They say you can’t keep a king away from his throne for long and it is rightfully bestowed upon the all-new 2014 Honda City which has beaten the current segment leader, the Hyundai Verna in the C-segment in terms of sales. The lack of a diesel mill under the City’s hood was the reason for the dismal sales of this capable saloon; however, the fourth generation model was updated with a diesel engine that has catapulted the City back to its days of glory.
Since the launch of the 2014 City in January, Honda managed to sell 7184 units in January and 7213 units in February. The Hyundai Verna came in at a distant second with just 3803 units and 3342 units sold in January and February respectively. Hyundai also introduced the updated Verna with a special CX variant loaded with features, but none of it seems to work in front of the City’s magic.
The Honda City’s popularity can be measured by the fact that it has managed exceptionally good sales figures, more than those of its competitors put together. The competitors, Volkswagen Vento managed 1294 and 1191 units in January and February respectively this year, while sibling Skoda sold 1188 and 961 units of the Rapid during the same period. Maruti’s SX4 was struggling to find ground and could push 191 and 228 units of the saloon in the same months.
The fourth generation Honda City is equipped with the 1.5-litre Earth Dream i-DTEC diesel engine that produces 100 HP of power and is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. It is also the most efficient engine in India with an ARAI certified mileage of 26 km/l. Honda has also provided the City with loads of features and a spacious cabin on the inside with exceptional build quality and reliability.
The 2014 Honda City will soon see competition from the Ford Fiesta facelift; however, the pace at which the numbers are climbing for Honda it will take a lot more than just a facelift to bring a halt to its success. The all-new Honda City has arrived and is definitely here to stay.
