We recently added the Honda City facelift to our long-term fleet and I was quite excited to get behind the wheel of the Obsidian Blue sedan with a CVT transmission. Coming from my daily driver—the big brute Tata Safari Storme 4×4 MT—it was a refreshing change, especially in the hustle and bustle of the national capital. The timing was perfect as well, considering my BS4 diesel Safari gets restricted during severe AQI conditions in winter (super annoying!).
I also have a 2014 4th-generation Honda City petrol MT in my garage, so I’ll be drawing a lot of comparisons between the two in this report. What immediately impressed me is the styling of the 5th-generation City. It looks well-proportioned and with the facelift, it gains a youthful appeal thanks to the sharper bumpers and revised grille. This particular shade of blue further elevates its premium look.
A small but nifty feature that stood out is the remote start button on the key fob. It’s quite useful for warming up the car in Delhi winters and for pre-cooling it during the scorching summer months. However, you still need to press the engine start button with the brake before driving; otherwise, the engine shuts off as soon as you slot it into D mode.
The facelifted City also comes with ADAS, a convenient feature for highway driving. More on that later but I personally prefer to keep it off in city traffic. Unfortunately, you have to disable it from the instrument cluster settings every time you start the car, which can be a bit annoying, especially when in a hurry. That said, it’s just a quick scroll and click on the steering wheel, unlike some cars where you have to dig through the infotainment system.
The biggest upgrade compared to my 4th-generation City is the interior quality. The materials feel more premium, with soft-touch elements on the dashboard and a more aesthetically pleasing symmetrical design. And the best part—Honda has brought back PHYSICAL CONTROLS for the climate control system! The previous generation’s touch-sensitive controls were frustrating and required you to take your eyes off the road. Good job, Honda, for listening to customer feedback.
Yes, the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system looks basic with an average user interface, not as sharp and snappy as the 10.25-inch HD unit of the Elevate but I didn’t have any problem with the display since the size is good enough to not distract you at night and it automatically connects with the wireless CarPlay as soon as you start the car, so I don’t care what the basic UI of the infotainment looks like. However, I felt there should have been a 360 degree camera for better convenience. It comes with Lane Watch Assist which helps you see the blind spot with camera. Thankfully most of the car settings can be accessed via the digital cluster and controlled with the steering wheel so you don’t need to fidget with the touchscreen infotainment system while driving.
Under the hood, the tried-and-tested 1.5L i-VTEC naturally aspirated petrol engine continues to impress. It remains one of the best NA engines on the market—silky smooth, silent, punchy and fuel-efficient. It’s a breeze to drive daily, offering good low-end grunt and predictable acceleration when you need to close gaps quickly. Sure, it lacks the sudden surge of power that 1.5-litre turbo-petrol rivals offer but it delivers a progressive performance that’s easy to modulate.
Switching from my manual Safari to the City’s CVT automatic was a relief. No more heavy clutch work—just effortless, jerk-free driving, especially in Delhi’s chaotic traffic. Having driven the Amaze CVT for three months last year, I immediately noticed a significant difference. The City’s larger engine requires less throttle input for the same pull, reducing the infamous “rubber band effect.” Yes, it does get loud when you floor the throttle but if you modulate it right, it stays refined and keeps RPMs low, maintaining good fuel efficiency. Speaking of which, I managed 13 km/l within Delhi NCR. I’ll share more on highway performance in my next report.
Another major improvement is ride quality. It feels more plush and mature compared to the 4th-generation City. It absorbs bumps and potholes well, maintaining composure over rough patches. The damping has improved, allowing only the sharpest impacts to filter through. While the official 165 mm ground clearance may seem low on paper, I haven’t scraped the underbelly yet. Handling remains sharp and precise but I did notice some lateral movement when pushing hard through corners.
Stay tuned for the next report, meanwhile I can’t get enough of the dual personality that the City offers, comfy commute during the day and a fun low slung sedan screaming past 7000 RPM at night, giving goosebumps!
