The updated Honda City is going to be launched in India soon. The mid-life update of the current generation Honda City has been launched in Thailand. The car has been spotted on Indian soil a few times making appearance at a dealer’s stockyard already. The 2017 Honda City gets an array of updates on the outside to make it look aggressive and modern while the mechanicals remain unchanged. Honda is expected to revive the ‘ZX’ moniker with the new City, which will be launched in India soon.
On first impression, the most noticeable change is the revised design of the grille. The front fascia and the bumper are redone and are now similar to the one found in the updated Amaze and Brio while the headlamp cluster gets LED treatment like the one seen on the Accord. The LED DRL strip also highlights the fresh design when illuminated. The horizontal slat on the grille flows into a notably redesigned wedged-shaped headlight. The fog lamps surround are reworked, and the grille gets the thick mesh but the bonnet profile remains unchanged. The corkscrew-type diamond cut alloy wheels are all-new and so is the new hue of blue paint scheme called ‘cosmic blue metallic’.
Moving to the rear, the tail lights design remains the same although there is a new LED lighting signature. The tailgates also seem unchanged whereas the bumper gets a new mesh insert. The rest of the creases and body lines are carried forward from the current car.
The cabin gets an all-black treatment instead of beige as on the current City. The silver accent and gloss black finish around the busy yet well-laid out dashboard comprises of a 6.8-inch touchscreen and continues in the new City. The features and equipment list are retained with sunroof, adjustable steering, split and foldable rear bench, start/stop button, automatic climate control and electronic folding rear-view mirrors. The infotainment system is expected to come with smartphone connectivity as well.
The powertrain when it arrives in India will be the same as the current City. The 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel unit making 98bhp and 200Nm and the 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol producing 119bhp and 145Nm will be powering the new car. The diesel variant will come with a six-speed manual while the petrol gets an option of a five-speed manual CVT gearbox. The ABS and dual front airbags should come as standard with the new City keeping in mind the safety regulations that are soon going to be regulated.
The City will continue to rival the C-segment sedans in form of Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento (both of which are due for an update), Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the recently updated Skoda Rapid. The prices are expected to remain more or less the same as the current Honda City.
