Honda is all set to give the fifth-generation City a mid-lifecycle update, and as we have reported before, it will hit the showrooms from March 2. Expect Honda to announce the prices for the City facelift around the same time.
And a few weeks before its launch, images of the City facelift have surfaced online giving us a clear look at the updated midsize sedan.
- Honda City facelift features tweaked bumpers
- More affordable City Hybrid likely with the facelift
- Expected to be priced Rs 1 lakh more than the current City
Honda City facelift: exterior and interior updates
Like most Honda mid-lifecycle updates, the changes to the City facelift are minimal. Upfront, it gets a slightly tweaked design to the bumpers, and the grille section now has a slimmer chrome bar. The facelift retains the sharply styled headlamps with nine LED arrays as before. The grille design, too, is changed slightly and features a honeycomb pattern on higher variants and vertical slats on lower variants. Honda will also introduce a new blue paint shade with the facelift.
From the profile, there is very little differentiating the facelift from the pre-facelift model. Even the alloy wheel design looks similar to the current City. At the rear, the Honda City facelift gets newly designed bumpers and Honda has changed the positioning of the reflectors.
On the inside, the City facelift looks very similar to the current car. However, our dealer sources had confirmed that the City facelift will get more features. Expect Honda to add equipment like a wireless charger and ventilated seats that its rivals also offer. With the facelift, Honda is also likely to reshuffle the variant line-up of the City.
Honda City facelift: powertrain details
The City facelift will go on sale as a petrol-only midsize sedan as Honda will be axing its diesel engines ahead of the upcoming Real Driving Emissions (RDE) norms. The petrol and strong hybrid powertrains will be upgraded to meet the RDE norms as well as be E20 (20 percent ethanol blend) compliant.
The City facelift, therefore, is likely to come with the 121hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine, mated to either a 6-speed manual or CVT automatic gearboxes. There will also be the 126hp, Atkinson Cycle 1.5-litre petrol-hybrid powertrain that comes mated to an e-CVT transmission
Honda City facelift hybrid will get new entry-level trim
The current City gets the hybrid only in its top-spec ZX trim, and is considerably more expensive than the standard City petrol. In fact, the price difference between the top-spec City petrol and City hybrid is over Rs 4 lakh. Sources tell us that Honda will introduce a more affordable trim of the City Hybrid to narrow the price gap between the two powertrains.
Honda City facelift: expected price and competition
Our dealer sources have hinted that the City facelift will be priced about a lakh more than the current model. For reference, the City petrol is priced between Rs 11.87 lakh-Rs 15.62 lakh (ex-showroom, India).
When launched, it will take on other midsize sedans in the market like the Volkswagen Virtus, Skoda Slavia, Hyundai Verna and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. The new-generation Verna is set to launch on March 21 and will come with two 1.5-litre petrol engines. Maruti Suzuki recently updated the Ciaz with additional safety features and more colour options in a bid to keep it fresh amid competition.
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