What is it?
This is the 5th generation Honda City, and even after more than 20 years of being sold in India, it’s still one of the profound and most trusted nameplates in the Indian car market. There have been four generations of the City since 1998, and every model had a persona to it that lured buyers for different reasons. The fourth-generation Honda City was the most contemporary of them and was a huge step-up from the older cars because it featured a raft of enhancements and above all, a diesel engine. This model was perhaps the most successful in India. And the fifth-generation Honda City is no facelift, mind you. It is every bit an all-new product as it is now made of high-tensile-strength steel, and the body shell is lighter than before. But the kerb weight has increased a fair bit, because of safety and sound insulation. The new car is not only larger; it is also more spacious and comes with fancy tech like Alexa voice assistant integration and a lane watch camera. Even with SUVs being popular, we’re sure the new City will sell like hot cakes.
The looks
The new City looks very modern and seems like a perfect evolution of the older car. The wheelbase remains the same, but the new car is wider and longer. However, the height is lower than before. Up-front, it gets a broad chrome bar that is typical of recent Hondas, with the strip above running the width of the front fascia, over the LED headlights that look quite sleek with the detailed elements integrated. From the side, you’ll be surprised to actually note that the new City is longer than India’s first-generation Civic. The front bumper is nicely curved; so is the long bonnet. It gets a bold belt line that runs alongside, intersecting the stylish tail lights that have blacked-out inserts inside. The 16-inch wheels are a bit small and don’t fill up the wheel arches. Giving it a sporty look at the rear is the pair of vertical reflectors housed in the rear bumper. This new design will definitely attract many buyers.
Look inside
The cabin carries a nice, premium black and light brown theme. While the plastic quality does appear good, we’d rather have soft-touch texture plastics instead. There are splashes of light brown leather around the cabin, and the dashboard is well sculpted. The upholstery seems well stitched and the seats are nicely contoured besides being very well cushioned and comfortable. There’s ample space at the rear, and the seats keep the occupants pampered with their width and comfort. However, for tall passengers, headroom might be a squeeze. You will also find lots of storage spaces in the cabin, and boot space is now 506 litres, which is large enough. In terms of features, it gets a tyre pressure monitoring system with deflation warning, auto climate control, sunroof, rear-view camera with normal, wide and top view, lane watch camera, steering mounted audio controls, 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, remote engine start, Alexa voice assistant integration and pre-cooling.
Driving it
The new Honda City gets an all-new 1.5-litre petrol engine that makes 118bhp and 145Nm of torque, paired either to a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic gearbox. The motor pulls strongly and is very tractable. It delivers good performance at all times. However, the engine does tend to get vocal after 3000rpm. The rubberband effect on the CVT variant is masked well, and it’s only when you floor the throttle, you feel the revs climb at a fast pace. You can also use the paddle-shifters. The diesel version has improved in terms of NVH levels, thanks to the thicker firewall and the sound-deadening in the floor. The engine is much more refined, but as the revs climb, the drone becomes prominent. There isn’t much turbo lag from the diesel engine and power builds gradually. The suspension is set up to be softer, and hence, absorbs bumps well. The car stays composed at high speeds but is not so planted. The City is an easy car to drive, and the steering has a nice weight to it and the tyres provide good grip. But there is a lot of body roll evident around corners.
Buying one
The City isn’t particularly an engaging car to drive, the chassis doesn’t match the rev-happy engine and its soft suspension setup means there is a lot of body roll around corners. However, it makes up for it with space and comfort and a premium cabin. Also, both, the petrol and diesel engine are good performers. What will have to be seen is if the new City will be a threat to its rivals. Also, grab the latest info on the upcoming cars, only at autoX.
