The Toyota Vios has been a stalwart in the Philippine market.

These sedans are so common that everywhere you look, you are almost guaranteed to see a unit in one form or another.

The Vios has encountered many rivals throughout the years, with the likes of the Nissan Almera, Mitsubishi Mirage G4, and MG 5 making a run at it.

However, its longest-lasting rivalry has been with the Honda City, which has outclassed it in terms of performance and features.

Things may change now that the 2023 Toyota Vios is on a new generation with a new chassis and comes with a new set of features and familiar engine options.

For this comparison, we will use the Indonesia-spec Toyota Vios as it will be closer to what we will receive in the Philippines with its 1.5-liter gasoline engine. We will also use the currently available Honda City, as the facelifted version has yet to be launched in the country as of press time.

The Honda City’s specifications have not changed since its initial launch in the country. 

Exterior

Both sedans take on different approaches when it comes to their styling.

The Honda City is subtle yet still retains a sporty look thanks to its LED headlights, bumper and grille combination. The Japanese automaker's new corporate design language makes it look similar to its bigger brother, the Honda Civic.

The Toyota Vios now has more premium styling. It takes a page from its bigger brothers, the Toyota Corolla Altis and Toyota Camry, and has gotten a new, more angular front fascia.

It has a wider grille and sharper LED headlights, as well. 

The Toyota Vios has a more premium-looking design. It takes elements from vehicles the public is used to and combines them into a great package.

That said, styling is still subjective, and ultimately the choice is yours on how they look.

Verdict: Tie

Interior

The cabin layout of both vehicles can’t be any more different.

The Honda City has a sloping dashboard design with a large 8-inch infotainment system in the middle and vertical air vents. It also has knobs to control its automatic air conditioning system, which is a plus if you want something tangible to adjust your settings.

It also comes with a manual parking brake lever that many like, especially those who aren't fond of electronic parking brakes.

In the case of the Toyota Vios, it takes on a more horizontal layout with a large 9-inch floating infotainment system in the middle. It looks similar to the Toyota Raize with a digital instrument cluster.

Like the City, the Toyota sedan also has knobs to control its automatic climate controls. However, unlike the City, the Vios has an electronic parking brake, a feature not many may like. 

Note that these are the specifications for the Indonesia-spec Vios. As such, the Philippine model may have certain features removed to keep its affordable position within its segment. 

Things considered, it boils down to personal preference as both vehicles deliver the premium look without the expensive price tag, while maintaining an ergonomic layout.

Verdict: Tie

Tech

It's a size competition between the two sedans regarding the technology they carry.

The Toyota Vios has a 9-inch infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In contrast, the Honda City has a smaller 8-inch infotainment system with the same features as its Toyota rival.

So, if screen real estate matters to you most, the Vios is the one to go for as it has the bigger screen. As a side note, the Indonesia model also has a digital instrument cluster, which is a bonus for those who love digital displays.

If simple but effective is what you are after, the Honda City still has its analog gauge clusters, which show you what you need to know. 

Verdict: Tie

Safety

Both vehicles have received a 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating, putting them on similar ground regarding safety features.

The Vios and the City also have a similar number of airbags and a similar equipment set regarding standard safety features.

However, the 2023 Toyota Vios has an advantage as the Indonesia model comes with Toyota Safety Sense. It is a feature set that is not available in the Philippine model.

The active safety suite grants the new Vios access to features such as adaptive cruise control, pre-collision warning, pre-collision braking, lane departure and many more.

Verdict: Toyota Vios

Power: A battle of the 1.5s

While the Philippine version of the Toyota Vios has a 1.3 and 1.5-liter engine, the Indonesia model only retains the latter.

With that in mind, we will only compare the outputs of the 1.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine models for this comparison.

The Toyota Vios for the Indonesian market produces 106 PS and 138 Nm of torque. Its engine is mated to either a CVT or a 5-speed manual transmission on spot order.

Meanwhile, the Honda City’s 1.5-liter gasoline engine produces 120 PS and 145 Nm of torque. While the Honda sedan used to have a 5-speed manual transmission variant in the Philippines, it has been removed and an all-CVT lineup has been retained. 

The Honda City wins this category as it produces more power from its 1.5-liter engine.

Verdict: Honda City

Final verdict

The Honda City remains the more powerful of the two sedans.

It has 14 PS and 7 Nm of torque over its rival, the Vios.

Regarding technology, both vehicles are on a similar plane, with only the infotainment system size separating the two, with the Vios receiving the bigger 9-inch display.

The local version of the Honda City is behind in active and passive safety features. On the other hand, the 2023 Toyota Vios from Indonesia carries the Toyota Safety Sense suite.

However, Honda Philippines could soon update the City to give it Honda Sensing, which could even out the playing field between the two sedans.

The Honda City is still a great rival against the 2023 Toyota Vios. However, its Toyota rival could take away more of its market share once its new version enters the Philippines.

Honda can answer back by bringing in the hybrid version of the City, but everything is still being determined. We know it will be an interesting battle between these two once their hybrid variants make their local debut. 

Which of the two do you prefer?

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