The Contender

The brand new Yaris must compete with the stalwarts in the segment - the Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz - but first it must take on the current Indian Car of the Year, the Hyundai Verna.

- Ishan Raghava

A shootout between the Toyota Yaris and Hyundai Verna is a no-brainer. After all, both cars have similar dimensions and compete in the same segment. But, when you pay close attention to both cars, it becomes quite apparent that they each have a very different nature.

What about style? 

You’ve already read about the Yaris in the previous few pages, but, just to put it into perspective, it offers a typical Toyota package – one that’s well suited to those who prefer to be chauffeured in an urban environment. In terms of design, it’s typical Toyota, which simply means that it’s sleek but with nothing that will really make it stand out. The Verna, however, features Hyundai’s latest iteration of its Fluidic design language and is actually quite a handsome car. It certainly looks unique, upmarket even.

On the inside too, the Verna is more attractive. Its large multimedia system stands out, especially since it offers a seamless interface, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Also, it has ventilated front seats (a segment-first feature), which is a blessing considering the climate in the majority of our country.

All about space