The City: its cheapest automatic is ₹14.51L against ₹14.71L for the Virtus, ex-showroom. A gearbox is usually the biggest single step on either ladder, so check what else that trim brings before you read it as the price of the automatic alone.
Prices are ex-showroom and change without notice. Specifications are compiled from public sources; always confirm with a dealer before buying.