News/ Others/ Honda City Hybrid e:HEV Makes The Indian Debut; Here's Everything You Need To Know

Honda City Hybrid e:HEV Makes The Indian Debut; Here's Everything You Need To Know

The race to electrify the automobile industry is rapidly taking a momentous growth, and where other manufacturers are opting for complete battery-driven solutions, Honda has opted for a strategic Hybrid solution to tackle the problem. The Honda City has always been a legendary name in the Indian market that has remained a segment favourite throughout its inception. The latest Honda City e:HEV claims to carry the legacy forward in its hybrid powertrain guise with a respectful 26.5 km/l of fuel economy. The car will be available on the top of the line ZX variant that comes with host of advanced safety and connected features.

Exteriors:

The Honda City has always been a handsome looking proper sedan. And thankfully, Honda has not made any substantial changes to the overall design and styling of the car. Honda has tastefully added some quirky design elements to make it different from the usual City, like the signature solid blue H-mark logo on the front, trunk lip spoiler and a rear bumper diffuser with a carbon finish. It also gets a new claw type fog light garnish, Z shaped LED tail lamps, and updated dual-tone black painted diamond-cut R16 alloy wheels.

Interiors:

The Honda City e:HEV gets a dual-tone ivory-black colour theme that makes it look more premium and appealing. It also gets a 7-inch full HD colour TFT meter console behind the steering wheel that displays multi-information, including e:HEV power flow meters, Honda Sensing support and various other alerts and warnings. The car also features a sophisticated dashboard layout with soft pads and a large 8-inch centre display with Android-Auto and Apple CarPlay. The car also features a one-touch electric sunroof. All in all, the interior layout design is quite simple and sophisticated.

Powertrain:

The biggest takeaway from the Honda City e:HEV is its powertrain. The City e:HEV gets a 1.5-litre, N-A petrol engine paired with two e-motors producing 109 hp of power and 253 Nm of torque. Honda claims there is a seamless transition between driving modes to meet the spirited driving style without compromising fuel economy. With the official fuel economy figures of 26.6km/l, it is the most fuel-efficient sedan in its class. The City comes with three driving modes, where-in at the low-speed city driving (0-40km/h), the car completely runes in pure electric mode, taking energy entirely from the battery. The hybrid system activates at the mid-speed driving of around 40-80km/h, where energy is harnessed from the engine and battery according to the need. Post 80km/h, most of the power demand is full-filled by the engine itself.

Features and Convenience:

The Honda City e:HEV comes with advanced safety features such as lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, auto high beam and collision mitigation braking system, to name a few. It also gets a high-performance front camera with a wide-angle, far-reaching detection system to help alert the driver and minimise the risk of accidents. The car also gets 6-airbags, a lane-watch camera, a vehicle stability assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and a hill start assist.

Prices and Booking

The price of the car has not been revealed as of now, but we expect it to be priced around 19-21 lakh( ex-showroom). The pre-booking of the vehicle has already begun, and deliveries are expected to be made by the month of May. Honda is also offering a 3-year/ unlimited km warranty as well as an 8-year warranty on its battery pack. The City's handsome styling, sophisticated interiors, fuel-efficient hybrid motor, and compelling safety and convenience features make it an irresistible sedan in its class.

TopGear Magazine October 2024