The unveiling of new Honda City on 25th November 2013 stirred the Indian market, generating high levels of anticipation among car aficionados. This is the 4th generation version of City and lot has been changed as compared to the outgoing version. Now, as per images on a Facebook page, new Honda City, to be launched in India in January 2014, has arrived at company's dealerships. During the unveiling ceremony, the auto company introduced all-new City in petrol as well as diesel versions. It had also announced the start of pre-launch bookings for this upcoming sedan. The greatest addition to Honda City is certainly the inclusion of a diesel variant, which will be powered by the highly fuel efficient i-DTEC engine. Furthermore, the petrol engine has been tweaked a bit too for improved performance, sources have claimed.
Next generation Honda City is one of the most eagerly awaited models in the market. Before the showcasing, it created lot of buzz as everyone was keen to witness what new City had in store for domestic buyers. The auto company, on its part, is claiming that the new Honda City will be powered by best-in-class engine, delivering best-in-class fuel economy.
This sedan has been developed by the auto company after a thorough market research on what people like from their vehicles and also prevalent Indian conditions. In fact, this sedan had undergone development at Honda's Research & Development centre situated in Tochigi, Japan. New City boasts of a stylish design, high comfort levels and best-in-class fuel economy. Its layout has been inspired by Honda's new design concept called 'Exciting H Design'. Solid wing face, well-toned athlete form body and finely honed surfacing on the exterior are highlights of this new design concept.
Exteriors of new Honda City boast of sleek cross-motion form stylising. Neat lines visible on all over the vehicle's body give a sporty look to the vehicle. This sedan is also high on comfort and space due to the application Honda's inherent 'man maximum machine minimum concept'. There would be more headroom for passengers as the height (1495 mm) is 10 mm more than the outgoing version. The wheelbase of this vehicle, 2600 mm, is 50 mm longer than the older model. In a nutshell, this simply means more space for enhanced comfort levels while travelling.
Honda City diesel will get its power from the 1.5-litre 4 cylinder DOHC i-DTEC engine that is designed in accordance with local conditions. As a result, one can expect to get a superior performance and mileage from this sedan. Also, the diesel engine is capable of providing a power output of up to 98 bhp along with an impressive mileage of 26 kmpl. On the other hand, petrol version will get a 1.5-litre 4 cylinder SOHC i-VTEC engine that will produce peak power of 117 bhp and mileage of up to 18 kmpl.
Earlier, Hironori Kanayama, President and Chief Executive Officer, Honda Cars India Ltd. had acknowledged the role and importance of Honda City for company's business. “With the unveiling of the all new City, we enter a new era of Honda’s dominance in premium cars. City brand has been the face of Honda in India, enjoying strong leadership and popularity in its segment ever since its launch. India has been the focus market for Honda City, thus it was befitting to have the global unveiling of the All New Honda City in India,” he was quoted as saying. Adding further, he said, “There has been very high anticipation amongst the Honda loyalists who have been eagerly waiting for the 4th Generation City and introduction of Diesel in the model. We are sure that the car will further strengthen the bond with our esteemed customers”.
