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Old 25th July 2020, 23:41   #916
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Originally Posted by sv97 View Post
You can talk to Eminent in Rani Bagh they have a Instagram and Facebook page regarding the ventilated seats they are offering it just like an OEM fitting and the pricing is also reasonable.

They are providing a 6 months warranty along with it as well.

One more thing can you tell me how is the display quality of the touchscreen and the reverse camera display in person, many reviewers said it is not upto the mark.
Thanks for the tip!

The display quality isn't as sharp or bright as Hyundai, especially on the base OS without Android Auto or Apple Carplay. Plus there is no onboard navigation or connected car tech in the ICE so it seems a bit basic.

Reversing and lanewatch cam quality isn't sharp but very usable atleast during the daytime. They serve their purpose but won't leave you impressed with resolution.
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Old 26th July 2020, 05:32   #917
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Thanks to all your comments, better sense prevailed and there's no way picking Creta SX IVT
I can say for sure that the acceleration of the Honda City's naturally aspirated petrol engine mated to a CVT is far more responsive than Hyundai's 1.2 l turbo petrol mated to a DCT.

Honda City was so responsive that never once did I actually use the paddle shifters. The ride quality and cornering on Central Delhi's many roundabouts was very impressive.
So you seem to have arrived at your decision.
Regarding CVT vs Hyundai DCT, you will always find the Honda CVT more sharp and responsive in the urban driving cycle, as CVT ensures immediate gearing in the rev range, whereas DCT has to attune itself to the throttle inputs and hunt across gears albeit in a smooth manner. If you press the Econ mode on the Honda, you will find the response dulled a bit though. Where the Honda CVT lags is when there is transition from a very low speed to a high speed, 20-80 kph or highway overtakes from 40-100 kph. In such cases the DCT would be quite superior, especially in Sport mode.

Last edited by fhdowntheline : 26th July 2020 at 05:34.
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Old 26th July 2020, 17:58   #918
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

Has anyone here got delivery of the new Honda City? While there are quite a few reviews out there which I have gone through, I am looking for first hand experiences from fellow BHPians. Specifically anything around ground clearance issues, more so on Bangalore roads?

I am split between the Seltos and City, given that Creta's design is a big no no for me! I would have gone for the City straight away with the pricing / features they have launched it with, had it not been for the roads here, where I have struggled with my previous Honda hatchback (Brio).

Thanks in advance!
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Old 26th July 2020, 20:31   #919
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

Also has anyone else noticed that the engine is fairly noisey? I did but only saw this mentioned in Gagan Choudhary's review.
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Old 26th July 2020, 21:52   #920
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Also has anyone else noticed that the engine is fairly noisey? I did but only saw this mentioned in Gagan Choudhary's review.
It will settle down after some time. I find my City ZX to be much quieter after 2 years than for the first few months. In fact it is nearly as silent as an EV inside the cabin at times, during the urban driving cycle. On the highway, road and wind noise do filter in a bit.
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Old 26th July 2020, 22:37   #921
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Originally Posted by iamitp View Post
Also has anyone else noticed that the engine is fairly noisey? I did but only saw this mentioned in Gagan Choudhary's review.
Most reviewers did mention that NVH levels in the cabin had improved from the previous generation City, which is good to know!
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Old 27th July 2020, 01:07   #922
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Originally Posted by iamitp View Post
Thanks to all your comments, better sense prevailed and there's no way picking Creta SX IVT with 2 airbags (crucial curtain airbags missing in a car prone to roll over) made sense. Considering I'll drive in Indian cities where the odd signal jumping speedster is but too common, side and curtain airbags could mean the difference between life and death.

Test drove the City once again today at Ring Road Honda, Janpath who seem to be the only dealership offering test drives in Delhi.

I can say for sure that the acceleration of the Honda City's naturally aspirated petrol engine mated to a CVT is far more responsive than Hyundai's 1.2 l turbo petrol mated to a DCT.

