Words by Ganesh Murthy
Honda’s best-selling model, the City has created the first milestone for the brand in India by selling 7 lakh units of the highly successful sedan since its launch in 1998. India has been the largest market for the City as it accounts for more than 25 per cent of its sales worldwide. The brand achieved its two lakh mark in October 2007 and five-lakh mark in November 2014, making a steady progress with the City.
Honda introduced the first generation with the VTEC technology and it turned out to be the enthusiast’s favorite, as it produced a massive 105bhp and 132Nm torque and it was nearly 2 decades back! The second generation was the least powerful with 99.6bhp and no VTEC, which wasn’t well taken from the enthusiasts’ perspective. Honda again gave something to cheer for the fans with the third gen model which produce 116bhp. All three generations came only in petrol engines and the increasing demand for a diesel version forced Honda to introduce the fourth gen City with both petrol and diesel variants. Honda Christened their diesel unit as i-DTEC and the fourth gen City has achieved the maximum numbers of more than 2.6 lakh sedans sold in the country.
“With a strong legacy of four generations, the City brand has evolved with the changing tastes and aspirations of our customers. We hope the Honda City will retain its much-loved brand status in the years to come,” said Yoichiro Ueno, president & CEO of Honda Cars India
The fourth gen 1.5 i-VTEC model produces a healthy 117bhp whereas its diesel counterpart makes less power at 98.6bhp. Honda has given numerous goodies for the latest City like keyless entry, electric sunroof, steering mounted audio controls, Bluetooth connectivity, 17.7cm touchscreen infotainment, leather seats and automatic A/C. It also comes with safety features like ABS, EBD and 6 airbags.