In this 20-year-long journey, many changes have been made in the Honda City and it has now been introduced in four-generation models. The first generation city is being sold from 1998 to 2003, the second generation from 2003 – 2008, the third generation from 2008 – 2015, the fourth generation from 2014 till now.
It has been more than three years since the facelift version of Honda City was brought in 2017. In such a situation, Honda is bringing its popular identity car in India as the fifth-generation model in a new avatar. The company has taken this step due to increasing competition in the segment and constantly updated technology.
Honda was supposed to bring the Fifth Generation City in the first month of this year but the Corona epidemic hampered the plan. Now 2020 Honda City is to be brought soon, it is to be launched next month, its booking has also started in dealerships across the country.
Recently we got the chance to run both petrol and diesel variants of 2020 Honda City. Do you want to know how we liked this sedan in its new avatar? Do its new changes make it better or not? How is it to run a new Honda City? So let’s know
New Honda City Design & Exterior
At first sight, you will understand that the incarnation of 2020 Honda City has been kept as before. The sedan is now 4549 mm long, 1748 mm wide, 1489 mm high and has a wheelbase of 2600 mm due to which the New City Purana is slightly longer and wider than the Model. However, there has been no change in its wheelbase.
On the front, full LED headlamps (nine lights in the series) in 2020 Honda City, LED DRL and L-shaped LED turn signal is also associated with it. The DRL usually works as a dynamic indicator in most cars, but in the new city, the DRL is placed above the headlight and the lower part of the headlight is provided with dynamic LED indicators. Both of them work differently and if told truthfully, the headlight gives a futuristic look.
Talking about the side part, the first thing that will catch your attention in the new city is the 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheel, which has been placed in the dual paint scheme. Looking at the overall size of the car, its wheels fit in terms of size. This sedan has sporty shoulder lines and creases that go from headlight to taillight.
Adequate chrome has been used to give a premium feel to the entire car. In the new city, the ‘CITY’ badge is given on the left and the i-VTEC / i-DTEC badge with variants is on the right. Reverse parking camera has also been provided with parking sensors to help in parking, although we did not find the camera quality special.
If you tell me about the camera, then tell us that the lane monitoring camera has been given in the left-wing mirror in the new city. Each time the left indicator starts, the camera starts showing in the centre screen. This is helpful at times because it becomes difficult to see the left side of the road every time you change lanes. This feature was first introduced in the 10th generation Honda Civic.
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New Honda City Interior & Practicality
As soon as you sit in the car, you feel very new in the new city. The new instrument cluster has been given in Honda City which is a semi-digital cluster. Its speedometer is analogue and tachometer is digital. A new feature has been given in the form of G-meter, which is placed in the middle of the taco, it is used to measure cornering force, it is mostly seen in a performance car.
Also, the car has a new leather steering wheel and steering controls that make travel even easier. It has an 8-inch infotainment system that supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and the segment First Alexa Remote Voice Assistance. We felt that the position of the screen has been placed slightly backwards, due to which the long drivers may have to face the sunlight hitting the screen.
The new Honda City has a new dashboard that uses soft-touch material. Its door handles use chrome and brushed aluminium with piano black material in the cabin. It has a sunroof that you can manually open or close if you want. A button is also provided on the right side of the driver to open the sunroof.
Speaking of comfort, the new city looks fantastic. It has a sporty bucket type seat and due to adequate cushioning the seat does not feel as hard. We have only driven this car for a few hours, so there is not much that can be said about the seat for long-distance trips. Its bolstering keeps the driver in place at the time of taking the corner. Both the front seats are manual and the height adjustment is provided.
Three people can sit comfortably in the back seat and there are head and legroom for everyone. If two people sit at the back, the central armrest can be removed and cup holders can be used. The air condition works well and cools the cabin quickly. Sufficient boot has been given to carry luggage of four people.
New Honda City Power and handling
Petrol and diesel engine options have been given in the new Honda City. We got the opportunity to drive the petrol CVT and diesel manual variants of the new Honda City. Its petrol variant has a 1.5-litre i-Vtech (DOHC) engine that provides 120 bhp of power and 145-newton meter of torque. Its 7 speed CVT is very smooth to drive in the city. However, at higher revs, there is a constant noise in the engine which can be annoying at times. But the engine remains very quiet at low revs.
Honda has done a very good job at the NVH level and this sedan stops most of the outside noise. For better mileage, the petrol CVT has an eco mode. We could not find the mileage due to the due time but the company claims that it gives a mileage of 17 – 18 km / l. The CVT variant has a paddle shifter that makes the driving experience even more sporty. But the CVT senses the level of gear change, so there is no need for a paddle shifter.
The diesel variant has a 1.5-litre i-Dtech engine that provides 100 Bhp of power and 200 Newton meter of torque. Both diesel and petrol have 6-speed manual gearboxes. The petrol variant has the option of 7 speed CVT. Diesel is mid-range more powerful than petrol due to higher torque output.
Diesel cars are known to have higher sound cabins than petrol. As we said, the company has done a lot of work at the NVH level, but despite this, the diesel engine has more revs in the cabin as seen with the normal diesel engine. The company claims that the diesel variant offers a mileage of 24 km / l.
Its suspension is in a slightly soft side which gives a very comfortable travel experience. This car indeed stops all bumpy pits, but at times this setup also feels a slight body roll. It would have been even better if the suspense had been a bit harsh. The input of the car tight steering is also sharp, changing the car lane only when slightly changed.
As far as safety features are concerned, the best-in-class features have been given in the new Honda City. It has Handling Assist, Hill Start, Six Airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist, EBD with ABS and Tire Pressure Monitoring System. The brakes are also very sharp, stopping the car immediately.
Thoughts of Business Khabar
Honda City has come a long way, the fifth-generation model is loaded with lots of features and equipment and looks attractive. We did not like the soft suspension and engine sound of this car. Apart from this, the new Honda City is all set to compete with the new Hyundai Verna, Skoda Rapid, Volkswagen Vento and Toyota Yaris in the Indian market. We estimate that the new Honda City can be brought at a starting price of Rs 11.5 to 13 lakh.
