Honda City

The Honda City is one of the most popular car names in India. Launched in 1998, the Honda City is currently sold in India in its 5th generation with the most recent update being introduced in 2023. While the Honda City was offered with a diesel engine, today, it is now offered only with a 1.5-litre iVtec petrol engine or as the Honda City HEV which is a hybrid electric vehicle. 

The Honda City competes with sedans such as the Hyundai Verna, Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus. While older generations are a favourite among driving enthusiasts, the current car is about one thing above all else - family friendliness. The Honda Elevate is the based on the same platform as the Honda City and offers a similar value proposition in the SUV body style.

Looks

The Honda City is a classy looking sedan. While the design is not as understated as the Volkswagen Virtus it’s also not as polarising as the Hyundai Verna. The basic stance of the car is similar to the previous generation Honda City as it is still based on the same platform. The front end features a chunky chrome garnish and with the 2023 facelift, the car’s bumper design has been sportier.

It also features a cool new black insert in the rear bumper (faux diffuser) with reflectors that help slim down the rear design of the car. While the design of the Honda City itself is not loud it does have certain flashy elements such as the styling of the 16-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights

Interiors

Much like the exterior design, the Honda City looks classy and premium on the inside as well. The design is clutter free with good attention to details. You will see leatherette padding near the gear lever and on the doorpads, besides the leatherette seat upholstery and smooth finish leather-wrapped steering wheel. The AC is controlled using knurled knobs that operate with clicks which make them feel more premium to use.

The Honda City has always been a spacious car offering good seat comfort. Two 6-feet tall users can sit one behind the other. However, you may find yourself wanting for more headroom, especially in the front row, if you are over 6-feet tall.

The cabin layout is easy to understand and all the controls fall to hand correctly. For added convenience, there’s auto AC with rear AC vents, the steering is tilt and reach-adjustable, the driver’s seat is height adjustable, both, front and rear row occupants get armrests (rear armrest position is a little low) and there are one-touch up/down power windows for everyone.

The Honda City’s boot is massive and can easily store two full-sized suitcases with room to spare. This will, however, not be the case with the Honda City hybrid as its hybrid battery packs takes up space in the boot.

Tech

The Honda City offers a good list of features including a touchscreen infotainment system that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay, a part digital-instrument cluster with a very classy layout, wireless phone charger and a single-pane sunroof.

Rivals do offer features such as front seat ventilation and powered driver seat adjustment, which the City doesn’t offer.

Safety

Safety features include up to 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control, rear parking sensors and ISOFIX child seat mounts. The Honda City has also received a 5-star crash safety rating from ASEAN NCAP.

The Honda City also gets ADAS - advanced driver assistance system. It's known as Honda Sensing.

Honda City's ADAS uses cameras to help you. It can automatically brake if it senses you might hit something in front of your car. It can also help you stay in your lane by offering corrective steering if needed.

Additionally, it has adaptive cruise control, which keeps you a safe distance from the car in front and adjusts your speed based on the lead car. There's also an auto high beam to prevent blinding other drivers, and it alerts you when the car in front starts moving after a stop, like at a traffic light.

The system does work fine as long as the roads are well marked, like the Yamuna Expressway is, where we drove for a good hour or so. But the distances that are maintained and the fail-safe measures are on the conservative side. They do work well on the highway, but keep too much of a gap between you and the car ahead in city traffic and so you will keep having other motorists cutting into the gap left in front of you and then find the City dropping further back again to maintain a ‘safe’ gap with this new vehicle.  

The system works well on properly marked roads, such as the Yamuna Expressway, where we drove for about an hour. However, it maintains longer distances than ideal for Indian driving conditions. It performs effectively on the highway but leaves too much space between your car and the one in front in city traffic. This results in other drivers constantly entering the gap in front of you, causing the City to fall back to maintain a "safe" distance from the new vehicle. So you can easily find yourself switching the system off.

Drive

The Honda City’s 1.5-litre petrol engine delivers smooth and easy to handle performance. While the City doesn’t get the option of a turbocharged engine option, this naturally-aspirated motor is a good engine for daily commuting. It is offered with the option of a 6-speed manual transmission or 7-step automatic transmission (CVT). Given the choice, we would recommend getting the CVT for its more convenient driving experience.

The Honda City also offers comfortable ride quality and has adequate ground clearance to deal with most awkwardly shaped and sized speed breakers.

Verdict

The Honda City is not the most feature loaded or exciting sedan in its segment. It’s a sensible and comfortable family car that offers just the right amount of features and comes with the benefit of time-tested reliability.