A couple of years ago, according to a media report, an electrified Honda car was expected to be launched in India by the year 2020, and if the reports are true, this new Honda model will be the new-generation City which will be electrified for its 2020 debut. And now according to a new press report, Honda has reasserted that to be true and a new hybrid Honda City is expected to be launched in 2020.
Honda is expected to bring more hybrid engine vehicles before bringing a fully electric model to the Indian markets. The 2020 Honda City model was expected to be fully hybrid as sold in the global markets, but now it is speculated that only a mild hybrid version of the car will make to the Indian soil as the fully hybrid model will be very expensive for our market.
The 2020 Honda City will be redesigned with subtle changes to its exteriors with new refreshed grille, new LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED fog lamps, LED taillights, redesigned bumpers on both ends. The interiors will also be refreshed and more details will be available closer to its launch. The next generation City will be sold in the Japanese and Asian markets in the full hybrid avatar which is also expected to be seen once its close competitor the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz in in its next generation update.
There are also speculations that the next generation Honda Jazz which is going to see an upgrade soon and has been spotted testing in Europe under camouflage covers, will be launched in a full hybrid and fully electric options in the international markets. The Jazz although loved for its practicality, does not see high sales numbers here in India thanks to Honda charging more than premium pricing.
In India, Honda sells the Accord Hybrid which is powered by a Sport Hybrid i-MMD (Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive) 2-motor hybrid system. The petrol powered motor is a 2.0-litre, Atkinson cycle, DOHC, i-VTEC engine that produces 145 PS of power and 175 Nm of torque connected to a 184 PS / 315 Nm electric drive motor with a 1.3kWh lithium-ion battery along with an electronic Continuously Variable Transmission. The Honda Accord retails in India at the price of INR 43.21 lakh ex-showroom, Delhi.
The Honda City Hybrid when launched could become the most expensive variant in the popular sedans line-up.