The 2020 Honda City sits on a new lighter platform, and is wider and longer than the outgoing sedan
The eagerly anticipated new generation Honda City sedan is finally going to launched in India on July 15, which is when the prices of all variants will be revealed. The fifth iteration of the popular C-segment contender was originally scheduled to be launch in April but the global pandemic messed things up for everyone.
Test drive units of the 2020 Honda City have already reached showrooms across the country. The City always incorporated significant improvements every time it progressed to a new generation and the latest version keeps up with this tradition.
Underpinned by a new lighter and more rigid platform, the new Honda City is longer (longest in its class) and adopts the brand’s latest design language with a low-slung face, LED headlamps, chrome embellished grille, sleep profile and a fresh rear fascia with LED infused wraparound combination lights. The changes are even more comprehensive on the inside. The new dual-tone dashboard is clean, minimal and well laid out.
Needless to say, the 2020 Honda City comes with a rich equipment list. Highlights include 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Honda Connect Telematics Control Unit, a large MID, ambient lighting, smart key with remote control for engine, power windows and sunroof, and Amazon Alexa remote capability.
As far as safety is concerned, the C-segment sedan offers 6 airbags, ABS, tyre pressure monitoring system, vehicle stability assist, LaneWatch camera, hill start assist, automatic wipers and headlamps and multi-angle rear view camera. The new City scored 5-star rating in ASEAN NCAP.
The 2020 Honda City for India gets BS6-compliant petrol and diesel engines. Honda says that thought the 1.5-liter i-VTEC petrol engine retains the displacement of the old unit, it is an all-new engine. The naturally aspirated motor produces 119 hp and 145 Nm of torque. It can be specified with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed CVT.
The 1.5-liter i-DTEC diesel engine has been retained with just emission-specific improvements. The motor continues to develop a modest 100 hp and 200 Nm of torque, and comes paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Honda claims a fuel efficiency of 24.1 kmpl.
The Honda City was once an indisputable leader of the volume-rich C-sedan segment but in the recent years, the Hyundai Verna and Maruti Ciaz rose up to the challenge and the segment lost a lot of ground to crossovers. Honda would be hoping that its vastly improved sedan would do well enough to snatch some of the lost territory from SUVs while also keeping its primary rivals at bay.