Honda City

When you step inside the Honda City, you can clearly see how it considers passenger comfort over flashy gimmicks, with its minimalist, modern interiors.

Cabin Layout and Quality

The dashboard layout is clean and no-nonsense, with its primary feature being the two-spoke multifunction steering wheel. Material quality used across the board is acceptable, while the Honda City’s seat upholstery comes in two variants: standard fabric and premium beige leatherette in the base and high-end models, respectively. The sedan also has an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system loaded with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a seven-inch semi-digital display, one which is particularly useful for checking the vehicle’s essential information.

Seating and Comfort
Front Row

These seats are well-contoured with acceptable back and lateral support. Moreover, the driver gets a height-adjustable seat, so there is no hassle finding a comfortable driving position according to one’s height.

Second Row

The rear seat space is adequate; tall adults can fit in comfortably due to the sufficient legroom. The second row has dedicated AC vents, too; their layout is thoughtfully designed to keep all occupants comfortable on long rides.

Features That Improve Daily Use

• The eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
• The automatic climate control system.
• The wireless smartphone charger.
• The keyless entry system.

Pricing is pretty reasonable for the Honda City, but it can also get expensive, depending on the variant you want. The base models are modest, beginning at Rs. 12.00 lakh, but the eHEV variant reaches towards Rs. 20.00 lakh. Rightly so, because the eHEV provides more mileage and hybrid technology.

Honda City Ex-Showroom Price (India)

The following table lists all the variants from the Honda City and their current ex-showroom prices.

Because of its economic brilliance, the Honda City has always been an attractive car among buyers. When we talk about its 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, ARAI claims it can reach 17.8 kmpl with the manual gearbox option. And with the CVT automatic, it can go much higher, somewhere around 18.4 kmpl.
But there’s no competition to the eHEV variant, the winner in this segment. It’s ARAI mileage is 27.13 kmpl, and even though that number may be hard to achieve in real-world driving conditions, you can still expect somewhere between 23 and 25 kmpl. The hybrid system is also unique in the sense that it smoothly gels into stop-and-go city traffic. When needed, it will switch to pure EV mode at lower double digits to save fuel.
Note: The petrol variants consume more fuel when you want them to deliver a more aggressive performance, but this isn’t something to overly fuss about. Highway cruising with the Honda City still returns reasonable mileage figures.

Claimed Efficiency and Real-World Observations

The table shows the Honda City’s certified and observed fuel economy across different requirements.

Passenger protection has always been a clear priority for the Japanese brand, and it's no different for the Honda City. It has a strong, structural safety cage composed of high-tensile steel that efficiently absorbs collision impact forces, thereby providing reliable occupant protection on India’s pothole-ridden roads.

Passive Safety and Crash Protection

The fifth-generation model has secured a five-star rating in the ASEAN NCAP assessments. Its standard passive safety equipment includes six airbags across all variants, three-point seatbelts for all passengers, and ISOFIX child seat anchorages. Meanwhile, the car’s body structure is rigid enough to keep the cabin incredibly stable during high-speed frontal and side impacts. We need to mention one thing here; the car has not been tested by Bharat NCAP yet. However, we can say that it still meets the highest safety standards set under Indian regulations anyway.

Active Safety and Stability Systems in the Honda City

Honda has also equipped the sedan with advanced active safety tech, most notably the Honda Sensing ADAS suite which is now available even in the lower-end trims like the V variant. This system is a nexus of several safety elements: a Collision Mitigation Braking System, a Road Departure Mitigation, and an Adaptive Cruise Control. There are other standard features too, including Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist, and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System. Furthermore, the car has a signature LaneWatch camera; drivers can use it to see the left-side blind spot directly on the central touchscreen.
Girish summarises the safety suite,
“The lane departure and brake assist work full-time. Steering assist and adaptive cruise control can be initiated only at highway speeds: 65 kmph and 72 kmph, respectively. Importantly, it works pretty well, although you need to get used to it.”

The Japanese manufacturer keeps the Honda City’s price reasonable. To achieve this, the car gets the required technology without any extra, unnecessary features.

