Maxabout Review

Honda Planning To Make City More Economical

The first generation Honda City was introduced in 1996, quickly responding to the growing needs for automobiles in Asian markets associated with economic growth in the region. Today, City is produced in seven countries and enjoyed by customers in 39 nations around the world.

Last year Honda Cars India launched the New Honda City with a more powerful engine than the outgoing city which generates maximum power of 118 Bhp. Now, they are planning to plonk a 100Bhp plus diesel engine in City which is expected to be in the league of Verna and Fiesta's engines. It will be termed as iCTDi which stands for intelligent common rail turbo diesel injection.

Honda is also planning to launch the diesel versions of CR-V and Accord and it is rumoured that city will be the last one to get diesel option. The dimensions of the current generation Honda city are - 4,395mm long, 1,695mm wide and 1,470mm tall. Honda designers have taken some design cues from civic especially for the front look. Regarding production of the new CITY, HATC will support the startup of production in developing countries including ASEAN markets, India and China.

The front is definitely inspired by the likes of the European Honda Civic and the Honda FCX Clarity. The headlamps feature reflector lense instead of the more expensive projector type, which is expected at this price range. The Rear of new city looks like a mini-ish BMW 3-series with aggresive looking bumper and tail lights. The interiors of new Honda City are light. Some markets may get a dark interior, hopefully. Our current City model come with either a dark interior for the VTEC & a light interior for the i-DSI. It features a clean and simple interior with integrated audio and the new design Honda steering wheel. The City has grown in every dimension.

Everything is laid out nicely, and there is a quality feel to all the controls. The plastics are hard, but in a solid and chunky sort of way. The steering wheel is now adjustable for reach as well as height, which is a really excellent feature for this segment of the market. Another nice touch is the iPod compatible USB connector. Although the Jazz already has this, the City has a very nicely integrated system. The display section of the audio system is hinged, opening to reveal a short USB cable which will accept your iPod cable.

There is a little felt-lined compartment for your iPod. Once installed, you can control your iPod via the car's audio system. The City doesn't have a CD player, so you need an iPod, or other compatible MP3 player to take your songs with you. Still, it's nicely done.

In the automatic model of city the unique Paddle Shift gear option allows you to switch gears without using the clutch pedal. The 5 gear automatic trasmission allows you to change gear ratios automatically-freeing you from having to shift gears manually. The right paddle is for shifting up while the left paddle is for shifting down, which is the same as for an F1 machine.

In D-range mode, the driver can shift up and down by using the paddles, while automatically returning to normal AT driving mode when a sensor determines the car is cruising. On the other hand, in S-range, the mode does not revert automatically to AT driving mode, which allows the driver to enjoy a manual transmission-like driving feel.

Intake valve timing and valve lift settings switch to meet both low- and high-speed driving requirements. Optimized valve overlap in the low-, mid- and high-speed ranges enhances intake and exhaust efficiency for excellent performance with plenty of torque throughout all speed ranges.

Honda City comes fully loaded with all active and passive safety features including ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) with Brake Assist, Dual SRS airbags, pre-tensioner seat belts andG-Force Control Technology body with a crush-proof survival zone. The front body structure ensures advanced pedestrian safety features. With the new City, these safety features are now a standard offering across the entire range of Honda in the Indian market.

Honda city is a car which lives up to its name, it is an excellent urban commuter. Ford has pitched in with their Fiesta; Chevrolet have come out with their Aveo. But, Honda city has still major market share in its segment. The quality that Honda has on offer, it is collecting a huge amount of money as brand value.