Thirteen years have passed and the car that marked the common man?s vehicle graduation from hatchback to sedan, Honda City, still manages to rule on all major accounts in the mid-size saloon race. The 2012 model of the City comes a little longer, with marginally better mileage and ground clearance. It features a new front grille, new front bumper, new rear bumper, new design for the alloy wheels and all new tail lights. Honda City is facing strong competition with the launch of the all new Ford Fiesta, the new fluidic Hyundai Verna, Nissan Sunny, Volkswagen Vento and, most recently, Skoda Rapid. But with the recent price cut, the sales of Honda City are back on track with the car selling around 6,000 units a month and it is expected that the 2012 model will further help in boosting the sales.
Regarding production of the new City, Honda Automotive Thailand Company will support the start up of production in developing countries, including ASEAN markets, India and China. The front is definitely inspired by the likes of the European Honda Civic and the Honda FCX Clarity.
Honda designers have taken some cues from the Civic, especially for the front look. Another nice touch is the iPod compatible USB connector. Although the Jazz already has this, Honda City has a very nicely integrated system. But the main feature which is missing in Honda City is a climate control system, which is shocking at this price point, as climate control is now available in many premium hatchbacks also.
The top-end automatic variant, at almost R11 lakh, features a new sunroof that has enough space to stand up and do a jig. Besides, the sunroof is so aptly placed that you could put out your left hand and feel the breeze as you drive. The sunroof is not an option in both the Verna and the Vento.
Another new feature in the City is cruise control. Ford Fiesta is the only other competitor with cruise control, but that?s a tad more expensive.
The base version of the new City at R6.99 lakh comes on a par with the base Hyundai 1.4 litre Verna petrol and just a tad below the Vento. It doesn?t have a music system like its peers, but it scores over them with ABS (anti-lock braking system). There is no ABS on offer in the base versions of the Verna and the Vento. However, the chrome treatment in the interiors is given a miss in the base model of the City.
However, coming to the real test. The noise in the 1.5 litre iVtec engine City has not reduced in the new version as well. The automatic version squeaks when the car is pushed hard. While the automatic City returns 11 kmpl, the manual one runs 13.5 kilometres to a litre, again class leading.
The build quality of the new City is flawless for a car in this segment. The Vento?s build quality is a notch higher than the Verna, but loses out on an appealing interior feel. But, the Verna and the Vento offer a couple more extra features like Bluetooth connectivity and reverse parking sensors, on which the Honda City loses out.