Honda Cars India Limited has enjoyed a huge amount of success in the Indian car market. Although the company had been late in rolling out diesel engines in the country but ever since the launch of Amaze, it has generated a huge amount of consumer interest. The entry level sedan of Honda is first to be powered by a diesel engine in India and till now, it has found a large customer base in the country. So on taking in account the kind of reputation Amaze has built, auto analysts are eagerly waiting for the diesel version of City as the petrol one has been a runaway success for the company off late. The car is among the most anticipated releases in the Indian car market as it possess the ability to completely overturn the respective segment post launch.
Going by reports, Honda is actively working on the diesel variant of City that would make its head start in India by next year. At present, no official confirmation is available on the exact launch date of the car but company officials have previously hinted that the model is in developing phase and is due for launch in 2014. According to industry experts, Honda City diesel is all likely to get the state-of-the-art i-DTEC diesel engine, which currently powers the Amaze model. However, the 1.5-litre powertrain might be tweaked so as to give away better torque and power. Also to mention, the possibility of a powerful i-DTEC engine in City cannot be ruled out. The car might get the same 5-speed manual gearbox and doubts remain over the availability of an automatic version during the initial stages. Industry experts are also betting high that automatic diesel City shall be equipped with paddle shifters.
Further going in line with reports, Honda is aiming to structure diesel City with G-CON (G-Force Control Technology) that helps in reducing the impact whenever the car collides with an object. With its powerful diesel engine, the car would be offering fuel economy of around 12 to 15 kmpl on different road conditions. As Honda has impressed before in the design aspect of its cars, the upcoming variant of City would also carry the hallmark of the Japanese auto maker. The diesel variant is expected to be in same design and shape as the petrol version, however minor changes like halogen headlamps, chrome door lock handles, green tinted glass and 5-spoke alloy wheels might be add-ons.
In case of features, Honda City diesel will get leather seat upholstery, automatic air conditioning system, tilt steering wheel and a better multimedia touch screen system that is compatible with AUX-In, UBS, iPod and Bluetooth. Also, the audio visual navigation system might be provided. For safety, Honda is expected to offer ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), dual front SRS airbags and rear parking sensors in the diesel version of City.
For price, the general consensus is that Honda City would be placed around Rs. 9 lakh for the base variant and Rs. 12 lakh for the top-end trim. To assess the rivalry of Honda City diesel, the car will compete against the diesel models like Hyundai Verna Fluidic, Maruti Suzuki SX4, Volkswagen Vento, Skoda Rapid. Presently, the mid-size sedan segment is dominated by Hyundai Verna Fluidic and on considering the response meted out to the i-DTEC powertrain of Amaze, Honda City diesel would make a mark in the Indian car market post its launch.
