Honda has sold four generations of the City in India over the course of 21 years. The fourth-generation Honda City – in its facelift form – is now all set to receive a generation upgrade, to keep up with the fierce rivals such as the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Hyundai Verna.
But before we talk about the new City, it’s also worth a mention that Honda had already upgraded the current-gen petrol-powered City to meet the stringent BS-VI emission standards. The BS-VI spec of the 1.5-litre diesel, however, will be re-introduced in the fifth-gen City.
From what we know so far, the fifth-gen India-bound Honda City will be based on the Thai-spec model, which was unveiled last year. Honda has also released a teaser image for the new City, that hints at a full-LED setup for the headlamp with DRL and 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels borrowed from the sportier City RS, also showcased in Thailand last year. What else? Well, have a look at a proper lowdown below.
Specifications
If the hot City RS showcased in Thailand last year is anything to go by, the fifth-gen India-bound Honda City might be the segment disruptor to look forward to. It is, in fact, so gorgeous, that it might lure the consumers away from SUVs to sedans. The main highlight here is the slim new housing for a number of LEDs inside the headlamps. The DRLs, too, now sit at the top portion of the headlamps. The taillamps seem inspired by the new BMW 3-series, though. The side profile is neat and well-balanced.
As far as the powertrains are concerned, the City is expected to feature the BS-VI compliant versions of the 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines. The 1.5-litre petrol is already updated to meet the new emission standards, although, it is expected to be available with a mild-hybrid set up in the new City. The diesel powertrain will be re-introduced in BS-VI guise, with no official confirmation of the power and torque figures. We are also hoping for a sportier turbocharged petrol engine to make a cut, although, it’s a very thin chance Honda might.
There might be a diesel-automatic too with the fifth-gen Honda City. The ongoing model only came with the option of a CVT with the petrol powertrain, while the diesel was only available with a single manual gearbox.
Mileage
Expect the fifth-gen Honda City to be as frugal as the ongoing model, if not more. For reference, the ongoing City delivers 17.4km/l in the petrol-manual guise and 18km/l in the petrol-CVT guise. The diesel is, of course, the most fuel-efficient at 25.6km/l (all figures ARAI-certified).
Features
The current-gen Honda City had a decent equipment list, to begin with. With the BS-VI update, the company’s DIGIPAD 2.0-system was added to the equipment list, with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility. As per the Thai-spec model, the Honda is expected to omit touch-sensitive controls for the climate control, replacing it with conventional knobs and buttons. LED headlamps, taillamps, and 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels will also be a part of the equipment list. The top-end variants of the new City will feature an electronic sunroof, steering-mounted audio controls, cruise control, climate control, leatherette upholstery and leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob amongst other things.
Colours
There’s no official confirmation on the City’s shades as of now. Expect a variety of shades with a number of dual-tone ones too. The Red shade (in the RS trim) showcased at the global unveil looks flamboyant and suits the radical design too.
Brochure
All the details regarding the Honda City, namely, the engine, specifications, variant wise equipment, colours, dimensions, interiors, and exterior details are extensively covered in the brochure.
Variants and Prices
As of early-2020, the Honda City (the older one) is available in eleven variants, with four variants for the petrol-manual, four variants for the diesel-manual, and three variants for the petrol-CVT. The prices start at Rs. 10.13 lakhs for the SV Petrol variant going all the way up to Rs. 14.53 lakhs for the ZX CVT Petrol variant (both prices ex-showroom, Delhi). Expect the new City to be pricier than the older one. For the variant-wise on-road prices, visit us at autoX.
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