Honda City

The Honda City has been one of the most elegant and sophisticated sedans in the country for nearly three decades now, and with every new iteration of the City, Honda has kept its traits consistent while maintaining its rivalry with the Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Virtus, and Skoda Slavia.

The City, with its facelift, gets the same traits as its previous version, but Honda has made subtle design changes and has added a few additional features to keep its sedan up to date. How these changes impact the image of the Honda City, and how much it has changed, find out in this review.

The Honda City, throughout its existence, has been known for its subtle and sophisticated design which always set it apart from its sportier looking rivals. However, with this update, Honda has incorporated a bit of sportiness in the design of the City.

Most of the changes have been made in the face which now looks much sharper than before. The creases on the bonnet are more prominent, the chrome strip on the nose has been replaced with a connected DRL setup, the headlamps have been made sleeker, and the grille and bumper shaper. 

With these changes, the fascia of the City has taken a new look which adds sportiness to the already elegant looking design. However, changes to the rest of the body are limited as the side profile only gets redesigned 16-inch alloy wheels, while the silhouette and the rest of the look remains the same.

At the back as well, the LED tail lamps have been tweaked with a cleaner finish and sleeker lighting elements, and the bumper has been redesigned. But the overall shape and the boot lid remains unchanged.

The City is now available in a new Crystal Black Pearl shade, which does look very rich with this design, and you can also get this in Obsidian Blue Pearl, Radiant Red Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Meteoroid Grey Metallic, and Lunar Silver Metallic. Variant-wise availability and how each colour looks like can be found here. 

Unlike the exterior design, which still has a major change in the front, the cabin of the City facelift remains largely unchanged. The one change, however, comes to the overall cabin theme, which is now black and grey with white leatherette seats.

These seats look very premium, and so did the older beige ones in the pre-facelift version, but you will need to be extra careful with the white seats as they can get dirty very quickly.

Apart from the theme, everything else is the same, including the dashboard layout, design and position of AC vents, and the steering wheel as well. In terms of quality, you get soft touch materials on the door pads, steering wheel, and centre armrest. All the buttons in the cabin feel sturdy and tactile, and the plastics feel smooth as well.

Overall, the cabin feels just as premium as it used to and there is no major issue in the cabin quality. City has always been a premium car on the inside and that’s true with the facelift as well, but since the design remains unchanged, the sedan does not feel like a facelift from the inside.

Front Seats

Before even getting to the seats, you first need to get inside the City, and with its low stance, it’s not a piece of cake for everyone. To get inside the City, you need your back to be just a little flexible, since ingress requires you to duck down in order to avoid hitting your head. For most people, this will not pose any challenge, but for those with back pain, the process of getting in and out can be difficult.

Once you enter, you need to find your ideal driving position, and for that there are two things missing. One is a powered driver seat, which is a feature its rivals now offer, and the other is telescopic steering wheel adjustment, which feels like an unnecessary miss. You do get 6 way manual seat adjustment, so you can still get to your ideal driving position, it will just take a little more time to figure out.

As for the seats, they offer good cushioning, neither too soft nor too hard, so you won’t feel fatigue during long drives. The underthigh support is great and so is the side support, you also have ample room in the footwell, but since these seats now get ventilation, you now sit a little higher than before, and this results in less headroom, especially for passengers taller than 5’10”.

Rear Seats

Thanks to its width, the City provides enough space in the rear for three passengers to sit with limited shoulder overlap. The middle passenger also gets an adjustable headrest for more comfort. Here, you get good kneeroom, if the front seats are not in their lowest position, you can also get some room for your feet, and the underthigh support will also be enough for most passengers. 

However, the headroom here is limited, even for my height, which is 5’8”. So tall people will have to sit very relaxed in order to not feel cramped. The centre armrest is also ergonomically flawed as it does not stop in the middle where it should. Instead, it goes all the way down and touches the seat base, which results in both your hands being placed at different heights. This issue was there in the pre-facelift version as well, and Honda should’ve fixed it in the new version.

Also, while Honda has added a rear windshield sunbind, which is a good addition, sunblinds on the rear windows would’ve also been appreciated.

Practicality

In terms of storage options, you are sorted. City offers bottle holders in all four doors, you get two cupholders in the centre console, storage under the front centre armrest, there is a tray under the climate control panel to keep your phone, a small tray underneath it to keep keys or loose change, and a decent sized glovebox.

Rear passengers get two cupholders in the armrest and you also get seatback pockets.

Charging Options

For charging options, front passengers get a USB type-C port, a USB type-A port, and a 12V socket. Rear passengers get two USB type-C ports placed under the rear AC vents. The City also gets a wireless phone charger placed under the front armrest in the hybrid variant. 