For reference I drove around a hired Venue DCT yesterday and there was always a second delay between depressing the accelerator and the car moving forward.
The Creta comes with a 1.4L Engine producing 140 HP hence it would actually be superior to drive than the City in terms of outright performance. The Venue DCT is a segment lower than the both cars you're comparing above. Also, the Venue DCT is a 1.0L Unit and not a 1.2. I would recommend you to drive a Creta DCT or IVT before coming to a conclusion.
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Old 27th July 2020, 08:51   #923
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Originally Posted by Aditya Gupta View Post
I am split between the Seltos and City, given that Creta's design is a big no no for me! I would have gone for the City straight away with the pricing / features they have launched it with, had it not been for the roads here, where I have struggled with my previous Honda hatchback (Brio).

Thanks in advance!
Unless you regularly have to traverse very bad roads, the City should be fine, if the suspension of the 5th gen is anything like that of the 4th gen city. I drive both the Brio as well the as the 4th gen City over Bangalore roads on a daily basis, and except for a couple of massive craters or couple of roads which are is absolutely terrible shape, I have not really faced any problems. I tackle those roads at dead speeds, and I am usually good. For 98% percent of the roads in Bangalore, the City should work fine.
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Old 27th July 2020, 10:06   #924
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Originally Posted by arindambasu13 View Post
Unless you regularly have to traverse very bad roads, the City should be fine, if the suspension of the 5th gen is anything like that of the 4th gen city. I drive both the Brio as well the as the 4th gen City over Bangalore roads on a daily basis, and except for a couple of massive craters or couple of roads which are is absolutely terrible shape, I have not really faced any problems. I tackle those roads at dead speeds, and I am usually good. For 98% percent of the roads in Bangalore, the City should work fine.
Thanks Arindam. I agree but yes, I do hit upon some bad (short uneven stretches, steep speed breakers, etc) / waterlogged stretches once in a while in Varthur / Whitefield, including one bad bump on the approach road to my residence, which I have mastered to navigate now!

Let's see how the 5th Gen City compares with the previous one in this respect. The snippet from Overdrive of the front bumper scraping on the ramp (shared earlier on this thread) dented my confidence a bit, though! Also, I am not sure how the reduced stiffness of the suspension will affect this. Will look forward to more responses from our friends here who may own this model now or have done extensive test drives.
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Old 27th July 2020, 12:44   #925
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Originally Posted by YashD View Post
The Creta comes with a 1.4L Engine producing 140 HP hence it would actually be superior to drive than the City in terms of outright performance. The Venue DCT is a segment lower than the both cars you're comparing above. Also, the Venue DCT is a 1.0L Unit and not a 1.2. I would recommend you to drive a Creta DCT or IVT before coming to a conclusion.
Sorry for the error in Venue's engine size, as you rightly said it's 1.4L and not 1L T-GDI.

Sadly the 1.4 is almost 3 lakh pricier than ZX CVT and SX IVT has only 2 airbags which seems risky in an SUV form factor prone to roll overs. Hence dropped the Creta entirely from comparison without TDing.

The Venue rental also sealed the nail in the coffin for Verna. They share the engine and gearbox, and I simply don't think I'll enjoy driving it around town in Delhi. Maybe it's more pleasurable on highways but then again that's hardly 5% usage for me.

Last edited by iamitp : 27th July 2020 at 12:48.
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Old 27th July 2020, 12:48   #926
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Originally Posted by Aditya Gupta View Post
Has anyone here got delivery of the new Honda City? While there are quite a few reviews out there which I have gone through, I am looking for first hand experiences from fellow BHPians. Specifically anything around ground clearance issues, more so on Bangalore roads?
Thanks in advance!
I have TDed it twice and the suspension is a huge improvement over my 3rd gen. There was some relaying work going on when I drove recently and the City just absorbed all the uneven layers and gravel.

