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The 2020 Honda City is already available in a few countries such as Thailand and India. Back in February, we got a glimpse of it on the Malaysian roads, but its official release date is yet to be confirmed. If not for the pandemic, we would have expected a launch soon. However, it is now unlikely that Malaysia will get a taste of it before 2021.
We have had the current-generation Honda City on our roads for the last few years. It has been a massive rage amongst the middle-class and has sold well. Here is the Honda City 2020 review for our readers.
Honda City variants and price
City 1.5L S – Starts at RM 78,500
City 1.5L E – Starts at RM 84,600
City 1.5L V – Starts at RM 91,600
Pros
- Sturdy build
- Good Suspension abilities
- Lot of modes to aide the driver
Cons
- Not powerful enough
- A constant buzzing sound which can trouble most users
Should I buy the Honda City?
Honda has already unveiled the City 2020 edition, but it won’t reach the Malaysian shores anytime soon. The 2017 edition offers a lot of bang for the price it demands and is undoubtedly a good deal if you cannot wait six months to make your next car purchase. It is a five-seater with a lot of leg space and makes for a comfortable ride.
Design
The last-gen Honda City has been on the Malaysian roads for quite some time now. Just do not mistake it to be a slouch when it comes to design. The front comes with LED headlights and a sporty finish. The rear has distinctive tail lights to give it a premium look. You will also find Honda’s signature thick single-slat chrome grille and sporty bumpers to exude a style of its own.
The bumper comes with more muscles as compared to the previous version, giving it a sturdier look. You also get faux grille and a new boot-lip spoiler that accentuates the way it looks. Overall, Honda has improved the current version a lot when compared to its predecessors, and we are not complaining.
You also get a shark-fin antenna on the rear to enhance the look of the vehicle. The Honda City comes with auto-retractable side mirrors with turning lights embedded into them. The mirrors automatically fold, and the turning lights glow up to signal the car’s movement.
Interior
The interior of the Honda City is a well-thought-out plan. If you are planning to use the car for long journeys, the seats have a decent amount of bolstering to let you do that. The front seats have ample headspace, and the sitting space has a lot of cushion to ensure comfort. The rear side has a lot of knee space which makes it super easy to rest your legs and change positions. The width and the flat floor ensures that you can try and sneak in five people into the sedan.
The backrest is slightly tilted and comes with adjustable headrests to avoid any discomfort or injuries. The headroom is just about enough, and most people will fit in easily with no gripes at all. Also present is a boot at the back with a low-loading lip with 536L trunk space to ensure that you can tuck in those extra bags without much hindrance. You get 60:40 foldable seats to extend your luggage space if required. There are 8 cup holders placed within easy reach of each passenger.
The front dashboard has a 6.8-inch touchscreen with a plethora of features. You get two USB ports, an HDMI port, 1.5 GB of internal storage, and a lot of software tweaks like satellite navigation and voice navigation, MirrorLink, and an 8-speaker sound system. The Digipad, as Honda calls it, can be laggy at times, and the overall experience was okayish.
Another nifty addition is the Smart Entry feature which lets users in without the keys in their hand. Alongside the Digipad, Honda has added a Push Start button, which is an ignition button to start the vehicle in style. It is enclosed in a red chrome ring to make it stand out from the rest. You get rear pockets and air conditioning to ensure that all the riders are at peace and their journey is convenient. It also comes with the usual hands-free telephone switch and Bluetooth sync to provide faster connectivity for the driver.
Honda City Performance
Honda City Engine
The Honda City comes with the familiar engine and gearbox options, and not much has changed from the previous edition. You can choose between 117bhp, 1.5-litre petrol engine with a five-speed manual or a CVT auto or an aluminium 98bhp, 1.5-litre diesel option combined with a six-speed manual gearbox.
The Honda City has 120 PS of max power and 145 Nm of peak torque. There is also an option to choose a hybrid version which comes with 137 PS and 170 Nm of combined strength and peak torque. The engine is 4 cylinders, 16 valves, SOHC-i-VTEC for the S, E and V models. For the Honda City Hybrid, the company has opted for 4 cylinders, 16 valves, DOHC-i-VTEC engine. The maximum CC is 1497 for the former whereas it is 1496 for the latter.
Performance
As soon as you step into the Honda City and power the ignition, you will experience minute turbo lag, and it settles for a smooth ride after that. There is enough power ranging between 1600 rpm to 3500 rpm to power the vehicle in the most challenging situation. If we talk of acceleration, it is fast, but given the narrow power band, the user has to switch gears to ensure smooth movement consistently.
You get either five or six ratios, and it ensures that you have ample room to adjust the vehicle to your needs. Even though the entire process is quite smooth, users will find a buzzing sound once the Honda City crosses 2000 rpm which doesn’t go away till you switch the engine off. Other than that, we hardly have any complaints about the device.
Suspension
The suspension too remains the same as the engine, and it does a better-than-average job for its price segment. It remains unmoved when you are driving on smooth terrain, and when you change course suddenly, it doesn’t break down and you don’t feel the change. Unfortunately, it doesn’t react to rippled roads in the best manner, and the users feel a lot of vertical movement during the ride.
Honda City Mileage
The Honda City has a tank size of 40 litres, both for the petrol and the diesel variant. Its mileage varies between ARAI 17.8kmpl to 26kmpl or a city capacity of 14.3kmpl to 23kmpl. If you choose the manual petrol version, you can expect 14.3kmpl in the cities whereas the diesel version can give you up to 23kmpl. The automatic petrol variant sits in the middle with an average output of 15kmpl.
Handling and ride
The Honda City dons sporty handling and has decently-weighted steering. It comes with a rear parking sensor to measure distance which means that users don’t have to depend on the camera altogether for positioning. Other than that we found it easy to ride through roads with potholes or in slightly tricky terrains.
Honda City reliability
The overall build of the Honda City is pretty solid, and it comes with 4 airbags, ABS with EBD, and Brake Assist. There is a nifty feature called Eco Display which lets users know about the quality of his acceleration and braking. It automatically switches to parking gear when you are driving around 2 kmph or less and have unbuckled your seat belt or your front door. It also has a special Hill Start Assist mode to hold the car on slopes and prevent it from rolling back.
Honda City warranty
As per the new norm, all the Honda vehicles come with a 3-year/ 36000-Mile limited warranty. Buyers also get a 5-year/60000-Mile Powertrain limited warranty and 3-year/ 36000-Mile for the accessories.
Honda City Crash Test rating
The Honda City scores a respectable 86.54 out of 100 points in an ASEAN NCAP crash test which means that it got a 5-star rating from them.
Wrap up
If we consider the pricing, the Honda City is a decent proposition for the buyers to opt for in 2020. You can choose from four different models, and there are several competitors in the market too. You can select the Volkswagen Vento, Skoda Rapid, Toyota Vios, or the FIAT Linea and all of them fall in the same price segment.
Considering everything that it has to offer, the Honda City doesn’t do much in the way of being wrong, and you can opt for it. If you can wait for a few months, the new 2020 version should be in the country with a similar price tag and better overall offering.