In the non-hybrid variants, the wireless phone charger is placed behind the cupholders and it looks like an accessory as it needs to be plugged into the 12V socket and can be removed if not in use.

Boot Space

When it comes to practicality, the Honda City facelift continues to impress with its generous 506-litre boot space. The luggage area is not just large on paper, but also very usable in the real world, thanks to its deep and well-shaped layout.

It can comfortably accommodate a full set of suitcases along with a couple of soft bags and smaller backpacks without feeling cramped. The wide opening and flat loading area also make it easier to organise luggage efficiently, especially during long family trips or airport runs. You can even stack suitcases neatly over one another, allowing better utilisation of the available space.

The hybrid variant, however, gets a slightly smaller 410-litre boot due to the placement of the battery pack underneath. While there is a noticeable reduction in overall capacity compared to the standard petrol version, the space on offer still remains practical enough for most family requirements.

Even with the reduced capacity, the hybrid can still accommodate a full suitcase set consisting of small, medium and large bags, along with one or two additional soft bags. That said, there are a few compromises. The hybrid version misses out on 60:40 split-folding rear seats, which slightly limits flexibility while carrying larger items. It also does not get a full-size spare wheel.

There have been three major feature additions in the new City, and let’s start with the new 10.1-inch touchscreen. This new system goes into the same place where the older 8-inch unit was placed, and it comes with an updated user interface. This screen is not buttery smooth, but it does not lag or through glitches. You also get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, both of which run smoothly. This screen also supports gestures which you can use to change volume and songs.

However, there are a few issues. One is the brightness, which even at max is not enough to make the contents visible in harsh light. Second is the position, as it faces upwards towards the roof, which makes it even more difficult to read, and since it goes into the same housing as the older unit, it looks like it is an afterthought rather than a pre-planned feature addition.

Next is a 360-degree camera, which too is a nice addition, but one use and you’ll realize that it needs better execution. On the feed, there is no dedicated 3D mode which you can move around with your hand, instead, you get separate buttons for different camera angles.

Also, the camera quality in itself is not as good as it should be considering the City’s price. The feed is grainy, the rear parking camera gives it a distorted view, and in low light conditions you won’t be able to make out properly what’s around you. We have seen better camera systems in cars that cost half of what the City asks for, and this is something that Honda should work on.

The last major addition is ventilated front seats. This feature in the City works silently, cools the seats quickly, and you don’t have to fiddle around the seat or the touchscreen to find the button, as it has been placed on the climate control panel for convenience.

Rest of the features are your daily use ones which have been mentioned in this table.

Apart from the 360-degree camera mentioned above, the City also comes with features like 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), all-wheel disc brakes, hill hold assist, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

It also comes with a lane-watch camera which shows you the feed of your blind spot when you are turning left or changing lanes to the left side, and you get Level 2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and autonomous emergency braking.

There have been no changes made to the powertrain of the City, as it still comes with the two engine options of the outgoing version. I tested both the petrol and hybrid versions of the sedan on the outskirts of Bangalore. The route involved a mix of highway and city roads which allowed me to get a good understanding of how the City would fare in our conditions.

1.5-litre Strong Hybrid Petrol

City Performance

We drove the strong hybrid engine on the first drive and its performance gives you the best of both worlds. This is a 4-cylinder unit which is well refined as you do not feel any vibrations inside the cabin.

The hybrid system gives you electrical assist which allows you to quickly speed up from a standstill. It also means that you don’t have to worry about overtaking anyone inside the city. There is enough power here to get to high city speeds and if you’re cruising, the car goes into EV mode to save fuel.

Inside the city, you can easily get a fuel efficiency of around 19-20 kmpl with hybrid assistance. On my drive in Bangalore, which spanned around 100 km, the indicated fuel efficiency was just as much.

Highway Performance

When driving on the highway, you get the same electrical assistance that allows you to cruise in EV mode, but it also gives you the ability to overtake anyone around you as the acceleration is good at higher revs. 

However, with the e-CVT, you have to be progressive with your throttle input, as it takes some time to catch up to the engine and your throttle. Unlike turbo-petrol engines with DCTs, where you get instant acceleration, the City’s powertrain requires you to be patient.

The engine also gets loud under hard acceleration and you hear that inside the cabin due to less cabin insulation. 

But when it comes to fuel efficiency, you can easily get 23-24 kmpl or even higher with the help of this strong hybrid setup.

1.5-litre NA Petrol

City Performance

The same engine without the hybrid setup is for those who prefer relaxed driving. It has the same refinement levels, so vibrations won’t be an issue, and inside the city you won’t feel any lack of power. Even with the less powerful engine, you can perform overtakes in the city without thinking twice about it.

In our short test route which comprised mostly of city-like conditions, we managed to get 12-13 kmpl.

