[TusharK]

Mod Note: Our Honda City Hybrid Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

Honda was said to launch the hybrid version of the City in India in the first half of this year. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a delay.



According to Rajesh Goel, Senior Vice President and Director, Sales & Marketing, Honda Cars India, the City Hybrid will now be launched in the next financial year.

The City Hybrid will be Honda's first mainstream hybrid offering in India. It uses a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 97 BHP and 127 Nm and two electric motors. One of the electric motors is integrated with the petrol engine and acts as an integrated starter generator (ISG). The other powers the front wheels via a single, fixed-ratio gearbox. It generates 108 BHP and 253 Nm.

Honda has also confirmed a mid-size SUV for the Indian market. The new model (codenamed: 31XA) is already under development and could be built on a completely new platform.

Source: Autocar India

Link to Team-BHP News

[ramki.grandhi]

The hybrid tech is always complicated and prone to having expensive maintenance in the long run. Is any customer actually looking for this addition to Honda India's portfolio?

Entire county is moving towards SUVish cars, I wish Honda is in that game and put all their efforts towards one, just one, SUVish car in the 15-20 lacs range! Given the demand for petrol cars, I feel having an SUV in the product line is the right step!

[sam264_2000]

Honda doesn't need a City Hybrid in India as much as they need a cross over to compete against Korean and VW/Skoda twins. The 5th Gen City 1.5 NA is good enough - they can definitely make it a more compelling package though by improving on the ICE unit and adding ventilated seats. This would cost them much lesser and gain sales traction than introducing a Hybrid version.

[shibulijack]

City is already expensive when compared to its dying peers. Hybrid tech with increased cost of production and even more taxes would make it dead on arrival.

[vikred]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

The hybrid tech is always complicated and prone to having expensive maintenance in the long run. Is any customer actually looking for this addition to Honda India's portfolio?

Not sure about Honda's hybrids, but the ones made by Toyota have been consistently getting good (almost as good as ICE powertrains, sometimes better) reliability ratings from Consumer Reports since many years now. Toyota has been selling hybrids in the US for more than 20 years now. Hybrids may be more complicated, but I think they are just as reliable.

I would buy it if it's ₹2lakh more than a comparably equipped MT variant. Hybrids, as you know, are almost always automatic. So, even if it's ₹1 lakh more expensive, I can easily recoup (25 km/l city vs 12 km/l) the added cost in a few years.

[Venkatesh]

Honda City hybrid will launch in India only after March 2022. Hybrid version is expected to command Rs 2-2.5 lakh more than the regular petrol model.



Honda aims to sell around 250-300 units of the City hybrid each month.

Link

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by TusharK

Unfortunately, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a delay.

Lame excuses as usual. While the pandemic may have played a role in this but the real reasons is Honda India's short sighted management vision. When the Indian automative industry was switching to diesel, Honda continued to push petrols. A decade later when the tide turned in favour of petrol they launched diesel engines.
Yet again, when the tide is moving from petrol to EV, they are going ahead with Hybrids.

[vigneshA]

Just in terms of FE - a 7-8KMPL increase would translate to around 1.5 rs /km ( assume you get 18kmpl average today against 25kmpl with hybrid)
With this calculation you may need at least 1.5 lakh or more kms before you recover your additional cost of over 2 lakhs.
This does not make economic sense to me yet. Someone please help clarify.

[Equus]

Originally Posted by vigneshA

Just in terms of FE - a 7-8KMPL increase would translate to around 1.5 rs /km ( assume you get 18kmpl average today against 25kmpl with hybrid)
With this calculation you may need at least 1.5 lakh or more kms before you recover your additional cost of over 2 lakhs.
This does not make economic sense to me yet. Someone please help clarify.

Most people get around 12kmpl in city driving conditions which will double with hybrid and there is no difference in the driving experience! Think of it as the interim replacement of diesel cars & the premium would make sense.

I often wonder why other manufacturers are not making hybrid a standard and collectively push the govt for some sops (say 8% lesser customs duty as compared to petrol cars).

[aravind.anand]

Guys, it is the first mass market Hybrid offering in our country. Let us not kill it even before it gets launched. I think it is a very good step in the right direction for the environment and in a way, for the market too.

The EV charging infrastructure is absolutely not there yet today. We need more such hybrid vehicles to help make the transition to an 'electric' future. Lets first get this product, experience the technology and then discuss the pros and cons.

[Sureshmadhan]

The EV charging infrastructure is absolutely not there yet today. We need more such hybrid vehicles to help make the transition to an 'electric' future. Lets first get this product, experience the technology and then discuss the pros and cons.[/quote]

Yes I agree, as of now Maruti has mild Hybrid integrated in its portfolio (CIAZ, ERTIGA, S-CROSS). I hope Honda comes with strong reliability. To me its a Welcome. By selecting a mass market product, Honda will make many customers competent about hybrid technology.

I always have my heart for the CAMRY. I remember we had subsidies for hybrids for a short duration of time and was taken back.

[meto]

Both Honda’s and Toyota’s hybrid system are extremely reliable. This system does improve the city fuel economy substantially, however the increase of mileage on highway is minimal. I don’t know how the added weight of these hybrid systems would impact the driving dynamics of puny little engines we have in most of our cars due to the tax laws, but hybrid systems like EVs can provide instantaneous extra power which should complement well with the smaller displacement engines.

The volume which city is currently doing and would likely to do in the future, this hybrid system will not set Honda apart from the rest of the manufacturers. On the other hand, if Honda could bring their hybrid technology to WRV or Jazz, they will certainly have a lot of takers in the market, even though these will be prices at a significant premium.

[Nimz]

Guess I am in the minority of folks looking forward to this sedan hybrid from a reliable brand like the City.

While am not ready to take the plunge on an EV with the lack of charging infrastructure in our country I would definitely like my next car to be a hybrid sedan <fingers crossed>.

[rajivn]

Here is the recent Autocar article on the Honda City Hybrid launch and expectations -https://www.autocarindia.com/car-news/honda-city-hybrid-could-be-indias-most-efficient-car-422087

At the claimed mileage of 27.4 kmpl I suppose it should be priced just slightly above the Diesel variant which offers 24 kmpl for potential buyers to see value from this Hybrid offering. Honda should forego profits initially and make it a true VFM offering to gain mass acceptance of Hybrid concept.

[xavierk]

I hope also they release this as an engine option in all variants instead of restricting it only to a topend RS variant.