Months after quietly noticing Suzuki capturing its segment share, Honda is back in the race with its redesigned flagship – The Third Gen Honda City..and this time it took the line, perhaps too far. The original City, Honda launched more than ten years ago was a killer car .The second generation city, though said to have a space age styling was not to the liking of everyone. Honda engineers took it seriously this time to put it a notch above the previous car and the result is spectacular.
The new 1.5 litre 16v variable valve timing engine delivers an impressive 118 brake horse power . The car puts out a peak 146nm of torque with the engine revving at 4800 rpm. Unlike in the old version there is no option for two engines, but is not a pullback as you get a more powerful and a sophisticated engine with added dynamics at the same price.
Design : The arrow shot design form on which it is based give the car an advanced aerodynamic design. The long blacked out head lamps with reflectors running into the front grille give a bold and a rather distinct look.
The dual tone interiors in the car are simply stunning with gizmos like the fuel consumption indicator and the Advanced Integrated Audio System is the world‘s first car audio exclusive to digital media.
Transmission : The automatic gearbox option is available in the city with a first in class Paddle Shift that allows F1 style gear changes. The paddle shift allows you to change gears without engaging the clutch.
The manual is driven by a wire type mechanism unlike the traditional rod shifts that allows a smoother gear change. The hydraulic clutch allows for a lighter and fatigue free ride on long maneuvers.
Performance : The newly developed engine puts out top of the class power without much compromise on the fuel efficiency,thanks to the VTEC. The intake valve timing and valve lift settings that are intelligently monitored by the processor under the hood form the heart of the Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control System, called the VTEC.
The car propels itself to a 100 kph in 11.8 seconds, an impressive 2 second quicker than the previous version ( about 14.6 for the AT) and with a proper distribution of torque over all bands
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Comfort : The suspension is Mc Pherson Struts at the front and H-type torsion beams at the rear with stabilizers on each of them to provide a comfortable ride. The air con is powerful with icing like under seat vents for the rear passengers that provide total comfort for those in the cabin. The interior space has also increased with a 100 mm wheelbase widening.
Safety : Dual SRS airbags from now on will be standard on all Honda in India and this is the beginning. The 3 point ELR seatbelt pretensioners prevent excess stress on the driver and front passenger chests to reduce injuries.
Anti Lock Braking system is also a standard now on the Honda with Brake Assist that helps in agile cornering and increased brake force when utterly necessary. The G-CON technology helps in controlling the impact energy in case of a collision.
With the new generation city, Honda is further trying to consolidate its position as a the most renowned premium car maker in the country. 
The new city is available in three variants 1.5E (MT) and 1.5S (MT and AT) and is available in six colours – Habenero Red Pearl, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Polished Metal Metallic, Bold Beige Metallic, Tafetta White and Crystal Black Pearl. The 1.5E MT comes with Grayish Beige interior colour while 1.5S (MT & AT) has Beige interiors.
Pricing : 0.77 to 0.9 million INR
Web site : Honda India
Video Source : Youtube
