The Honda City has a special fan following in India and it was the king of the C-segment until the majority migrated to diesel powered cars. With rising demand of diesel, Honda experienced diminishing sales because of its petrol-only product lineup and the City had a big impact. Eventually the Japanese automaker introduced the Amaze sedan with a diesel motor, which brings Honda back in action. The next generation Honda City is yet to be revealed officially but the global reveal of the car will happen in India on 25th November.
The next generation Honda City will have a diesel engine option, which is the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine currently powering the Amaze. However, the 1.5-litre i-DTEC on the City will have a variable geometry turbocharger unlike Amaze to boost power figures. The diesel engine will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard but the petrol will get 5-speed manual and automatic transmission options. The 2014 Honda City is based on the latest generation Honda Jazz, which will also hit the Indian shores next year with a diesel engine and heavy localisation.
Honda is also ramping up its production capacity in India to cut down the waiting period of the Amaze and also make space for the upcoming City and Jazz. Compared to the existing Honda City, the new offering will have significant styling changes for a mature stance. The new design language can be seen on the 2014 Jazz that has clean lines and busy styling. The interiors will be feature loaded with a new layout and relatively more space. Production and deliveries are likely to commence post January 2014. When launched, the 2014 Honda City will compete with the segment leading Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento, Skoda Rapid, Ford Fiesta and next generation Maruti SX4.
