Updated on April 23, 2021 - Honda City is a very popular mid-size sedan in the Indian market. The Japanese car manufacturer launched the new fifth-generation Honda City in India in June 2020. We got a chance to get behind its wheel and you can read our drive report by clicking HERE. Now, you can keep scrolling down to read about the journey of the Honda City in India.
Original Article - April 5, 2020; Honda marked its entry in the Indian market in 1995. Post the completion of its manufacturing plant, the Japanese automobile giant launched its first product in 1998 - the City. Since then, the mid-size sedan from the brand has remained the flag-bearer of the brand in India. The all-new Honda City is about to be launched in the Indian market in a month or two and with this new executive sedan, the 'City' brand name will enter its fifth generation here. But what about the previous four-generations in the Indian market? Well, here is a brief history of all the four-generations of Honda City in India and what we can expect ahead.
1998 Honda City
The original Honda City in India that is shown above (pic source) is often referred to as OHC and changed the Indian market in 1998. It came with two different engine displacements of 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre. The Honda City became a popular car soon after its launch and both families, as well as enthusiasts, started accepting it with open arms. Honda introduced the i-VTEC in 2000 and soon after, it became a cult car with a massive following. With the launch of i-VTEC technology, the Honda City also received a minor facelift that was not a major update but offered round foglamps on the bumper, making it look much more premium.
The City had to fight it out against the likes of Opel Corsa and Astra, Mitsubishi Lancer, Hyundai Accent, Ford Escort, Ford Ikon, which were sold in the same segment. A total of 59,378 units of the first-generation Honda City were sold in the market.
2003 Honda City - Second Generation
In 2003, Honda launched the second-generation of the Honda City in India. It became popular as the "Dolphin" because of its shape. The City had shed the straight lines to become more rounded and offered a flowing design. The design did not become very popular among the enthusiasts but the mass market loved it. It was launched with a 1.5-litre i-DSI engine that generates a maximum of 77 Bhp. So while the first gen model offered thrills, the second-gen model offered ease of driving, comfort levels and high fuel economy. In 2003, Honda also launched its first-ever automatic CVT in the segment with the introduction of a CVT gearbox.
The second-generation Honda City received a major update in 2005 when the 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine was improved to produce a maximum power of 99 Bhp and peak torque of 132 Nm. It was in 2005 that the second-generation Honda City became extremely popular.
Just before its discontinuation, Honda introduced the 10th-anniversary edition with a few cosmetic changes and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). It was available for a year before the launch of the all-new Honda City in 2008. Honda sold 1,77,742 units of the second-generation Honda City in India.
2008 Honda City - Third Generation
In 2008, five years after the launch of the second-generation Honda City, the all-new third-generation City was launched. It again completely changed the way the City looked and got updated with intimidating looks. Honda City shed the bulgy design and the third-generation City came with sportier looks, especially because of the multiple slat grille in the front. It also offered larger headlamps and deep creases on the body that made it look very premium. The rear also received larger lamps that made it look exclusive on the roads.
The all-new 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine available with the car came as the biggest highlight. It became more powerful to produce a maximum of 117 Bhp and continued to be offered with an optional automatic.
Honda introduced sunroof with this model for the first time with third-generation City. Honda also made the airbags and ABS standard across all the variants of Honda City with the new model.
The third-generation City went through a difficult time. The market suddenly saw a rise in demand for diesel vehicles and Honda did not offer that. However, even without a diesel engine in its armor, the City was still very popular in the market.
In 2011, Honda launched the midlife update with small design changes. In 2012, Honda also launched the CNG version of the car due to the rising price of petrol. Honda managed to sell 192,939 units of the fourth-generation City in the Indian market.
2014 Honda City - Fourth Generation
The fourth-generation of the Honda City is the current version of the car that is for sale in the market right now but only for a few weeks more. It came with a long list of updates but most importantly, the fourth-generation Honda City marked the entry of diesel engine option for the first time ever.
The all-new Honda City was introduced in the Indian market before any other market in the world showing how important the vehicle became for the Indian market. It became much more spacious and came with a longer list of features too. The rear seat remains the best in business and the City continues to be a hit in the corporate world.
The 1.5-litre petrol engine of the Honda City comes with a CVT automatic transmission. The transmission offers higher fuel efficiency than the manual versions, which is also a reason for its popularity. Honda also added the ISOFIX child seat hooks to the model making it adhere to the international safety standards and in came full-LED headlamps. In 2017, Honda launched an updated version of the City with minor updates and cosmetic changes. Honda has sold close to 4 lakh units of the vehicle.
2020 Honda City - Fifth generation
The all-new Honda City will be launched in the Indian market later this year. It will offer more space and will come with a longer list of features too. The all-new Honda City looks sharper than ever and it is also expected to get the mild-hybrid technology. The price of the new Honda City is not expected to go up by a lot and it will bring back the vehicle to take on the likes of Hyundai Verna.
Did you know?
1) The City used to come with a factory-fitted CNG kit? This model was launched in 2012
2) India was the first market that got the all-new fourth-generation model, even before other South East Asian markets
3) The Vtec model of the first generation City (that's 20 years ago!) pushed out over 105 bhp of power - that is much as some of the current C segement sedans.
4) The 3rd generation facelift had a new entry level version priced at just Rs 6.99 lakh!
5) The current Honda City has the best (space and comfort) rear seats in the business.
