2021 Honda City Hatchback vs Toyota Yaris – Which one should you buy?

2021 Honda City Hatchback vs Toyota Yaris – Which one should you buy?

Just launched today in Malaysia  is the Honda City Hatchback, the Honda Jazz’s replacement, and direct competitor to the Toyota Yaris in the B-segment hatchback category.

Let’s see how these two hatchbacks stack up against one another.

Variants & Pricing – Honda City Hatchback offers more choices

Launched in five variants, pricing for the Honda City hatchback is as such, mirroring its sedan counterpart with the RS variant topping the range.

Honda City Hatchback Toyota Yaris
City Hatchback S
RM 75,670
Yaris J
RM 70,940
City Hatchback E
RM 83,080
Yaris E
RM 80,380
City Hatchback V
RM 87,860
Yaris G
RM 84,808
City Hatchback RS e:HEV
RM TBA
-

The Toyota Yaris, on the other hand, is offered in three variants, with no hybrid option in sight.

The Toyota Yaris comes in three variants

At their cheapest, price of the Honda City Hatchback S is RM 7X,XXX, while the Toyota Yaris 1.5 J starts at RM 70,940.

Performance Overview – Honda City Hatchback more powerful than Toyota Yaris (even in the non-RS versions)

Honda City Hatchback Toyota Yaris
Engine 4-Cylinder,16-Valve, DOHC i‑VTEC 4-cylinder, 16-valve, DOHC, Dual VVT-i
Engine Code L15ZF 2NR-FE
Displacement 1,498 cc 1,496 cc
Max. Power 121 PS @6,600 rpm 107 PS @6,000 rpm
Max. Torque 145 Nm @4,300 rpm 140 Nm @4,200 rpm
Bore x Stroke 73 mm x 89.5 mm 72.5 mm x 90.6 mm
Compression Ratio 10.6:1 11.5:1
Transmission CVT CVT

The difference in maximum power output is rather significant with the Honda City Hatchback having a 14 PS advantage over the Toyota Yaris.

Torque figures are higher in the Honda City too, despite having a lower compression ratio than the Toyota Yaris.

Of course, the Honda City Hatchback RS e: HEV tops the performance chart with its hybrid system producing 109 PS253 Nm from the electric motor, 98 PS / 127 Nm from the combustion engine.

Dimensions – Honda City Hatchback is bigger overall

Honda City Hatchback Toyota Yaris
Length 4,349 mm 4,140 mm
Width 1,748 mm 1,730 mm
Height 1,488 mm 1,475 mm
Wheelbase 2,600 mm 2,550 mm
Min. Turning Radius 5.0 m 5.1 m
Kerb Weight ??? 1,140 kg
Fuel tank capacity ??? 42 L

Placed side-by-side, the Honda City Hatchback is the bigger car in all dimensions, but it does offer a smaller turning radius of 5.0 m, just a tad shorter than the Toyota Yaris’s 5.1-m turning radius.

Exterior Features

On the outside, both cars are almost equally equipped, getting LED lights and 16-inch wheels in the higher variants. 

A difference in the headlights department is that the Honda City Hatchback gets the “Auto” light function while the Toyota Yaris doesn’t. 

Honda City Hatchback Toyota Yaris
Headlights LED (V, V Sensing, RS:e:HEV) LED (E,G)
Daytime Running Lights LED LED
Taillights LED LED
Rims 16-inch alloy wheels (V, V Sensing, RS) 16-inch alloy wheels (E,G)

Interior Features

On the inside the Honda City hatchback feels more ‘modern’ with bigger screens and a fully-digital meter cluster. No variants of the Toyota Yaris get leather seat upholstery and honestly, leaves much to be desired.

7-inch touchscreen in the Toyota Yaris
Honda City Hatchback Toyota Yaris
Infotainment unit 8-inch touchscreen
(E,V, RS e:HEV)
7-inch touchscreen
(E,G)
Instrument cluster 7-inch digital display
(V Sensing, RS e:HEV)
Optitron & 4.2-inch digital display
(E,G)
Rear Seat Folding ULTRA seats 60:40 Split
Upholstery Leather / Combination Leather / Fabric (variant dependent) Fabric (all variants)
USB Charging Ports 2 2
Android Auto & Apple Carplay Yes Yes

Safety Features

For safety features, we shall be comparing the range-topping Honda City RS e:HEV and the Toyota Yaris 1.5 G. While the previous Jazz was severely lacking in this department, the Honda City Hatchback is now picking up the Jazz’s slack.

Honda Sensing, which entails FCW, CMBS, LDW, LKAS, RDM, ACC, AHB  is only equipped on the RS and V Sensing variants.

Honda City Hatchback RS e:HEV Toyota Yaris 1.5 G
AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking
LDW
(Lane Departure Warning)
BSM
(Blind Spot Monitor)
Honda Lane Watch
HSA
(Hill Start Assist)
ACC
(Adaptive Cruise Control)
DVR
(Digital Video Recorder)

One good thing about the Toyota Yaris is that it offers a DVR in the E and G variants.

Warranty & Service – 

Both the Honda City Hatchback and Toyota Yaris come with a 5-year/unlimited mileage warranty, so its good whichever hatchback you decide to go for.

Honda City Hatchback Toyota Yaris
Warranty 5 years, Unlimited Mileage 5 years, Unlimited Mileage

Conclusion

While the Jazz may have been old and lacking in comparison to the Toyota Yaris, the Honda City Hatchback offers a decent package of performance and features to tregain the lead in the B-segment hatchback category.

If anything, it is now the Yaris that needs to step up its game.

Arif Chan
With a deep interest and relevant experiences in the automotive industry, Arif writes about everything automotive. His employment history includes being an automotive engineer, a highway engineer, an alternative-fuel researcher, and a motoring journalist.