Skoda Rapid vs Honda City – Engines, Prices, Specs, Features, Safety Comparison!

In this edition of comparison posts, we compare the segment leader in Honda City against the Skoda Rapid. Honda has been selling the fourth and fifth-gen City like hot cakes for quite some time now. On the other hand, Skoda has had some loyal fans of the Rapid as well, although, there hasn’t been much popularity of the Rapid. Nonetheless, we know that the Rapid is a more than capable executive sedan to feature in this comparison. So, without any further ado, let us get into this exciting comparison.

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Skoda Rapid vs Honda City – Exteriors and Dimensions

When it comes to the looks, the Skoda Rapid is a typical Skoda in the sense that it wears the trademark butterfly Skoda grille upfront, sharp creases on the bonnet, sleek headlamps with DLRs, sporty bumpers with fog lamp housing, Stainless Steel Scuff Plates and an aggressive front end look. On the sides, it has 16-inch alloy wheels along with characteristic lines, window chrome garnish and creases signifying its strong built. The rear has the typical taillamp unit, tailgate rear spoiler, sporty bumpers and a rear diffuser to complete the look. Although the model is not modern and updated, it still has a stylish exterior appearance.

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Honda City has had a modern appearance and is typically Honda in that sense. The front fascia of the City hosts a thick chrome front grille joining the headlamps which give a distinct character to the sedan, Full-LED Headlamp Cluster with LED DRLs, Sporty Front Bumpers with LED Fog Lamp Housing and a Sculpted Bonnet Line. The sides of the executive sedan feature a sharp crease running across the length of the car, 16-inch Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels and much more. The rear features the signature Z-shaped 3D Wrap Around LED Taillamp Unit, Shark Fin Antenna and much more.

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While it is clear from the table above that the Honda City is substantially larger than the Skoda Rapid in terms of overall dimensions, the new-gen Rapid is also due for arrival which will resolve these problems. The new Rapid will be larger than the current model. However, with this model, the City is definitely more spacious and larger and therefore more practical.

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Skoda Rapid vs Honda City – Interiors, Features and Safety

When it comes to interiors and features, the Skoda Rapid has some of the best quality material inside the cabin. The cabin looks like it has been built to last a lifetime and there are a ton of comfort and convenience features as well. This includes an 8-inch Digital Touchscreen Infotainment System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 4-speaker Audio System, My Skoda Connected Car tech Features, Bluetooth Connectivity Features, Navigation System, Super Soft Flat Bottom Steering Wheel with Controls, Red Stitching Highlights for the sporty looks, Leatherette Upholstery, Cruise Control, Automatic Climate Control, Height Adjustable Front Seat Belts, Pollen Filter and much more. On the safety front, the Rapid comes with a Dual Airbags Setup, ABS with EBD, ESP, Rear Parking Sensors with Camera, Speed Sensing Auto Door Lock, ISOFIX Child Seat Mounts, Hill-Start Assist and much more.

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The Honda City has a ton of comfort and convenience features to boast as well. The City also has Exclusive Leather Black and Beige Colour Tone on the interiors along with Glossy Dark Wood on the Instrument Panel, Soft TouchPads on the inside. There is an 8-inch Digital Touchscreen Infotainment System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Alexa Controls, a 7-inch High Definition Full Colour TFT Meter, Bluetooth and Connected Car Tech Connectivity, Voice Commands, Steering Mounted Controls, Cruise Control, Electric Sunroof, 8-speaker Premium Audio System, Fully-Automatic Climate Control, Ambient Lighting, Height Adjustable Driver Seat and much more. The Honda City comes with safety features such as 6 Airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, Emergency Stop Signal, Rear Parking Sensors with Camera and Multi-Angle Setup, Lane Watch Camera, Hill-Start Assist, ISOFIX Child Seat Mounts, 3-Point Seatbelts for Rear Passengers and much more.

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Skoda Rapid vs Honda City – Engines, Transmissions and Prices

The Skoda Rapid comes with just one petrol powertrain which is the 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol unit from VW making 110 PS of peak power and 175 Nm of peak torque. This engine can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox option. The TSI engine is known for its great driveability and is a strong point of the Rapid. The prices of the Skoda Rapid start from Rs 7.79 lakh and go all the way up to Rs 13.29 lakh, ex-showroom.

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The Honda City comes with a 1.5-litre petrol engine making 121 PS of peak power and 145 Nm of peak torque. This engine comes mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT transmission. The other powertrain includes a 1.5-litre diesel engine making 100 PS of peak power and 200 Nm of peak torque with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The fifth-generation Honda City starts at Rs 10.99 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 14.94 lakh, ex-showroom.

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Skoda Rapid vs Honda City – Verdict

It is not an easy task to choose any one out of these two extremely capable sedans, Therefore we will try to match the characteristics of each car to your requirements to understand which one suits you better. First of all, if you are looking for driving pleasure and would be driving yourself, want to save some buck, own a solidly built executive sedan and live in a city where you will have access to the dealerships and official service centres, you can happily opt for the Skoda Rapid. On the other hand, if you are looking for a bit more flexibility in terms of powertrain options, features, practicality and are willing to shell out some more money for that, Honda City is the one for you. You might also want to consider waiting for the upcoming Skoda Rapid which might be named Skoda Slavia.

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