I think the Seltos (or even Creta) is only worth it if you can afford the top variant which gets 6 airbags.
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Old 27th July 2020, 13:58   #927
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Originally Posted by Aditya Gupta View Post
Thanks Arindam. I agree but yes, I do hit upon some bad (short uneven stretches, steep speed breakers, etc) / waterlogged stretches once in a while in Varthur / Whitefield, including one bad bump on the approach road to my residence, which I have mastered to navigate now!
Can’t agree more with your plight. Roads are just plain non-existent in most parts, and especially so during monsoon periods.

https://twitter.com/bangaloremirror/...526737921?s=21
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Old 28th July 2020, 08:53   #928
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

Spent the weekend with the 2020 Honda City. My quick & brief observations below:
The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62-20200726-08.51.372.jpg

What's hot: This is the benchmark C2-segment family sedan, insanely rev-happy 1.5L petrol is the benchmark naturally-aspirated engine, sounds terrific at high rpm, slick gearbox & sweet clutch (smooth AT available too), quick & responsive steering, as much fun as the Rapid 1.0 TSI until 120 kmph, compliant ride quality, part quality has overall improved, spacious cabin, practical boot, safety features include 6 airbags, 3-point seatbelts for all, ESP, Hill Start Assist etc., goodies like sunroof, Honda connect with Alexa, auto headlamps & wipers, cruise control, Honda's reliability

What's not: Rear end gets bouncy at high speeds on undulating roads (typical Honda City trait), chassis & suspension don't match the potent engine at 120 kmph and above, jerky rev-limiter in the petrol, diesel's 98 BHP power is ordinary by current standards, puny 185-section tyres give up easily - an upgrade to 195 / 205 mm rubber is mandatory, petrol's midrange feels flat in this era of turbo-petrols, sad audio head-unit has an outdated interface, ICE sound quality is just average, low seating isn't senior citizen-friendly, poor sound insulation at high speeds

-------------------------------------

• Looks contemporary and unmistakably “Honda City”.

• I loved the tight rear styling. Design is overall neutral & universally appealing, except for that excessive chrome at the front which isn’t to my taste at all. I’d blacken it like this RS version.

• Car gets a lot of attention. Turned heads from many people on the road (including bikers). We don’t usually experience this with sedans these days.

• SUVs are all the rage right now. If the C2 sedan segment wanted a representative to fight with the crossovers on its behalf, this car is it.

• The wheels are the right size (16”), but the tyres certainly aren’t. 185 mm rubber is too thin for this class of car and 119 BHP on tap. BHPians have to get stickier 195 mm tyres straight from the showroom – it’s a mandatory upgrade for looks & safety.

• Lovely interior ambience. Honda has taken the 4th-gen’s criticism to heart & it shows. Overall cabin look & feel are decidedly superior. Leather inserts (including on the center fascia) are nice. Handful of plastics are average quality, but they are few & far between. Owners won’t be complaining.

• Ergonomics are spot-on. Was at home in <60 seconds of entering the cabin. Japanese car makers are the best at user-friendliness, Honda especially.

• Sad head-unit is my main grouse with the cabin. It is outdated. More suitable to the 4th-gen City in 2013 than the 5th-gen. Interface is old. Reversing camera display is low resolution (again, more 2013 than 2020). By current standards, sound quality is above average for a car costing 17-lakhs on the road. The ICE game has moved on with so many manufacturers (Hyundai, Tata, MG) investing in a superior entertainment experience. Honda hasn’t kept up. I found the “lane watch” to be distracting & switched it off.

• Cabin is spacious. Glass area & light colours make it airy.

• All-round visibility is good for the driver.

• Steering has rake & reach adjustment which is welcome. However, for my low driving position, the steering didn’t drop low enough. Any tall driver who sits with the driver’s seat on the lower side will feel this.

• Driver’s seat has fantastic lower-back support! Those with a weak back will appreciate this.

