2021 Honda City Hatchback vs Toyota Yaris Comparison: Spec Sheet Battle

With the entry of the Honda City Hatchback in the Philippine market, the Toyota Yaris now has a rival from a major car brand in the local market. Both are based on sedan models, both come with the same front-engine, front-wheel-drive layouts, and even their prices are pretty close as well. 
 
So, how does the newer Honda-made hatchback compare against the Toyota-made model in terms of specs? Let’s find out. But before we go about comparing these two hatchbacks, note that we’ll be sticking to the Honda City Hatchback RS variant, which is the only trim for this model available locally. For the Yaris, we’ll be referring to the specs of the top-of-the-line Yaris S 1.5 since its price tag is really close to its Honda rival.

Which hatchback model has the better specs?

Size-wise, the Honda City Hatch is 4,349mm long, 1,748mm wide, and 1,488mm in height. Its ground clearance is 134mm, and it has a wheelbase length of 2,600mm. 
 
Meanwhile, the Toyota Yaris has a length of 4,140mm, a width of 1,730mm, and a height of 1,500mm. Its wheelbase is 2,550mm, and its ground clearance measures 140mm. 

Compare the all-new Honda City hatchback (left) with the Toyota Yaris (right)

As a whole, the Honda-made hatch is significantly longer and a bit wider than the Yaris. It also has a longer wheelbase. The Toyota hatch however, is taller and has more ground clearance. 
 
Concerning exterior equipment, both of these cars come with LED headlights, LED taillights, front fog lamps, turn signal side repeaters, and a rear spoiler. The turn signals on the Honda City hatch however, are LEDs. The one on the Yaris on the other hand, are halogens. 

Which hatch has the better looking rear end?

The wheels that come standard on these two hatchbacks are also different in size. The set that the City Hatch uses are 16-inch alloy wheels, whereas the Yaris rides on a set of smaller 15-inch alloy wheels. 
 

Inside, both the Honda-made and Toyota-made hatch are equipped with automatic air-conditioning systems, leather-wrapped steering wheels, leather seats, and a manually adjustable driver’s seat. The City Hatchback however, has a tilt and telescopic steering wheel column, while the Yaris comes with a tilt only steering wheel column. The Honda also has rear AC vents, which are absent on the Toyota model. 

Inside the Honda City RS Hatchback

As for driving amenities, both the City RS Hatchback and the Yaris S come with analog gauge clusters, a digital trip computer, a push-to-start button, power-folding side mirrors, 12-volt accessory outlets, and offline navigation. The Honda-made hatch however, does have cruise control, which is absent on the Toyota. 
 
For entertainment, the Honda City Hatchback is equipped with an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and Aux-in. The said system is then linked to an eight-piece speaker system. 

The Toyota Yaris' interior

In comparison, the Yaris S has a smaller 6.75-inch touchscreen. It has the same connectivity options as the latter, but it has fewer speakers numbering at six.

Under its hood, the Honda City RS Hatchback uses a 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine which can produce up to 119 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which sends power to the front wheels. The said CVT also has a manual mode which is controlled by paddle shifters.  

The Honda City RS Hatchback's 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine

Meanwhile, the Toyota Yaris S is powered by a 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine that can make up to 106 horsepower and 140 Nm of torque. It also uses a CVT with paddle shifters, which also sends power to the front wheels. 
 
To sum it up, the Honda City makes slightly more horsepower than the Toyota Yaris. Their difference in torque figures is marginal. Although, there's also their difference in curb weight. The Honda-made hatch is a bit heavier with its curb weight of 1,141 kg, while the Yaris is a fair bit lighter with its 1,095 kg.  

The 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine of the Toyota Yaris

In terms of suspensions, both the City Hatch and the Yaris use a MacPherson strut type front suspension, and a torsion beam rear suspension. Both also use a front disc brake and a rear drum brake. Moreover, both also come with a manual, hand-operated parking brake. 

For safety, the Honda-made hatchback comes with six airbags, while the Toyota-made hatchback has seven. Both however do come with anti-lock braking with electronic brake-force distribution, stability control, speed-sensing door locks, ISOFIX child seat tethers, hill-start assist, an engine immobilizer, and car alarm. The Honda City Hatch has a reverse camera, which is not present on the Toyota model.

To sum it all up, the Honda City comes with a slightly better kit than the Toyota Yaris hatchback. Its touchscreen is a bit larger, it has a reverse camera, a slightly more powerful engine, and more audio speakers.

So, do you prefer the Toyota Yaris? 

Then again, the Honda is a bit heavier than the Yaris, 45 kg heavier to be exact. As such, that might make up for the difference in horsepower outputs between the two.  
 
In a more general sense however, both are well-equipped cars for their price. Moreover, they both come from two of the largest car brands in the Philippines. Brands that both have reputable after-market services, as well as widespread dealership networks. So, either way, we’re sure that you’ll be getting your money’s worth from these two models.

Or do you lean more towards the all-new Honda City RS Hatchback? 

For more car comparison articles like this, keep it here on Philkotse.com.