All-new Honda City has been launched in Thailand, where it is being offered in S, V, SV and RS trims. Launch in India is expected in 2020. In its 5th generation, Honda City comes with a range of exterior and interior changes and offers several new features. Here’s a quick wrap-up of all that’s new and exciting in next-gen Honda City.
1 Sportier: New Honda City has redefined exteriors that make the car a lot sportier than its predecessor. With its delicate curves, subtle character lines and near-coupe-like rear profile, new City also looks a lot more elegant and luxurious. Some key features as seen on top-spec RS variant include gloss black grille, sleek LED headlights with LED DRLs, edgy LED tail lamps, nifty fog lights, dual-tone rear view mirror with integrated turn signals, and sporty 16-inch alloy wheels.
2 Premium interiors: New City showcased in Thailand featured an all-black theme with contrasting red stitching and accents. However, when launched in India, the car could get dual-tone black and beige colour theme. New City comes wrapped in fine leather, which can be seen on the seats, dashboard, gear, and steering wheel. Other features include an all-new dashboard design, classic rotary dials for climate control, 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 12V power socket, USB slots, and steering mounted controls.
3 Larger and wider: As compared to the outgoing model, new Honda City is 100 mm longer and 53 mm wider than its predecessor. Surprisingly, wheelbase has been shortened by 11 mm. Height has also been reduced by 28 mm.
4 Colour options: Customers can choose from six colour options – Red Ignite (Metallic), Platinum White (Pearl), Black Crystal (Pearl), Lunar (Metallic), Modern Steel Gray (Metallic), and White Taffeta.
5 Honda Connect: New City is equipped with Honda Connect information platform that offers a wide range of internet connected features across convenience and safety & security. Some key features that users can access via the mobile app include geo fencing, real-time vehicle tracking, impact alert, trip analysis, vehicle health monitoring, service booking, fuel log, service reminder, and locating nearby dealers and fuel pumps.
6 Safety features: 2020 City comes with advanced safety features such as 6-airbags, hill start assist (HSA), emergency stop signal (ESS), enforced body structure for better safety in a collision, multi-angle rear-view camera with adjustable view, ABS with EBD, vehicle stability control and ISOFIX child mounts.
7 Engine and transmission: Powering the new City is a 998 cc turbocharged VTEC, 3-cylinder engine that churns out max power of 122 hp and max torque of 173 Nm. Engine is mated to a CVT gearbox. Top-spec variants get additional 7-speed paddle shift. There’s a second engine option as well, a 1.5 litre eHEC mild hybrid petrol unit. This is the same that was introduced for new Jazz recently. However, exact details about power output of the engine are yet to be revealed.
In India, City is expected to continue using the existing 1.5-litre petrol and diesel units. The only difference will be that these engines will be upgraded to meet BS-VI norms. Also, even before new City is launched in India, the existing model will be upgraded to meet BS-VI emission norms.
8 Made In India: For domestic consumption, 5th generation City will be manufactured in India. Honda will be looking to achieve higher localization, which will allow the company to launch the car at a competitive price point.
9 Fuel efficiency: Honda has unveiled new City in Thailand in order to qualify for local tax benefits. These benefits are available to cars that meet specific requirements, as per ECO-Car Phase II certification. One of these requirements is fuel consumption of not more than 4.3 litres / 100 km. This essentially means that new City offers at least 23 kmpl, as per testing norms in Thailand. New City also has CO2 emissions of less than 100g / km.
10 Pricing: In Thailand, new Honda city is available in S (579,500 baht; approx. Rs 13.74 lakh), V (609,000 baht; Rs 14.44 lakh), and SV (665,000 baht; Rs 15.77 lakh) trims. Top-spec RS variant is priced at 739,000 baht (Rs 17.52 lakh). In India, price of new City base variant is expected to be around Rs 10.5 lakh.
In India, sedans are relatively less preferred, as compared to hatchbacks and SUVs. Honda City has been a consistent performer for the company and fifth generation model could help boost sales further. In October, City was ranked at third place in the list of bestselling executive sedans with sales of 1,887 units. It was trailing behind Maruti Ciaz and Hyundai Verna, while being ahead of Skoda Rapid, Volkswagen Vento and other executive sedans.
