Upcoming City Hybrid be a lot more expensive than the existing City sedan top variant
Honda Cars India is all set to unveil the City Hybrid tomorrow, on 14th April’22. Ahead of the official event, new documents revealing all key specs of the sedan have surfaced online. Let’s take a look at what all we know so far.
Honda will launch the City Hybrid in 2 trims, namely V and ZX. Top-spec ZX trim will be loaded with multiple features, including Honda’s Sensing tech pack, which basically is its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) offering. It must be noted, City Hybrid will become the first car in the segment to get ADAS because as of now, no other midsize sedan gets ADAS functionality.
Honda City Hybrid Specs
The India-bound model will share its underpinnings and powertrain with the Thai-spec model. Powertrain will consist of a 109 PS electric motor which will be paired to a 98 PS 1.5 litre petrol engine. Like all Hybrids, the model will have multiple modes in which the two powerhouses will work in tandem, complementing each other. Customers will also have an option to use its EV-only mode, however, we don’t think that this will have a significant range.
Reports suggest that City Hybrid will be able to provide a fuel economy of around 30 kmpl, which is significant because the closest competitor, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz mild hybrid AT returns around 20 kmpl, at best. With Brent crude prices on the boil, an improved fuel economy in a mid-sized sedan will be a boon for most of its target customers.
As mentioned earlier, the ZX trim will be getting Honda’s Sensing tech pack, which will include multiple ADAS features, including lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control collision mitigation braking system, blind-spot detection system and road departure mitigation system.
Honda is also expected to offer an add-on visual package, which will basically be the RS version, though with the RS badge. The package shall make the sedan look sportier as it will get an all blacked out grille, blacked out ORVMs, rear spoiler and red highlights on the inside. More details are expected to be revealed, as the official unveil draws closer.
Honda City Hybrid Bookings Open
Unofficial bookings of City Hybrid have already started across select Honda dealerships. We expect City Hybrid to cost somewhere around INR 18-20 lakhs, which will make it a direct competitor to models like the 1.5 litre Slavia and Virtus. Honda isn’t expecting a meteoric rise in its sales due to the introduction of the City Hybrid. Instead, it is looking at additional sales of around 250-300 units per month, which translates into around 10% of City’s monthly sales.
While the launch of new City Hybrid is delightful news for fans, it must be noted that Honda still needs more models in its Indian portfolio. It currently has just two major number churners, Amaze and City, sadly, both play in the sedan segment, which has been declining consistently over the years. An India-spec urban SUV / crossover is possibly the need of the hour for Honda, so that it can reclaim its market share in the Indian market.
