Production of 2020 City begins ahead of July launch
New City will be sold alongside current generation model, will be equipped with 1.5 liter petrol and diesel options.
This could well be the biggest launch of 2020, the delay in the launch is because of the ongoing corona pandemic. The Honda City was expected to launch in March, with the delayed launch Honda will be looking to gain momentum and has started the production of the new gen City at its Greater Noida plant in Uttar Pradesh. The City is based on a new platform, which makes it lighter, safer and more rigid. Dimensionally larger, at 109 mm longer and 53 mm wider, the height is a tad shorter by 6mm and a boot space of just above 500 liters.
We found out that the top trim will be loaded with features like all LED headlights and tail lights, 16 inch dual tone alloys, an 8 inch touch screen with Android auto and Apple CarPlay. It will also feature Alexa integration (a first in the country), 7 inch TFT instrument cluster, an electric sunroof, ambient lighting, push button start/stop, remote engine start, and hands free boot release. Safety is priority and we learnt that the top trim will have six airbags, vehicle stability assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, Honda lane watch camera, reverse camera, and auto headlamps and wipers.
Engines on offer are the 1.5 liter petrol that produces 121 hp and 145 Nm of torque. The 1.5 diesel is upgraded to adhere to BS 6 norms, it makes 100 hp and 200 Nm of torque. Alongside the Verna, the City comes with a diesel options which is not on offer by other rivals. The petrol engine will be mated to a 6-speed manual or CVT automatic. The diesel will come only with the 6-speed manual. The engines return decent figures – 17.8 km/l for petrol manual, 18.4 km/l for petrol CVT and 24.1 km/l for the diesel. It will be interesting how the City fares not just with the old model, but also with the upgraded Verna, Vento and Rapid. Prices are expected to be starting at Rs. 9.91 lakh to 14.31 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).