The City Hybrid Starts Rolling Out From Honda’s Tapukara Facility

• Honda City hybrid to come in top-spec ZX Sensing trim only.
• It will pair a 109PS electric motor with a 98PS 1.5-litre petrol engine, good for a combined output of 126PS.
• Gets ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and collision avoidance assistant.
• Expected to be priced from Rs 18.5 lakh when it goes on sale in May.

Honda Cars India has commenced series production of its first made-in-India mass market strong hybrid, the Honda City e:HEV, from its Tapukara facility in Rajasthan. Some dealers have commenced unofficial pre-launch bookings as well. The greener City will be offered in the top-spec ZX trim, with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) being the prime feature addition. 

Naturally, the highlight is underneath the hood. A 109PS electric motor is paired with a 98PS 1.5-litre petrol engine, good for a combined system output of 126PS and 253Nm. Another point to note is that there is no transmission. There is no gearbox in the conventional sense as the powertrain uses an electronic CVT system to regulate performance delivery with a clutch that connects to the petrol engine. 

The Honda City Hybrid is claimed to return an average of 26.5kmpl, around 6kmpl more than the Ciaz mild-hybrid. In town, the City hybrid could surpass that figure as most of the time, at slow speeds, the sedan will be in pure electric mode.  You can read more about the City Hybrid’s powertrain functioning in our detailed Tech Talk story.

Another main talking point about the City Hybrid is its segment-first Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, which includes adaptive cruise control, auto high beam assist, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistant, and collision avoidance braking system. Other creature comforts include an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a single-pane sunroof.  

To know more about the Honda City Hybrid and its design changes, read our detailed unveiling report. Prices are expected to start from around Rs 18.5 lakh (ex-showroom), putting it in contention with the 1.5-litre TSI variants of the Skoda Slavia and upcoming Volkswagen Virtus.