HomeCar News2020 Honda City BS6 Media Drive Cancelled Due To Corona Virus

2020 Honda City BS6 Media Drive Cancelled Due To Corona Virus

The 2020 Honda City BS6 was set to make its official debut in the country on 16 March

The much-awaited fifth-gen Honda City (seventh-gen globally) was supposed to make its official debut in the country on 16 March 2020. The event was set to be held in parallel with the sedan’s national media drive, in Goa. However, due to the ongoing Corona Virus scare, the media drive has been cancelled. In an email, a top official at Honda Car India stated, “We had been closely monitoring the situation related to the enormity and seriousness of COVID-19. Given the Government advisory and more specifically today’s advisory from the Goa government, I wish to inform you that we have cancelled the test drive event.”

The new Honda City BS6 will continue to be one of the most desirable products in its class with significant improvements in areas such as styling, performance, features and safety. The 2020 Honda City was spotted quite a few times on public roads in its early test mule avatar. The latest iteration of the Honda City C-segment sedan was unveiled to the world in Thailand back in November 2019. In just over a month’s time, the sedan was recalled in the Thai market due to a minor issue. Now, the variants and specs of the India-spec 2020 Honda City petrol model have been leaked from an ARAI document.

2020 Honda City BS6
2020 Honda City BS6 petrol (manual) details

The new Honda City will be offered in three variants: V, VX and ZX. As per the document, the BS6-compliant 1.5-litre NA petrol four-cylinder i-VTEC engine makes 119bhp (89kW) while torque remains unknown. The outgoing model made 117bhp and 145Nm of torque from the same power plant. The engine comes mated to either a 5-speed manual or CVT.

The document also reveals some interesting details about the 2020 Honda City’s kerb weight. While the base manual version weighs in at 1,482kg, the automatic is heavier by 21kg. The difference increases to 26kg for the higher variants.

2020 Honda City BS6
2020 Honda City BS6 petrol (CVT) details

The Japanese automaker has reportedly stepped away from introducing a BS6 diesel version of the sedan, at least for the time being. In its BS4 format, the Honda City diesel variant made 99bhp and 200Nm from its 1.5-litre four-cylinder i-DTEC mill. The engine came mated to only a 6-speed manual gearbox.

If Honda Car India plans to introduce the new-gen City with a diesel avatar, one can expect it to have a CVT option as well. It will be the first diesel-CVT combo in the segment ruled by the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna (new model incoming), Skoda Rapid and Volkswagen Vento. In fact, the lesser Honda Amaze sub-four-metre compact-sedan was the first car in India to feature a diesel motor that was coupled to a CVT unit.

A lot of manufacturers have shifted their focus from diesel powertrain in the wake of the new emission norms. However, the demand for diesel vehicles is expected to remain strong even when the price gap between either fuel is narrowing at a fast rate.

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