Honda is getting ready to launch the fifth-generation City and the car has been spotted testing in Thailand. The fourth-generation car made its debut in 2014 and it is being speculated that Honda will bring the new generation car to the Indian market next year. The spy pictures show the test mule to be heavily camouflaged and only a few details are revealed.
Looking at the spy images, the City gets a wide grille with a thick chrome element and a Honda badge in the centre typical of a Honda face, but this one gets its design cues from the Honda Accord along with LED headlamps which integrate with the grille and wraparound taillights. The tail lights get a new refresh design with tapering corners on both ends. The car also looks a bit larger, both in length and width than the current model.
Under the skin, it is expected to get a mild-hybrid engine and if it is launched next year in India, the engine is expected to be BSVI standard. The diesel model on the City is also expected to get the BSVI upgrade and the next generation City is expected to come with a CVT diesel engine. The current Honda City that is available in the Indian market is powered by two engine options:-
- 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol producing 119 PS of power and 145 Nm of torque coupled to a 5-speed manual and an optional CVT automatic.
- 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine producing 100 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed manual.
The Honda City competes with the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Skoda Rapid, Volkswagen Vento & Toyota Yaris in India. When launched, the primary focus with the new Honda City will be on the mild-hybrid variant, which will serve as a perfect transition phase before the Indian market goes all electric.
