Price
Rs 9-13 lakhs
Quick Facts
Engine: 1497cc (p), 1498 (D)
Power: 119 PS (p), 100 PS (D)
Torque: 145 Nm (p), 200 NM (D)
Transmission: 5-speed automatic, CVT (p)
Top Speed: 195 km/hr
0-100 km/hr: 10 seconds (p), 12.5 secs (D)
Length: 4440 mm
width: 1695 mm
Hieght: 1495 mm
Wheelbase: 2600 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity: 40 litres
Kerb Wieght: 1065 kgs (P), 1165vkgs (D)
Boot Volume: 510 liters
There is absolutely no car in India Which has fan following like the Honda City. This is because the Japanese automaker was among the forsat few to launch a full sized sedan in India, way back in 1998 with the first generation Honda City. Fast forward 15-years and the fourth generation model is here, ready to claw back market share after losing steam to its rivals which had the diesel advantage.
Exteriors
Car design hardly sees a revolution these days because manufacturers want to stick by the tired and tested formula to keep the identity of the vehicle intact. Thus the new Honda City also goes through an evolution and not a revolution, more so in the design department. Yes, to the uninitiated, the new city will pass off as the old car and that's because both the third and fourth generation models have the same length ans with. The new panels on the new car which are vastly different from the
Interiors
The interiors of the new Honda City could pass off as a revolution. The dashboard which Honda calls 'layered floataing cockpit' comes from the Jazz and is an attractive unit with execellent quality all around(good plsatics, fit and finish). The all black dash gets silver accents and piano black treatment in the form of gloss finish which looks very premium but equally functional ans the center console is tilted towards the driver. The steering wheels has
(Interoris completely transformed comoared to old model,featuers are plently on the new 4th generation city.)
ergomically placed buttons. There are plently of stroage spaces inside the cabin (including a toll recepit holder below the heading leveller) and Honda has given the new city four power outlets(2 at the front and 2 at the rear) which is quite handy these days. The 5-inch infotainment system gets all sorts of connectivity options (including AUX, USB, ipod and Bluetooth) and also doubles up as a reverse camera display (there are three views-wide, normal and top down). While the exterior dimensions remain similar to the outgoing model, the interior sees an increase in wheelbase by a considerable 50mm. This has resulted iin the new city boasting of improved room for all passangers,specially the ones at the rear. Shoulder room has increased by 40mm while knee room and legroom see an increment of 70mm and 60mm respectively.
Honda claims the space at the rear is in the same league as cars two classes above(aka Accord Segment). After sitting in the rear bench, we have to admit Honda has given Nissan reasons to worry as the sunny no longer holds the advantage of having the best resr bench in its class. The city has plenty of space at the rear and the car also gets twin AC vents at the rear unlike the sunny which has a fan blower. Almost flat floor, good seat padding, centrally mounted fuel tank(makes for a natural footrest) and generous all around room means the city can seat five in good comfort. However the rear seat doesn't have adjustable headrests and there is no headrest for the 5 passenger. The instrument cluster is clean and easy to read and the three pods gets chrome surronds. The multi-information display also showcases real time mileage, average mileage, distance to empty, etc. The old City lacked features but new City gets a plethora of them - keyless entry, leather seats, sunroof, reverse camera, climate control with touch panel, button start, electrically retracting rear view mirrors, auto-locking doors(at 20 km/hr), curise control, etc(no twin blade wipers though). The audio system gets 8-speakers and sound enough and doesn't seem to be effective on national highways. All round visibility is excellent and the cabin feels airy thanks to the extensive use of beige on the seats, doors and carpet. Boot space has increased marginally and the loading area has been widened.
Performance
The new City uses the same diesel motor which powers the Amaze and the company has made some changes to boot mileage, which is the highest in the country, an ARAI certified 26 km/1! The diesel engine performs well, pulling strongly right from the word GO. Turbolag is well contained and the oil burner gives linear performance to the City. The motor isn't as free revving as you would expect a Honda Powerplant to be and redline comes in quickly at 4100 RPM. This i-DTEC mill isn't good when it comes to noise and inspite of improving the NVH characteristics of the car, the diesel motor is quite audible inside the car. While the clutch is light, the 6-speed gearbox isn't nearly as smooth as the 5-speed unit on the Amaze. The 1.5-litre petrol motors is carried over from the old car and sees a power bump of just 1 PS. The throttle response is instant and the petrol Honda City lunges forward instantly on every bit of throttle input. Power delivery is smooth and there is good low-end grunt for city driving. The motor doesn't have a very strong mid-range but the top end grunt more than makes up fot it. Whizz past 4000 RPM and the City comes in its own, pulling strongly to its 7000 RPM with a loud sporty rasp. Gearing is no the taller side with 100 km/hr coming up in second gear itself. The 5-speed manual gearbox to the city as the addition of the CVT Options has already led to improved effeciency. The traditional torque converter AT has been ditched for a 7-steps CVT unit which offers higher efficiency than even the manual version. ARAI mileage is 18 km/1 and there is an ECON button on the right side of the steering column. The CVT box is noisy but not as nosiy as the others CVT equipped cars in the segment. You do have paddle shifts on the steering wheel and the option of the choosing Sport mode on the transmission. 100 km/hr in 7th steps sees the RPM needle tick in at 2400 RPM while during outright acceleration, the ton is achived in third steps. The CVT models also gets Hill Hold function. All models come with ambinet meter rings which are bule in regular driving and turn green when you drive efficiently.
Driving Dynamics
The fourth generation City is based on the new Jazz whose dynamics were benchmarked against the Volkswagen Polo. The company has improved rigidity by 24% along with giving the car a new H-shaped torsion suspension. The suspension set-up is very mature and the car offers a very good balance of ride and handling. Like most Hondas, the suspension is a bit an the stiffer side, more so in the disel model to handle the extra wieght. Thus the petrol car rides better with a compliant ride although both models are pliant over bad roads, only to be unsettled on broken patches. High speed stability is good and occupants don't realise the speed of the cars as the vechile remains glued to the road. Tyres and wind noise isn't much at speed as insulation has been improved with several measures but both the diesel and petrol engines are quite audible at high revs. The Honda City has always been a good handling car and the latest iteration continues to offer good body control with eagerness to enter corners. However the tyres on the car are really disappointing. In the interest of fuel efficiency., Honda has gone ahead with puny 175mm section tyres. Being under-tyred leads to loss of traction very quickly and plently of screeches when cornering or braking hard. Braking performance is very good with the pedal offering the right feel and ample stopping power only to be let down by the narrow rubber which doesn't provide enough grip to stop without drama. The steering is light at low speed and only decently weighed at high speeds lacking feedback you wouls expect from a very potent driver's car. Turning radius is short making city driving and parking a breeze.
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