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The wait is finally over. The Honda City has long been a staple of the mid-size sedan segment in India, and it has finally received its much-anticipated facelift. While Honda is pitching this as a major step forward, a first glance reveals that the changes are largely evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
Is the updated Honda City still the undisputed king of the segment, or should you hold out for its European rivals? Let’s dive into the details.
°° Exterior Styling:
Subtle Tweaks and a Sportier Stance
At the front, the new Honda City sports a wider, redesigned grille that subtly alters the car's proportions, making it look slightly longer. Flanking the grille are sleeker LED headlamps. Honda claims these offer a superior light throw, though we will reserve our final judgment until we put them through a comprehensive night-time test.
However, it isn't all good news upfront. In a puzzling move that seems to be catching on with modern manufacturers, **Honda has omitted fog lamps from this update**—a clear miss for driving in low-visibility conditions.
Moving to the side, the silhouette remains virtually identical to its predecessor. You still get:
° °°16-inch alloy wheels°°,
now featuring heavier black accents for a distinctly sporty look (which looks particularly striking against the black body color).
° °°Decent ground clearance°°
that, while not class-leading, is perfectly adequate for navigating standard Indian road conditions.
° °°Premium touches°°
like passive keyless entry, a sunroof, and a shark-fin antenna.
The rear sees minor tweaks to the tail lamp clusters, though the changes are so subtle that the average onlooker might not even notice them.
°°The Tech Upgrade: Cameras, ADAS, and Angled Screens
One of the biggest functional additions to the exterior is the integration of a **360-degree camera system**, a feature previously missing from the City lineup.
The car also features Honda Sensing—their signature **Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS)**. Interestingly, Honda relies solely on a camera-based setup here rather than a radar-and-camera combination. Additionally, the daytime running LED setup can now be manually switched off if you prefer a stealthier look.
Cabin Comfort and Interior Updates.
Stepping inside, the overall layout of the dashboard remains familiar, utilizing a mix of hard plastics on top and premium soft-touch materials where it matters. Honda has introduced a lighter **Ivory color scheme** for the upholstery, giving the cabin a brighter, more spacious feel. The seats retain their legendary, plush "sofa-like" comfort.
°°° Front Cabin Features .
°°°Infotainment:°°
The touchscreen display is larger than before, but it sits at a slightly odd, tilted angle rather than flush and upright. While the 360-degree camera feed looks decent on it, the user interface remains very simplistic and typically Japanese—functional, but not highly intuitive.
° °°Comfort & Convenience:°°
In a massive win for Indian summers, **front ventilated seats** are finally part of the package.
In a massive win for Indian summers, **front ventilated seats** are finally part of the package.
° °°Ergonomic Tweaks:°° The wireless charging pad has been repositioned next to the gear lever, right alongside the newly added **Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) and Auto-Hold** switches. You also get dual Type-C ports, a 12V socket, and dual cup holders.
°°° Rear Seat Experience
Because this is a facelift, the rear legroom and knee room remain just as generous as before. However, a few missed opportunities linger:
° °°Fixed Headrests:°°
While the three rear headrests look adjustable, they are entirely fixed.
° °°Thigh Support:°°
Under-thigh support is decent but could have been slightly better for taller passengers.
* On the upside, rear passengers now get **two dedicated Type-C charging ports** alongside the standard rear AC vents.
°°The Hybrid Conundrum:
Fuel Efficiency vs. Boot Space
The powertrain lineup consists of two familiar options:
1. °°1.5L Naturally Aspirated Petrol:°° Available with a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic.
2. °°1.5L Strong Hybrid (e:HEV):°° Paired with an e-CVT.
While Honda claims an incredible **28 km/l fuel efficiency** for the hybrid variant, it comes with a massive practical trade-off.
°°The Boot Space Tax:°°
The standard petrol Honda City offers a massive 500-liter boot. Because the hybrid system's battery pack sits under the rear cargo floor, the hybrid variant's boot space shrinks to just **300 liters**. Losing 200 liters of space severely limits its capability as a long-distance family tourer.
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°°° Variants and Pricing
Honda has done a commendable job with the pricing structure, keeping the entry-level variant competitive:
°Starting Price:** ₹14 Lakh (On-road, entry-level variant).
° °°Top-End Pricing:°° Goes up to ₹23–24 Lakh for the fully loaded hybrid, depending on your city.
° °°Trims Available:°° SV, V, VX, and ZX (with automatic options available from the V trim onwards).
While the petrol variants offer excellent value for money, the hybrid variants cross into a premium price bracket that makes the value proposition a bit tougher to swallow.
° °° The Verdict: Should You Buy It?
The updated Honda City brings welcome features like ventilated seats, an electronic parking brake, and a 360-degree camera to a package that was already renowned for comfort and reliability.
However, with rivals like the Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus continuously receiving updates and offering robust turbo-petrol performance, the competition is fiercer than ever. If you are in the market for a no-nonsense, comfortable, and efficient commuter, the petrol City is hard to beat. But given the strong competition, **waiting a bit and test-driving the competition before signing the dotted line might be the smartest move.