• Spacious cabin! Good space behind my 5’10” laidback driving position. Rear passengers will be a happy lot.

• Low seating doesn’t make ingress or egress easy for my senior-citizen Mum. Crossovers have a distinct advantage here.

• Enough storage & cubby holes for the driver. I especially loved the thin, rectangular slots (on both sides of the handbrake) to park your smartphone. Very intelligent.

• Digital rev-counter works. Lots of data can be shown within. I like it simple & clean, so appreciate the provided option of displaying “just” the rev counter (with nothing inside).

• Scroller on the LHS of the steering wheel should have been for volume (that’s how most cars have it). Right now, it’s for the MID - a usability error. Most of you will inadvertently use it to adjust the stereo’s volume.

• I like this ORVM placement on the door because it reduces the A-Pillar’s blind spots. On the downside, these ORVMs are a size too narrow. You will feel this on wide city roads & highways. Have to admit that I almost missed a scooter coming up on the right side. Am surprised because I have usually seen Honda do well with ORVMs.

• Powerful air-con will chill you to the bone.

• Honda sure is learning its lessons! Cost cutting has been reduced. All 4 windows get auto-up & down. That said, yet another usability error = if you child-lock the passenger windows, even the driver cannot operate them (normally, they are still operable from the driver’s control panel)!

• Driver armrest should have been either longer or adjustable. In its current position, only taller drivers will find it useful.

• Practical boot. Size is enough for the driving holidays us BHPians love.

• Beautiful, FANTASTIC, delicious 1.5L petrol engine. This is the BENCHMARK naturally-aspirated petrol in India, no matter what engine size. You will ENJOY revving it.

• Owners will need the willpower of God to not redline it to ~7000 rpm at every opportunity they get. In particular, you’ll love the experience of shooting from 5,000 – 7,000 rpm in “full Vtec mode” (see how it shoots @ 5,000 revs in the video in my post).

• Fast acceleration! You’ll hit 100 km/h in 2nd itself.

• Driveability is acceptable. Clears the 2nd-gear speed breaker test with no fuss. Chosen gear ratios are absolutely spot-on. 2nd & 3rd are simply perfect for the city.

• Mid-range seems flat, more so in this age of turbo-petrols (just before this car, I drove the Creta & Rapid turbo-petrols).

• The 1.5L petrol is silky smooth all the way to 7,000 rpm.

• Sounds awesome at high revs. Very addictive aural soundtrack (including intake noise). I’d get a free-flow from Automech too. Honda petrols sound the best with a deep free-flow exhaust.

• Rev-limiter is horribly faulty. Honda needs to fix this ASAP with a software update before customers start complaining. Once you hit 7,000 rpm, the fuel cuts off and you drop to 6,500. Then, at ~6,400 rpm, the fueling starts again and you move forward, only to have it cut off and drop at 7,000 rpm. I felt like I was riding a wild horse – it was incredibly jerky! Have never driven a car with such a crazy rev-limiter. Problem is worse in 2nd gear than 1st. My 1st-gen City Vtec & 8th-gen Civic had a smooth cut-off & allowed you to stay at max revs. Honda better solve this today itself. It is a bug.

• Gearshift quality is smooth & slick. The MT is a joy to use.

• What’s more, the clutch pedal is also a nice short-throw unit. As far as MTs go, this combination is as good as it gets.

• Diesel is the same. Great driveability, noisy, strictly average performance by segment standards. Wouldn’t be my pick, unless they offered it with the CVT (like the Amaze).

• We haven’t driven the CVT Automatic yet. I liked the 4th-gen City’s CVT and expect this one to be as competent (if not better).

• Steering is a joy to hold & use. It’s super quick & responsive, perhaps the quickest to react in the segment. I can bet you that an enthusiast has tuned it.

• Steering & engine are both incredibly “eager”. That’s the term I’d use for them.