Infotainment and Interface

The eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system is the dashboard’s centrepiece. It comes with Apple CarPlay 

and Android Auto, and the display is bright enough to be readable on sunny days. There is also a seven-inch semi-digital instrument cluster, via which the driver can check ADAS alerts and other trip information. The cabin’s audible entertainment, meanwhile, is complemented by the impressive eight-speaker premium system, but it is available only in the higher variants.
According to Girish,
“A cool bit is that the needle in the speedometer is an actual one, while the one on the left is a display, but it is hard to tell because both light up and move in sync. The left pod is actually a digital display, and you can toggle multiple information sets on it.”

Cabin Convenience and Practical Tech

To keep the cabin’s temperature optimal, the sedan has an automatic climate control system and rear AC vents. Other notable features include a wireless phone charger, an auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, and a single-pane electric sunroof. 
Here’s what Girish adds about the Honda Sense feature,
“Honda Sensing uses a high-calibre camera embedded behind the front windscreen. It scans the road ahead to assist the driver with braking, while keeping the car in the middle of the lane.”

When it comes to luggage-carrying capabilities, the Honda City does not disappoint. Long road trips, airport runs, or weekend getaways, you name it, and the sedan will provide you with the required cargo space. The standard petrol variants, whether paired with a manual or automatic gearbox, have a massive 506-litre boot capacity. This space is wide and deep, and the loading lip is also at a convenient height, so lifting heavy suitcases requires minimal effort.
Here are a few highlights of the car’s cargo-carrying capabilities:

• The 506-litre trunk is large enough to accommodate two large hard-shell suitcases and a few soft duffel bags.
• The wide boot opening allows you to load unusually-shaped items without hassle.
• But buyers interested in the eHEV variant will have to compromise; the boot space here is reduced to 306 litres due to the battery pack beneath the cargo floor.

The Honda City feels assured and planted at high speeds. The car has a MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear setup; both tuned to the softer side. They work in tandem to prevent vibrations from reaching the cabin and disturbing its passengers. Meanwhile, the sedan's steering navigates the city without locking down, while weighing up once the speed increases. One feature people often inspect when buying a car is how the vehicle handles tight corners. The Honda City does not disappoint; it ensures the car's occupants are not tossed around during cornering.
Here is how the car's driving dynamics felt for us:

• Petrol Manual: This is the most engaging setup. It's easy to manoeuvre, and the car also remains stable around corners.
• Petrol CVT: This one's for absolute urban convenience. To keep things precise, you benefit from fatigue-free commutes in traffic.
• Strong Hybrid (eHEV): Thanks to the rear-mounted battery pack, this hybrid variant also has a lower centre of gravity than its other two siblings.

The Honda City’s petrol range includes the SV, V, VX, and ZX trims. There are multiple options to choose from, and buyers can pair the 1.5-Litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission.
Note: The entry-level SV trim only offers the manual option.
For buyers who want maximum fuel efficiency, Honda offers the eHEV hybrid powertrain. This setup is available primarily in the fully loaded ZX trim. We also need to mention that Honda sometimes introduces special editions, such as the Elegant Edition or Sport trim, which mostly focus on visual enhancements. The table below lists all the Honda City variants and their key offerings.
As Girish puts it,

“The City may have originally been conceived as a compact sedan, but in India, it managed to earn a premium tag. Honda almost lost that tag over the last few years, as it tried to dabble with 'more affordable' cars. The City brand handled that rough patch well, and with the fifth-gen car, it arguably looks the part of a premium sedan.”

The Honda City comes to Indian shores in multiple trims and powertrain options.

For Budget Buyers: SV

You don’t need to look beyond the SV variant here; we guarantee it maintains the core Honda City experience. If you’re looking for the second car of your life, this one's it.

For City Riding: V CVT or VX CVT

If you live in a traffic-heavy city, the V CVT or VX CVT variants are appropriate, then. These mid-spec trims have all the necessary features, from smartphone connectivity to a responsive infotainment system.

For Highway Runs: ZX eHEV

Economically speaking, there’s no better option in the lineup than the ZX eHEV hybrid. But if the hybrid stretches your budget, the standard ZX manual will do the job.