Honda might have remained silent for most of the last year, but it is trying to make its presence felt with its next big launch, the City Hybrid
After the departure of Ford from the mass market of India, many people were speculating that Honda to be the next big name to mark its exit from India. Putting all the speculations to rest, Honda is expanding its lineup in India with the new City Hybrid. A new top-spec version of the existing fifth-generation City, the new Honda City Hybrid, will be unveiled in India on April 14.
Honda City Hybrid To Get Most Advanced Powertrain
Want to know more about the engine of the upcoming Honda City Hybrid? Make sure that you SWIPE UP!
The Honda City Hybrid will have an entirely different heart under its hood compared to the 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine of the standard version of the car available in India right now. The powertrain of the City Hybrid is a combination of a 1.5-litre Atkinson petrol engine and two electric motors.
The 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated Atkinson petrol engine produces 98 bhp of power and 127 Nm of torque. Talking about the two electric motors, while one motor serves as an integrated starter-generator (ISG), another electric motor churns out 109 bhp of power and 253 Nm of torque and transfers it to the front wheels via a unique single-speed gearbox.
It will become the most fuel-efficient car in the market (SWIPE UP TO KNOW THE FIGURE)
The Honda City Hybrid will come with three drive modes – one where only the 1.5-litre petrol engine is in use, one where only the electric motors are in use, and one where a combination of both petrol engine and motors are in use. With this technically advanced powertrain, the Honda City Hybrid will be much more fuel-efficient than the standard petrol-powered version of the City. For reference, the Thailand-spec model returns a fuel efficiency of 27.8 kmpl, which might be the same for the India-spec version.
Does it look different from standard Honda City?
We expect Honda to bring the City Hybrid to India in the same RS trim, with which it is available in other global markets. With this change, the Honda City Hybrid looks slightly different from the regular City, with highlights like a gloss black finish for the front grille, rearview mirrors and bumper highlights. On the inside, an all-black cabin replaces the dual-tone black and beige upholstery of the regular City.
The Honda City Hybrid will retain all the premium features from the ZX variant of the regular City, such as leather upholstery, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, lane watch camera, automatic climate control, rear AC vents and electric sunroof.
However, with the hybrid, there will be a few features additons
In addition to these features, the City Hybrid will also get a revised layout for the TFT instrument console and a range of autonomous driving assistance features branded as Honda Sensing technology. Some of the features available in this package are lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, auto high beam assist and front collision warning. All these features will use a radar system mounted on the upper part of the front windscreen.
What will be the price of the Honda City Hybrid?
Honda may also bring the City RS to the market
The Honda City Hybrid is not the first full-hybrid car from Honda for India, as we had the Civic Hybrid and Accord Hybrid from the Japanese carmaker in the past. Like the previous full-hybrid offerings from Honda, the City Hybrid will also be a pricey proposition. Expect Honda to price the City Hybrid between Rs 18-20 lakh once it comes to India.
What do you think about the upcoming Honda City Hybrid? Let us know in the comments below.
Keyword: Honda City To Become India’s Most Fuel-Efficient Sedan