Glide With The Automatic: Comparison Of Honda City CVT vs Maruti Ciaz AT

Honda City is synonymous with the name 'sedan' in India. It is still the only sedan in the top 10 cars sold in India. Will the new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz give a stiff and solid competition to the Honda City? Let us see how they fare when you compare the automatic variant.

Design

The Honda City CVT comes in two variants - SV and VX petrol engines, what strikes you on the front fascia is the wide chrome strip running between the headlights with the Honda logo being very prominent. Honda's new design philosophy of wing face is very evident in the sedan.

A lot of angular designing has been implemented throughout the car, from the sharp looking front bumper to the headlamp design, which is split into three sections which include the blinkers, high and low beam lights.

On the rear profile, you might mistake it for a European car and not from the stables of Japan. The taillamp which wraps around is sleek and is split between the rear boot lid and back of the car. As for the side profile, not much has changed from its predecessor, however, the muscular wheel arches give you the feeling of a solid sedan.

Also Read: Comparison Of Renault Dust AMT vs Hyundai Creta AT

Maruti Suzuki's Ciaz is another attempt by the giant to enter and dominate the sedan segment. The Ciaz, an all-new design by Maruti and it has nothing to do with their previous sedans. The front fascia is elegant with lines and angles running along smoothly.

The Ciaz is much larger looking car compared to the Honda City, this confirms the idea promoted by the manufacturer as a large car which is roomier, hence, the exterior gives you the impression of the large sedan.

Also Read: Difference Between AMT vs Automatic Transmission/CVT

On the rear profile, the taillamps suggest that it has taken a cue from one of the competitors and given it a final touch to separate it from others. However, the designing is good and very much sedan-like feel. The side profile is very elegant and shows that you have a lot of space inside the cabin.

Overall Design Rating

• Honda City 8/10
• Maruti Suzuki Ciaz 8/10

Engine Specifications & Gearbox

The Honda City CVT is powered by 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, SOHC iVTEC petrol engine, which punches out 117bhp @6600rpm and torque of 145Nm @4600rpm, which is mated to the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

As for the Maruti Ciaz, the sedan is powered by 1.4-litre, K Series VVT petrol engine, which punches out 91bhp @6000rpm and 130Nm of torque @4000rpm. This engine is mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox.

Overall Engine Rating

• Honda City 8/10
• Maruti Ciaz 7.5/100

Features

The Honda City features are good and unique with the Chrome front grille, garnish for the rear license plate, VX gets the electric sunroof, alloy wheels, chrome outer door handles, turn indicators on ORVM, push start/stop button, most importantly - the paddle shift and electrically foldable ORVMs, keyless boot door opener, rear reading and map lights, leather seats, these are not seen in the SV variant.

Maruti Ciaz includes projector headlamps, alloy wheels, chrome front grille across all variants, turn indicators on ORVM on both the variant, push start/stop on Zxi only, auto AC, second row AC vents, footwell lamps for the Zxi, electric boot door opener on both variants, as for the audio system, the Ciaz lacks the touch screen infotainment system, however, it does come with BlueTooth connectivity.

Overall Features Rating

• Honda City 8/10
• Maruti Suzuki Ciaz 7.5/10

Safety

As for the safety features, both the Honda City variants (SV & VX) come with dual airbags and ABS with EBD, auto door lock by speed and a whole lot of minor details like immobilizer, security alarm, and driver seatbelt reminder.

The Maruti Ciaz offers dual airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors and camera, and a whole lot of small yet good features like the immobilizer, seat belt reminder, security alarm, auto day/night.

Overall Safety Rating

• Honda City 7.5/10
• Maruti Suzuki Ciaz 8/10

Pricing

* All Prices Are Ex-Showroom Delhi

Verdict

The Honda City takes the top honors for the kind of features it provides for the price it commands, if you are looking for a premium sedan, the City could be your choice. Honda has never compromised on the quality and engineering front, they have offered the best to India. It comes with paddle shift, sunroof, and premium upholstery.

The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is best for the price value it provides, also, on safety features, the Ciaz scores better with parking sensors in the SV variant. The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz misses out on the AVN (Audio Video Navigation) which is available in the Honda City and is slightly underpowered.