Highway Performance

When the revs are high, then this engine does not give you any issues as it will let you perform quick overtakes. However, getting to those revs is what takes time because the performance in the mid-range is not as good.

This, combined with the CVT and the lack of insulation, makes it feel like you are pushing the engine too much and not getting the required acceleration. You can pick the manual here to have control over the gear shifts, but if you prefer to drive in a relaxed manner and want driving convenience, then the CVT is the one for you.

On the highways, you can get a fuel efficiency of around 15-16 kmpl.

Ride Comfort

When it comes to keeping passengers comfortable, the City knows what it’s doing. When you’re driving in the city and you go over broken patches, speedbreakers, or potholes, the City’s suspension setup absorbs most of it and gives you a cushioned ride.

And when you’re on the highway, driving at high speeds, you get a planted feeling with makes the car feel stable even over cracks, undulations, and expansion joints.

Handling

This same stability comes in handy when you’re taking sharp corners, because even at high speed corners, the City feels steady and stable. The precise steering feedback makes those corners even more fun and this setup actually makes you feel confident while taking them.

Like most cars, you don't get all the engine options with all variants (detailed variant-wise powertrain availability of the City can be found here).

The Honda City facelift is available in four variants: SV, V, ZX and ZX+. Here's a detailed look at what each variant of the Honda City gets. 

City SV

The base variant is available only with the 6-speed manual gearbox.

• Despite being the entry-level trim, it still gets LED projector headlamps, connected LED DRLs, LED tail lamps, shark-fin antenna, and 15-inch wheels.

• Inside, the cabin gets a dual-tone interior theme, rear AC vents, all four power windows, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, and fabric seat upholstery.

• Features include an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, push-button start/stop and steering-mounted controls.

• Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESC, hill-start assist, rear parking sensors, TPMS, ISOFIX child seat mounts and emergency stop signal.

City V

The V variant is available with both manual and CVT gearbox options.

• This variant adds 16-inch alloy wheels, wireless phone charging, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlamps and ambient lighting.

• The infotainment package is upgraded with a larger 10.1-inch touchscreen and connected car technology.

• Comfort features include rear sunshade, rear armrest with cupholders, automatic climate control and USB-C charging ports for rear passengers.

This is also the variant where the City starts feeling noticeably more premium and feature-loaded for everyday usage.

City ZX

The ZX variant further enhances the premium experience and is available with both manual and CVT options.

• Exterior additions include the sporty trunk lip spoiler and more premium styling elements.

• The cabin gets perforated ivory leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, soft-touch materials, and a semi-digital TFT driver display.

• Additional features include an 8-speaker sound system, auto-dimming IRVM, LaneWatch camera and walk-away auto lock for CVT variants.

• Safety package now includes Honda SENSING Level-2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, collision mitigation braking and auto high beam.

City ZX+

The top-spec ZX+ variant is available with petrol CVT and the strong-hybrid e:HEV powertrain.

• No major changes to the exterior design, but this variant gets the complete feature and safety package.

• The hybrid version comes with Honda’s self-charging dual-motor hybrid system paired with an e-CVT gearbox, delivering stronger fuel efficiency and a smoother urban driving experience.

• Additional features include a 360-degree camera, electronic parking brake with auto hold, active front ventilated seats, enhanced ambient lighting and hybrid-specific displays/functions.

• The e:HEV variant also gets EV, Hybrid and Engine drive modes that seamlessly switch depending on driving conditions.

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Pick the V variant if you want the best balance between value, features and everyday usability. It gets most of the important feel-good features while keeping the pricing relatively sensible.

The ZX variant makes the most sense for buyers looking for a genuinely premium experience along with ADAS safety tech.

Go for the ZX+ e:HEV only if your priority is fuel efficiency, smoother city drivability and the hybrid experience. It is expensive, but it also feels the most sophisticated version of the City lineup.

The Honda City facelift still appeals to the same buyer it earlier used to and there have been changes made to the design to make it look more modern. However, the new feature additions feel rushed and aftermarket rather than thoughtfully planned.

But the City still is a good sedan to own. It looks elegant, the cabin feels premium, you get all the features you need, the ride quality is very comfortable, and the hybrid setup keeps your wallet full. 

If you do not want fancy bells and whistles, and your priority lies towards reliability and sophistication, then the Honda City is still a good choice for you.

Other Options To Consider

Hyundai Verna

Reasons To Consider

• Better features

• Sporty looks

• Turbo-petrol engine

Reasons To Ignore

• No hybrid option

• Polarising design

Skoda Slavia/Volkswagen Virtus

Reasons To Consider

• Fun-to drive performance

• Sporty handling

• More features

Reason To Ignore

• Low fuel efficiency

• Less space

• No hybrid option