2017 Honda City Review
Car Tested: 2017 Honda City; Road Test No. 795; Test Location: Delhi
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 10.11 – 16.68 lakhs
The new City looks mature & offers more bang for your buck with the new features
The City has been the king of the C-Segment sedan space in India since its launch in 1998. Every new generation launched has been an instant hit in our country. Same was the case with the current fourth generation City, which is also the first diesel powered City in India. However, recently the sedan started feeling some heat from the Maruti Ciaz because of its better value proposition. Now, Honda has introduced the City facelift with a long list of cosmetic and feature updates. We find out how drastic the new changes are.
Motor Quest: Honda entered the Indian market in 1998 with the launch of the City. The City has been tremendously popular in India due to the comfort, performance and the reliable Honda badge. Currently, the City is in its fourth generation and the Japanese automaker has just launched the mid-life facelift of the car.
The new diamond cut alloys significantly lift the style quotient
Exteriors – The front profile of the new Honda City gets a wider grille and a thick slab of chrome which makes it look reminiscent to the new Honda Civic. The headlights are now All LED units that get a highlight of daytime running LEDs too. The bumper is now more carved out which lends the new City a sporty look. Even the fog lamps are LED units. The side profile now gets a much needed update. Gone are those bland looking 15-inch alloys, now the City gets updated with shiny new 16-inch diamond cut alloys that look fantastic!
The rear just gets revised tail lights and bumper
The subtle changes to the exterior makes the City more presentable
Coming to the rear, there are new LED tail lights, a boot integrated spoiler with stop lamp and a revised rear bumper that adds to the freshness. Sadly, only the ZX trim gets LED tail lights and the petrol manual version (which we were driving) isn’t available in ZX. The overall styling makes the City look complete and a bit more shiny with a touch of fresh styling elements. Though, there are not many drastic changes on the exterior for a layman to differentiate.
The styling remains the same but there are a ton of new features
Interiors – The interiors of the updated City remain more or less the same in terms of styling. However, there are some small yet significant changes that makes the sedan more comfortable and practical. The ORVMs are now auto foldable, so if you unlock/lock the car, they will open/close automatically. The steering wheel now gets an additional button for voice command for the updated infotainment system. The steering mounted controls are now highlighted in chrome and the steering wheel itself is now reach and rake adjustable. The instrument cluster now gets white illumination instead of blue. The engine start/stop button now gets red illumination which looks dramatic. The inside rear view mirror is now frameless, which looks cool and also gets auto dimming function.
The new infotainment system can let you access mails, internet browser!
The interiors of the City now feel more practical and comfortable to be in
The centre console now comes with an updated touchscreen infotainment system which is bigger and more intuitive to use. The touch quality is excellent for car standards and there are a ton of features which you usually won’t find in a car belonging to this segment. There is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto but you get MirrorLink support to integrate your smartphone with which you can access some of the apps on your phone. It has a satellite based 3D navigation system, 1.5 GB of storage for music, HDMI connectivity and even support for WiFi through which you can access the browser on the screen and surf the net! It also doubles up as a display for the rear parking camera. Unfortunately, you still don’t get parking sensors in the City.
Acres of legroom and comfortable seats at the back
The quality levels of the interiors have improved a bit since the upholstery has been updated with a new softer leatherette material that feels good. There is a new soft touch finish on the dashboard that adds to the premium appeal and even the steering wheel now gets a better finish. The seats are very comfortable and supportive, while the space, specially at the rear, is commendable for a C-Segment sedan. You get ample space at the back to stretch your legs and there are rear AC vents as well along with power socket to keep things convenient at the back. Even the boot space at more than 500-litres is very accommodating and usable. Some of the other features include cruise control, rain sensing wipers, auto headlamps with headlight auto off timer, all-LED interior reading lamps, etc.
The petrol motor is quite fun to drive, free revving engine
Performance – Powering the City are the same 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines. They haven’t done any tweaks to the engine. Yes, the diesel version gets better insulation to make the cabin quieter than before. The 1.5-litre petrol engine is a gem to drive, the silky smooth i-VTEC makes a whopping 119 PS of power with its naturally aspirated engine. The power delivery is linear initially that gets insane near the redline, which comes at 7000 RPM. The amount of adrenaline you get while redlining the VTEC is super satisfying.
The diesel is peppy and fuel efficient at the same time
The new City gets not mechanical changes and continues with the same petrol and diesel motors
Mated to the 1.5-litre petrol is a 5-speed manual and CVT automatic transmission. The manual gearbox is slick and fun to use while the CVT is good only for city usage and if you push it hard, it gets noisy. The CVT version comes with steering mounted paddle shifts that gives you better control. Honda claims 17.4 km/l of mileage for the petrol engine but you can get around 10-13 km/l in real world conditions. The 1.5-litre i-DTEC offers decent performance and good low end acceleration. You don’t feel that typical diesel lag. It comes with a 6-speed manual transmission and the best part about the oil burner is its fuel efficiency which is claimed to be 25.6 km/l and you can easily extract 18 km/l in mixed driving conditions.
Handling is quite precise and confidence inspiring
Driving Dynamics – There are no tweaks for the suspension as well in the updated model and we feel it doesn’t need it either. The City has got a very balanced setup, which offers pliant ride quality and nimble handling. The ride might feel a tad stiff at low speeds but it flattens up as you gain speed. The high speed stability is good but you might feel the need of wider tyres. Handling is quite engaging and the City feels eager to dart into corners but again, the undertyred setup tends to lose some grip when you push the car to its limit.
Ride quality is flat and stable at high speeds
The City has got a good balance of ride and handling, it is good fun to drive
The steering makes you feel connected to the road and there is no sense of numbness. It is quick to respond and offers decent feedback. The body roll is well controlled and you don’t get tossed around much on the twisties. Ground clearance is not a big issue in the fourth generation City, it rarely touches the underbelly on big bumps and potholes. Braking performance is good and the pedal bite is confidence inspiring too.
Honda is offering six airbags now on the range topping ZX trim
Safety and After Sales Service – Honda has upped their game in terms of safety for the new City. The car now comes with dual front airbags, ABS, EBD and ISOFIX seats as standard across all the trims. On the range topping ZX trim you now get six airbags! Honda’s after sales is well known in India and the H badge is known for its reliability. The Japanese automaker has expanded its network from 295 dealers to 332 in this fiscal year. The City is heavily localised and the cost of maintenance is easy on the pocket. It even offers good resale value.
The new City with the latest updates offers more bang for your buck
Verdict – The latest 2017 update to the Honda City brings along a host of new cosmetic, convenient and safety improvements that makes this sedan even more desirable to buy in its segment. The City now looks sharper, has a longer list of features and the additional airbags along with ISOFIX seats just makes it a safer car than before. Honda has listened to the feedback and worked on the insulation of the diesel version as well. There are no cost cuttings visible in the facelift and we definitely give this update of the Honda City a worthy thumbs up.
Honda has taken customer feedback quite seriously
What’s Cool
* The City now looks more premium and sassy thanks to the styling updates
* The interiors feel more rich with the updated upholstery material
* The new infotainment system carries a ton of new features unimaginable in this segment
* Honda has left no stone unturned when it comes to safety, six airbags on offer now
What’s Not So Cool
* Still no parking sensors
* Petrol manual doesn’t come in the range topping ZX grade
Alternatives: Maruti Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento, Skoda Rapid
Certain styling elements of the facelifted City might remind you of the Civic