Honda City

Positives:

• The Honda City features a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that makes 119bhp and 145Nm of torque.

• It is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox (claimed mileage of 17.8kmpl) or a seven-speed CVT with paddle shifters (claimed 18.4kmpl).

• This petrol engine delivers a balanced performance with smooth mid-range power, making it perfect for city driving.

• The CVT transmission is tuned to maximise efficiency, and coupled with adaptive cruise control, makes it even better for city and highway use.

• The paddle shifters in the automatic provide a quick, responsive drive, minimising the rubber-band effect considerably.

• It has a quiet ride quality over smooth road surfaces, and this Honda saloon feels stable under normal driving conditions.

Negatives:

• The manual transmission feels jerky at low speeds, especially in lower gears, since clutch bites are hard to modulate.

• There is some suspension noise when the Honda City is driven over rough surfaces.

• The manual gearbox needs slicker gear shifts for a more refined driving experience.

1. Fuel Type: Petrol

2. Engine: 1498 cc

3. Transmission: Manual & Automatic (CVT)

4. Mileage (ARAI): 17.8 – 18.4 kmpl

5. Power: 119 bhp

6. Torque: 145 Nm

Positives:

• The sunroof works with the keyless remote, there's climate control, a start-stop button, a walk-away auto door lock, tilt and telescopic steering adjust, and a PM2.5 cabin air filter.

• The Honda City continues to draw buyers looking to be chauffeur-driven due to the excellent comfort and space offered in the second-row bench for two passengers. 

  

• There is a seven-inch HD instrument cluster, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a surround-sound music player with eight speakers.

• It has two Type-A charging ports and one 12V charging point in the front, and there are Honda Connect app features such as remote AC operation, and smartwatch- or Alexa-connected car functions.

• At the rear, passengers benefit from rear AC vents with two 12V charging ports, a rear armrest with cup holders, and a rear windscreen sunshade that blocks out harsh sunlight.

• The 506-litre boot space is not only enormous but also has a wide opening and a favourable loading lip height, which aids users in loading their baggage without much effort.

Negatives:

• It is missing some feel-good features such as ventilated seats, a powered driver's seat, and a cooled glovebox.

Positives:

• It has standard safety features like six airbags, vehicle stability assist, traction control, agile handling assist, ABS with EBD, brake assist, hill start assist, and tyre pressure monitoring.

  

• It also gets an emergency stop signal, rear ISOFIX anchorages, a multi-angle rear camera with guidelines, rear parking sensors, and three-point seatbelts for all five seats as standard.

• The higher variants have auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, and ADAS features like collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation system, and adaptive cruise control.

• The Honda City has received a five-star crash test rating from the ASEAN NCAP.

Negatives:

• The manual version’s ADAS system can be slightly unreliable at lower speeds.

Positives:

• It has a diamond-checkered front grille design with a carbon-wrapped front and rear bumper.

  

• There are LED headlamps with an attractive nine LED array beam, and Z-shaped wraparound LED taillamps.

• It is available with a 16-inch dual-tone diamond-cut set of alloy wheels that uplift the styling element.

  

• The large, modern seat design uses leather upholstery, and there is ambient light illuminating the front footwell, door inner handles, and door pockets.

  

• The beige-black cabin with premium-looking wooden inserts, along with high-quality plastics and soft-touch materials, displays a premium and elegant feel.

Negatives:

• The City's design is not as sporty as it used to and the rise in demand for SUVs hasn't helped matters.

• Some cabin plastics feel low quality, especially on non-contact surfaces.