Honda’s most loved baby amongst the Indian masses has finally made a re-appearance. The new Honda City has been launched with a very competitive price bracket of Rs 7.42 ‘“ Rs 11.10 lakh (ex-Delhi)
Honda’s most loved baby amongst the Indian masses has finally made a re-appearance. The new Honda City has been launched with a very competitive price bracket of Rs 7.42 – Rs 11.10 lakh (ex-Delhi). The base E MT petrol model costs 7.42 while 11.10, is how dear the top-of-the-line VX diesel model is. The launch that took place at the Taj Palace in New Delhi today follows the global unveiling that happened back in November 2013, also in Delhi.
This is the fourth generation of the City. It gets refreshes both in terms of mechanicals and aesthetics. The headline of the launch though is the introduction of the City diesel. This is the first ever Honda City to come with a diesel unit. For the untrained eye, the new City looks very similar to the outgoing generation. But there is an increase in wheelbase by 50mm which translates into increased space in the cabin. The boot is 510 litres large and the car gets premium quality interiors with top-notch design elements and features.
Like we said, although similar looking, the new City is a whole different beast. Under the hood lies the 1.5-litre Earth Dreams diesel mill from the Honda Amaze that delivers 100 PS. The petrol option is the tried-and-tested 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine that powered the previous City. Both engines have obviously been tweaked with. The diesel delivers an ARAI-certified 26kpl, which makes it the most fuel efficient car in the country. The petrol unit uses the tweaks to provide improved low-speed responses. The diesel engine comes mated with a 6-speed manual transmission. The petrol gets an option of either a 5-speed manual or a CVT.
There are five variants on sale, namely E, S, SV, V and VX in both the diesel and petrol manual modes. The petrol automatic will only be available in the SV and VX trims. The entry-level E variant offers features like power windows and powered mirrors. The S offers a few upgrades like steering mounted audio controls, height adjust for the seats. The SV gets things like a rear armrest and touch-sensitive climate control. The V and VX variants are the top variants and not surprisingly come heavy with features. An upmarket touch-audio system with speakers, alloys, fog lights, turn indicators on the powered mirrors, leather upholstery, lots of chrome and push button start with keyless entry are some of the topline features.
Technically, the only existing rivals for the new City are the Verna and Fiesta. The previous City had taken criticism for being poor on features. Honda, very clearly, seems to have addressed that. With the competitive pricing, my guess is, the City will look to be king-of-the-mountain.
PRICES
E MT – Diesel Rs 8.62 lakh Petrol Rs 7.42 lakh, S MT – Diesel Rs 9.24 lakh Petrol Rs 8.04 lakh, SV MT – Diesel Rs 9.66 lakh Petrol Rs 8.49 lakh, SV CVT – Petrol Rs 9.49 lakh, V MT – Rs 10.16 lakh Petrol Rs 8.99 lakh, VX MT – Rs 11.10 lakh Petrol Rs 9.93 lakh and the VX CVT – Petrol Rs 10.98 lakh.
