The Best Variants for Budget-Conscious Buyers: Skoda Slavia and Hyundai Verna

What a Budget-conscious buyer looks for in a car

For a budget-conscious buyer, affordability, fuel efficiency, and low maintenance costs are vital. They look for cars with good city and highway mileage, as these directly impact running costs. Essential safety features like ABS and airbags, and conveniences like power steering and power windows, are sought after.

Manual transmissions, known for their low maintenance, are preferred, and simple, reliable technologies like LCD touchscreens are appreciated. Cars like Skoda Slavia and Hyundai Verna, known for their affordability and robust feature sets, appeal to these buyers.

Why Skoda Slavia and Hyundai Verna are popular among Budget-conscious buyers

Skoda Slavia and Hyundai Verna don’t come cheap and can’t strictly be considered the best budget cars in India, but their entry and mid-level variants have gained favor with budget-conscious buyers due to their optimal blend of affordability, features, and efficiency.

Skoda Slavia is known for its fuel-efficient TSI engines and sturdy build quality. It offers essential safety features like ABS and airbags, along with convenience features like power steering and power windows across all variants. Its affordable price range and low cost of ownership add to its value for money appeal.

Hyundai Verna, on the other hand, is highly regarded for its impressive mileage, reliable performance, and abundance of features even in base variants. It boasts an impressive safety package, including multiple airbags and ABS. The model also includes convenience features like power steering, power windows, and even an LCD touchscreen in certain variants. Hyundai’s wide service network and low maintenance costs make Verna a desirable choice for budget-conscious buyers. You can also read about how the Slavia and Verna stack up against Honda City in terms of affordability.

Our variants shortlist for Skoda Slavia and Hyundai Verna

Variant	Price (INR)
Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI Active	1,139,000
Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI Ambition	1,319,000
Hyundai Verna EX	1,090,000
Hyundai Verna S	1,196,000
Hyundai Verna SX	1,298,000

Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI Active: The Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI Active variant, priced at INR 1,139,000, offers ABS, two airbags, power steering, and power windows. It has a fuel-efficient petrol engine providing city mileage of 19.47 kmpl and a manual transmission, ensuring a lower running and maintenance cost.

Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI Ambition: The Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI Ambition variant, priced at INR 1,319,000, retains all features of the Active variant while adding an LCD touchscreen and more speakers for enhanced in-car entertainment. It also includes additional convenience features like glove box cooling and rear AC vents.

Hyundai Verna EX: The Hyundai Verna EX variant, at INR 1,090,000, offers impressive safety features like ABS and six airbags. It provides good city mileage of 18.6 kmpl and includes convenience features like power steering and power windows.

Hyundai Verna S: The Hyundai Verna S variant, priced at INR 1,196,000, adds an LCD touchscreen and additional speakers to the feature set of the EX variant, enhancing the entertainment and convenience quotient.

Hyundai Verna SX: The Hyundai Verna SX, priced at INR 1,298,000, maintains the comprehensive safety and convenience features of the S variant while adding alloy wheels for improved aesthetics and performance. If safety is one of your concerns, then you can read our comparison of the Hyundai Verna with Honda City.

Best variant among Skoda Slavia and Hyundai Verna for Budget-conscious buyer

The best variant for a budget-conscious buyer among the Skoda Slavia and Hyundai Verna is the Hyundai Verna EX. It is the most affordable option among the variants considered. Despite its lower price, it offers robust safety features including ABS and six airbags, which is the highest number of airbags among the shortlisted variants.

Moreover, it provides satisfactory city mileage of 18.6 kmpl and includes essential convenience features like power steering and power windows. Although it lacks certain features like an LCD touchscreen and additional speakers, its price, safety attributes, and fuel efficiency make it the ideal choice for a budget-conscious buyer.

The Top 3 choices

The top three choices are:

1. Hyundai Verna EX
2. Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI Active
3. Hyundai Verna S

Variant	ABS	Airbags	City Mileage (kmpl)	Power Steering	Power Windows – Front
Hyundai Verna EX	Yes	6	18.6	Yes	Yes
Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI Active	Yes	2	19.47	Yes	Yes
Hyundai Verna S	Yes	6	18.6	Yes	Yes

The Hyundai Verna EX, with its low price, solid safety features, and decent mileage, stands as the best choice for a budget-conscious buyer. Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI Active, with its higher mileage and affordable pricing, takes the second spot. The Hyundai Verna S, with its comprehensive safety and convenience features, is a worthy third choice despite its slightly higher price. We also have our comparison of the Hyundai Verna with Skoda Slavia for tech-savvy gadget lovers.