According to our previous reporting, Honda is currently hard at work on a mid-lifecycle refresh for the City sedan in India. Our dealership contacts now inform us that the updated City will be in stock on March 2nd, with test drives starting the following day. Prices for the refresh are also anticipated to be revealed around the same time.
Attempts to improve the city’s appearance will start on March 3 with test drives.
New, more affordable e:HEV models are on the way to urban areas.
The diesel engine option will be removed from the lineup.
The newly updated Honda City has a new look and more conveniences
Like other mid-lifecycle updates from Honda, the City refresh will likely only see modifications to the car’s soft plastics. It will likely have a fresh look thanks to updated bumpers and wheels made from a different metal. Additional amenities will be added to the City, as confirmed by our dealer contacts; however, specifics will not be known until the vehicle’s release date. The City’s trim levels will likely also see a shakeup from Honda.
Redesigned Honda City comes with gas and hybrid options
Due to the impending Real Driving Emissions (RDE) requirements in India, the City will no longer be available with a diesel engine after the next facelift. In the meanwhile, both the gasoline and the hybrid drivetrains will need to be updated to conform to the RDE standards and work with E20 fuel (20 percent ethanol blend).
This means that the refreshed City will likely include a 1.5-liter gasoline engine producing 121 horsepower, paired with either a 6-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). There will also be a 1.5-liter petrol-hybrid system with 126 horsepower and an electronic continuously variable gearbox (e-CVT).
New base models of the Honda City e:HEV are on the way
The e:HEV powertrain is presently only available on Honda’s top-tier, fully-loaded ZX trim. The price of Rs 19.89 li (ex-showroom) is a lot more than the current highest-priced City petrol, which is Rs 15.62 li (ex-showroom). Honda is rumoured to be releasing a more reasonably priced City e:HEV grade, narrowing the price gap between the petrol and hybrid models.
New features and pricing for the updated Honda City
The updated City is expected to cost roughly a lakh more than the existing model, according to our dealer sources. The current pricing range for City fuel is between Rs 11.87 lakh and Rs 15.62 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Following its debut, the City will compete with established models like the Skoda Slavia, Volkswagen Virtus, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, and the Hyundai Verna. Reservations can now be made for the upcoming generation shift of the Verna. The Ciaz, in an effort to maintain its relevance in the face of rising competition, has also just received an upgrade to its safety measures.
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