The present Honda City isn’t really old as it was launched in early 2017 with a host of updates. However, product lifecycles in the motoring world are getting shorter across the globe for carmakers and the fact that City’s key rivals – Hyundai Verna and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz are newer makes the City oldest among these three. Yes, the Toyota Yaris, Volkswagen Vento and Skoda Rapid also exist but their numbers are not something these three are concerned about. So we thought of taking up a long-term test of the Honda City and find out what areas it still leads in and where does it lag.
The car we got is the diesel version with a 1.5 L iDTEC turbocharged mill from the company’s Earth Dreams engine portfolio. The variant we got is ZX, which is the top variant and comes with all the bells and whistles the City range has on offer.
Honda City Design
The design of a car is the first element that leads to an emotional response for it and the Honda City is quite impressive in this aspect. The City continues to offer a good balance between modern, elegant and dynamic appeal although the present version is more inclined towards elegance and practicality than sportiness unlike some of the early-gen models.
The sloping hood with strong lines and a thick chrome slat on the grille gives the front a premium and classy look. Most people we came across in the last two months appreciated the design. Sleek LED DRLs along with edgy fog lamp surrounds give the front a youthful appearance and fends off age.
The Diamond-cut alloy wheels are something we particularly like as they do stand out and give the car a visual differentiation from the earlier version as not much has changed on the side and rear. Of course, the rear tail lamps are new and the cluster looks impressive in low-light conditions.
Honda City Interior and Features
Unlike some cars where the best starts and ends on the outside, the game only starts to rise once in the cabin. The cabin is spacious and the light-coloured interiors add further to the sense of space. The dashboard design is again good but it’s just the touch screen, which doesn’t seem to gel with the rest of the design seamlessly. Also, this touch screen is possibly the only thing that makes you wish for more. The infotainment system misses out on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a basic offering these days. The User interface is fairly simple but the touch response is a bit slow. For connecting your device, Bluetooth, AUX-in, USB and HDMI options are available.
In terms of fit and finish though there’s hardly anything to complain as far as usual interaction points are concerned. The seats too are spacious and offer good cushioning along with impressive overall support. You can also adjust it for height and reach so finding your preferred driving position is never going to be an issue.
Hop into the back and things go from good to awesome as you’re greeted to one of the best rear legroom areas in the car’s segment. The rear seat bench is also spacious and has a nice incline angle making it comfortable for long journeys and for chauffeur-driven buyers. The City’s no-nonsense and practical roofline means that headroom is also adequate for tall occupants. Yes, there are rear AC vents too, which brings us to the AC.
We’ve been driving the car in the fiery heat of Delhi summers and the Honda City’s AC deserves a special mention. Cabin cooling is rapid and most importantly the air flow from the rear AC vents doesn’t require you to place your palm on the vent to know it’s working. It’s strong enough to be felt even when sitting in a relaxed position.
Honda City Diesel Driving Experience
The 1.5 L diesel engine in the Honda City develops 99 hp and 200 Nm of torque and while these aren’t the best figures in the segment, the Honda City does have a trick up its sleeve in the form of drivability. The diesel version is only available with a six-speed manual gearbox and this unit is paired extremely well to the engine. This means that driving the City in dense traffic is easy and doesn’t call for frequent downshifting.
Out on the highways also you don’t have to go down the gearbox frantically searching for power when trying to overtake a vehicle. The powertrain manages to offer the right power at the right time, making it a great car for daily commutes as well as weekend outings. Of course, if you’re passionate about driving then check out the petrol motor of the City as this one’s not for enthusiasts. However, let me tell you that this diesel motor offers super impressive fuel-efficiency so if your commutes are long you’ll pat yourselves regularly for choosing the diesel Honda City.
During the 1,268 km logged in the last two months, our car has returned an average fuel-efficiency of 17.2 kmpl. Around 65% of this run has been done in rush hour traffic and the rest has been done on weekends with lesser traffic around. We haven’t had a chance to take the car for a long trip but that’s up next and we’ll come to that in our next report.
What could have been better is the sound of the diesel motor filtering inside the cabin. Honda has reduced it significantly over the last few years but I still believe a bit more should be done to be in sync with the premium positioning of the Honda City.
In terms of safety, the Honda City once again left us impressed as it comes with technologies such as front-dual airbags and ABS with EBD as standard. Top variants come with six airbags and wider tyres for additional safety and peace of mind.
Conclusion
The Honda City in the last two months has left us completely impressed with its great drivability, spacious cabin, quick cooling AC and wallet-friendly fuel-efficiency. Yes, things such as Android Auto, Apple CarPlay are missed on the DIGIPAD and the resolution of the rear camera could have been better. That said, the Honda City is the oldest among the main three contenders in the segment and based on our two months of experience old hasn’t really got into the way of it from being Gold.
