Malaysia's B-segment sedan battle burns anew with the introduction of the 2023 Honda City facelift earlier this month; readying itself with new 'weapons' to take on the all-new 2023 Toyota Vios (AC100). Their prices are super similar, but which comes out on top?

Exterior features: Vios has upper hand

The Vios is already packed from the outset – the Vios 1.5 E comes with automatic LED headlights with LED daytime running lights (DRLs), 16-inch wheels, and for those that like stuff like this, the aerokit too which comes for free with the car. And all of this for RM 89,600.

If you're locked at this price range then the City is a lot more basic, with the RM 89,900 City 1.5 E coming with halogen headlights, 15-inch wheels, and no bodykit thrown in.

In fact, in terms of exterior kit the Vios is better overall, especially when you consider that it has wind-muffling acoustic windshield as standard across the range. Plus, 17-inch rollers and sequential LED turn signals for the range-topping RM 95k Vios 1.5 G makes things a touch more upmarket.

Also read: Are LED headlights better than halogen headlights in bad weather?

Contrary to that is the City, which only gains automatic LED headlights and 16-inch rims at the 1.5 V level, and that's already RM 94,900, which is just RM 500 behind the range-topping Vios 1.5 G.

At least in the sub-RM 90k watermark, the Vios has the better exterior setup. The story is different beyond that however, as the the pricier Honda City RS variants (RM 99k and RM 111k for the petrol and hybrid RS variants, respectively) get an exclusive look that better seperates itself from the rest of its varietals.

Interior features: Almost equal for Vios and City

It's much the same story with the interior as well. On the RM 84,600 City 1.5 S variant buyers will only get fabric seats and a basic audio player (not even a screen), but we reckon most would spring for the City 1.5 E anyway - because here, there's auto air-conditioning and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, all for not much more money.

Leather seats finally make an appearance in the City 1.5 V, together with a leather steering wheel and gear knob. However, paddle shifters come as standard from the City 1.5 S.

Meanwhile in camp Toyota, the Vios 1.5 E is pretty similar to the City 1.5 S and E in that it also gets fabric seats with urethane touchpoints and no auto air-conditioning. However it wins back points by incorporating a Qi wireless charger, and the 9-inch infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Also read: Why your next car should come with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay

Digital gauges for both cars appear past the RM 95k mark, with the RM 99k City RS getting the half-analogue, half-LCD screen with the City RS, while the Vios earns its 7-inch fully-digital screen with the Vios 1.5 G.

Going up the price scale, the City 1.5 V equalises somewhat with the Vios 1.5 G courtesy of things like the leather steering wheel and upholstery, which the Vios also gains. The Vios 1.5 G also adds 64-colour accent lighting in the middle of the centre console, and paddle shifters.

Space and practicality: City wins big

It's never easy to take on Honda in the interior packaging arena, and once again the City proves that to be true. The City, by virtue of taking more conventional bodylines, is by a good margin more spacious – with the key difference being the headroom, which is where the Vios' fastback-style sloping roof proves slightly detrimental.

Also, the City retains folding seats, allowing for buyers to extend its 519-litre bootspace a little more for those extra finicky items. Vios owners will have to make do with just 475 litres, since it hasn't got a folding seat mechanism too.

Safety: All inclusive for City, extra payment needed for Toyota

Both cars come equipped with ADAS from the outset, but Honda's offering won't leave buyers of the cheaper variant cars feeling shortchanged. Case in point, here are what's available in the Honda Sensing suite even in the cheapest, base City 1.5 S:

• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
• Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS)
• Auto High Beam (AHB)
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

Plus there's Low-Speed Follow (LSF) for the City RS e:HEV.

Meanwhile, the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) array feels a bit 'paywalled', so to speak. At base model level there's Pre-Collision System (AEB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) and Front Departure Alert (FDA); fairly basic stuff.

Adaptive cruise control (ACC, but without stop-and-go), Lane Keeping Control (LKC), Auto High Beam (AHB) are all locked to the Vios 1.5 G variant.

Both cars get 6 airbags as standard across the range.

However, one aspect where the Vios gains a steady advantage in is in the 360-degree cam and blind spot monitor. Honda has stuck with their LaneWatch system here, and while that does come in handy, the Vios' all-seeing eye makes parking and navigating in cities a lot easier.

Also read: From foggy roads to congested cities, Honda Civic’s Sensing is one of the best

Performance and efficiency: Honda is the faster car, Vios saves more fuel

As it has been since way back then, both the City and Vios are equipped with a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine, paired to a CVT. Here's how the numbers stack:

• City: 121 PS/145 Nm (S, E, V, RS Petrol)
• Vios: 106 PS/138 Nm 

The City is the perkier of the two, and that's by virtue of it having a bit more power and torque over the Toyota. The pre-facelift Honda City completed the 0-100 km/h sprint in 11.4 seconds; faster than the Toyota Vios' 12.3 seconds.

Fuel efficiency levels are almost level-pegging; our fuel economy tests put the pre-facelift City at 6.3 litres/100 km, while the Vios did slightly better at 6.1 litres/100 km.

Extra features: Bragging rights for the City

When it comes to the smaller pieces of the puzzle, the City has a small edge over the Vios. Key to that is the extension of remote engine start to even the cheapest City 1.5 S variant (don't scoff, it's really a boon in hot weather), while Honda Connect telematics is also now available on all variants of the car.

The Vios, meanwhile, comes with Toyota VTS telematics app that in comparison, is a little simpler than Honda Connect's more fleshed-out program.

Aftersales and warranty: Equal levels

Both cars are backed with good aftersales, with a similar 5-year/unlimited mileage warranty across both models.

Conclusion: Spacious Honda City is for practical-minded families, Toyota Vios packs style and features at lower price

As it's always been with this pair, it's down to the wire. The City in its facelift form comes with a new look and is packed with features, while the Vios looks to be quite the value buy in both the sub-RM 90k and sub-RM 100k price range.

While it's true that the City is comparatively pricier than the Vios, there's the fact that you're paying for more metal, which makes it the better family car. Case in point: the door aperture opens wider, there's a bigger boot, the seats fold down to allow for more stuff, and the rather standard three-box sedan look results in a roomier cabin that will satisfy tall people at the back.

Also read: Review: 2023 Toyota Vios (AC100) - It came, it saw, it conquered? Almost...

On the contrary, while the Vios is jam-packed with stuff, its character suits a younger class of buyers who don't necessarily need a car that can do everything. You lose folding seats in this, the boot is smaller, and the fastback shape means there's some sacrifice to head- and legroom.