There are quite a few interesting choices if you’re after a sedan these days. Even though the demand of the 3-box form has decreased over the past few years, the C-segment still continues to offer quite a few attractive choices. With three recent launches in this segment is currently the talk of the town at the moment.
While Hyundai provided a mid-life facelift to their Verna, Volkswagen and Skoda updated the Vento and the Rapid meet the mandatory BSVI emission standards with engine updates. Therefore, as usual, a spec-to-spec comparison is in order to see how each of them stack up against each other. We haven’t included the Honda City in this comparison since it is due to receive a generation change in the coming days.
Engine & Transmission
While the Skoda Rapid and VW Vento are offered with a single petrol engine, the Hyundai Verna is offered in as many as three powertrain options- two petrol and one diesel. The Rapid and the Vento share the same 1.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol unit hence produce identical output figures of 110 PS of maximum power and 175 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options for the Skoda are a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed torque converter, whereas for the VW the available transmission options are a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter.
On the other hand, the Verna is powered by either a 1.5-litre MPI naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.5-litre U2 CRDI diesel engine or a 1.0-litre Kappa GDI Turbo petrol engine. The 1.5-litre petrol engine produces figures of 115 PS of power and 144 Nm of peak torque which is coupled with a 6-speed manual or IVT automatic gearbox. Whereas the 1.5-litre diesel engine generates figures of 115 PS and 250 Nm of peak torque and is mated with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine cranks out an impressive 120 PS of power and 172 Nm of peak torque and it is offered with a 7-speed DCT transmission only.
| Hyundai Verna | Skoda Rapid | VW Vento | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engines | 1.5-litre N/A petrol/ 1.5-litre diesel/ 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol |
1.0-litre TSI petrol engine | 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine |
| Power | 115 PS@6300rpm(1.5-litre petrol)/ 115 PS@4000rpm(1.5-litre diesel)/ 120 PS@6000rpm(1.0-litre turbo petrol) |
110PS@5000 rpm | 110 PS@5000rpm |
| Torque | 144.15nm@4500rpm | 175nm@1750-4000rpm | 175Nm@1500-4100rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed MT/6-speed AT/ IVT/ 7-speed DCT | 6-speed MT/7-speed AT | 6-speed MT/6-speed AT |
Dimensions
In terms of dimensions, all three fall in the similar region. The Rapid is the longest at 4413 mm, however, it is Verna which provides the maximum wheelbase at 2600 mm. The Verna is also the tallest and the widest in this segment at 1475 mm and 1729 mm respectively. In terms of boot space, it is the Vento which offers a class-leading space of 494 litres.
| Verna | Rapid | Vento | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length(mm) | 4440 | 4413 | 4390 |
| Width(mm) | 1729 | 1699 | 1699 |
| Height(mm) | 1475 | 1466 | 1467 |
| Wheelbase(mm) | 2600 | 2552 | 2553 |
| Boot space (ltr) | 480 | 460 | 494 |
Also READ: Volkswagen Introduces ‘Pay-For-Usage’ Model For BS6 Cars
Features
All three offer a fair share of features. However, it is Verna which leads the pack in this case with class-leading kit such as LED Headlights, electric sunroof, wireless phone charging and connected car technology not offered in the Skoda or VW.
| Verna | Rapid | Vento | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| ABS | yes | yes | yes |
| EBD | yes | yes | yes |
| Anti-theft Alarm | yes | yes | yes |
| parking sensors | rear | rear | rear |
| parking camera | front and rear | rear | rear |
| Ventilated seats | front | no | no |
| Power boot | no | no | no |
| Wireless charging | yes | no | no |
| tyre pressure monitor | yes | no | no |
| ESC | no | no | no |
| paddle shifters | yes | no | no |
| touchscreen(inch) | 8.0 | 6.5(lower variants)/ 8.0(top-variants) |
8.0 |
| sunroof | single | no | no |
| Apple CarPlay/Android Auto | yes/yes | no/yes | no |
| In-car connectivity | BlueLink | no | no |
Price
While the Verna is offered with four variants- S, SX, SX(O) and SX(O) Turbo- along with three engine options and as many transmission options, the Rapid is offered in five variants namely- Rider, Ambition, Onyx and Style and Monte Carlo. Whereas the Vento is offered in four variants namely- Trendline, Comfortline+, Highline and Highline+. On a spec-to-spec comparison, the Verna turns out to be the dearest with its base variant starting at Rs 9.30 lakhs and its top-trim priced at 13.99 lakhs.
| Ex-showroom prices | Verna | Rapid | Vento |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5-litre petrol | Rs 9.30- 13.84 lakhs | – | – |
| 1.5-litre diesel | Rs 10.65-15.09 lakhs | – | – |
| 1.0-litre petrol | Rs 13.99 lakhs | Rs 7.49- 11.79 lakhs | Rs 8.86-13.29 lakhs |