• Insulation is poor. Road noise @ 120 km/h on the expressway was prominent. I pulled over to check and sure enough, the rear wheel well is lacking any kind of insulation while the front has only bits of it. This kind of cost cutting isn’t acceptable in a premium 17-lakh rupee sedan.

• Engine noise is audible, yet thoroughly enjoyable & addictive.

• Compliant ride quality. I never faced a moment of discomfort in my 2 days of driving the car within Bombay, and then on the Pune Expressway. Felt more mature than what I remember of the 4th-gen City. Lower variants with the 15” wheels and taller tyre sidewalls will be cushy.

• In terms of handling, the car is eager to turn & corner-friendly, but it’s no Rapid. I’ll say it handles just like you’d expect the Honda City to. Tyres give up before the car does, so again, upgrade to stickier 195 / 205 mm rubber straight from the showroom.

• Stability at 120 km/h & beyond is mediocre. Sure, straight-line stability is fair and there is no nervousness. But on any undulating sections of the expressway or dips on highway roads, it sure got bouncy with ample vertical movement. The bounciness is like that of any Asian sedan from even 10 years back. Or closer home, the earlier generations of the Honda City – this is something Honda needs to master as there’s clearly been no progress since the 4th-gen car in this area. Even city flyovers taken at speed bring that “light Asian sedan” feeling & bounciness. At high speeds, expressway crosswinds do affect it. I can tell you that the 2020 Creta has superior high speed manners (I recently drove it on the exact same roads).

• At high speeds, the chassis & suspension simply don’t match the potent petrol engine. Weird that Honda ends up in such positions = with the new Civic, the engine doesn’t match the chassis and here, it’s vice versa.

• Lovely in the city due to the friendly steering, good frontal visibility, short clutch and smooth MT. I thought this is just the right size of sedan for the city. It offers enough cabin space for the family, yet is narrow enough to squeeze through gaps.

• Within the city, the City & Rapid are both equally fun to drive. On the highway or at high speeds, there is no contest. The Rapid wins by a quarter-mile due to its superior dynamics. At the limit (or when approaching it), the City feels nervous at high speeds. The Rapid TSI, on the other hand, begs you to push harder & harder.

• I appreciate the safety kit (6 airbags, ESP etc.) and hope that the Indian car gets the same 5-stars as its international counterpart got in the ASEAN NCAP. But I don’t understand how you can give skinny 185 mm tyres on such a safe car?

• We’re going to try testing the ground clearance with a full load of passengers on bad roads.

• The 5th-gen City is overall an evolution….an improvement, but not a revolution. Equally, I’ll say that it’s bridging the gap to the Civic. Does most things right and it’s easy to see why brand “City” is the default choice among sedans for families.

See the rev limiter problem I mentioned:

Last edited by GTO : 5th November 2020 at 09:27. Reason: Edited image uploaded
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Old 28th July 2020, 09:31   #929
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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The 1.5L petrol is silky smooth all the way to 7000 rpm.
Sir, what is your take on the whole 'turbo vs NA' trend that we are seeing nowadays. To be more specific, would you prefer a proper 4 cylinder NA engine or a downsized, missing cylinder turbo-charged engine ?

Asking this because lots of comparos have/will come out on youtube and most of them seem to be paid/biased reviews. Thanks in advance.
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Old 28th July 2020, 10:24   #930
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re: The 5th-gen Honda City in India. EDIT: Review on page 62

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Spent the weekend with the 2020 Honda City. My quick & brief observations below
As good as preview of the Official review

Would love your hear your take on the City vs Verna (and even Creta SX) for buyers in the Rs. 15-17 lakh range.

Now seriously considering swapping the 185s for 195s again. What's the best way to go about this? Get the 195s from the same dealership or a separate tyre store? Any specific tyre brand that's recommended? And what's the expected discount someone might get for exchanging the brand new stock tyres?
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