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-   -   And finally she is mine - New Honda City SMT (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/144101-finally-she-mine-new-honda-city-smt.html)

Having driven a Zen over the past one decade across India without any niggles, we were a bit hesitant of switching over to a new car which will match our comfort zones!!

The Hunt for a New Car:

The search for a new car began a couple of years ago as we required two cars for commuting. The choice was between a hatch back or sedan with a comfortable ride primarily with a petrol engine as the monthly travel does not exceeds 1000 km.
Cars like Maruti Swift, Dezire, Hyundai i20 etc. were all discarded owing to their looks (no offence meant to existing owners) !!stupid:
We were waiting for Honda Jazz as we had driven the car in South East Asia. The interiors and the exteriors were simply classy and it was simply miles away from the competition. But we were put off by the high price of the car at the time of launching and secondly the waiting period post Thailand floods:Frustrati

The Alternatives Considered:

With the recent transfer to the City of Temples this year our search for the new car began again with full earnest. The following cars (petrol) were checked out :

Honda Amaze: A lovely car with a large boot. Sometimes it is difficult to make out that it shares the same platform as Brio. Kudos to the Honda engineers for carving out such a large car from the same base. However the interiors were not upto the mark expected from a Honda car. The seats were also not comfortable and felt a little hard.

Hyundai Verna / Toyota Etios: Asked for a demonstration and booked for a test drive on line. We got a call from Hyundai / Toyota Delhi office that somebody from the local distributorship will do the needful but however, the same did not materialize and as result put us off. Hyundai/Toyota really needs to work upon their marketing capabilities at the grass root level!! Surprisingly both of them gave us a call after we have booked our new car – Honda City.

Ford Eco Sport: Asked for a test drive on line and was pleasantly surprised to see the local distributor arranging for the same next day on Petrol Eco boost Titanium model. The ride was smooth inside the city in spite of heavy traffic. However, it appeared that Ford has not modified the car (LHS to RHS) for Indian conditions – the wipers were on the right side and the hatch was opening on the left side!! The considerable waiting period was an additional damper on our booking decision.

Vento TSI: Solid looking car with no nonsense outlook but somehow it did not excite us. We feel that a car is an extension of one's personality and to that extent it fell short!!

Honda City: What do you write about a car which was meant to be yours? Seriously, Honda is known for their petrol engines and smooth transmissions – just like a hot knife through butter. We had only one apprehension about the ground clearance which was warned by many. However the new Honda City loaded with five passengers tackled all the speed breakers in and around the city smoothly much to our pleasant surprise. The seats were comfortable and the ride was extremely pleasant. One can feel the difference – very difficult to express – this is the King of Petrol Sedans in India – period. Late night reading of the ownership reviews on Honda City on Team-BHP helped in firming up our decision.

My heart was on the Honda City AVN model (Alabaster Silver) but the same was not available in Eastern Region including Andhra Pradesh. The nearest one which was available was at Honda Ace Noida but the family members decided against it. We discussed the matter with Honda officials wherein they disclosed that the production of existing City is being discontinued owing to the upcoming launch of Honda City 2014 in late November. The current booking backlog of Honda City was over 3000 plus owing to more emphasis on clearing the backlog of Amaze bookings before launching of the new model of Honda City 2014. The Honda Area Manager also mentioned that the last consignment of Honda City S-MT is on the way to their dealership at Bhubaneswar but there was only one of Alabaster Silver.

The Booking & Delivery Experience & Cost Break-Up:

The booking (Rs. 50000/-) was done the next day at Highway Honda and it was a very pleasant experience. The behavior of the staff was exemplary and it was heartening to note the high standards of customer service at the distributorship.

The cost break up of Honda SMT IVTEC 1.5 Alabaster Silver model is as follows:

Showroom Price – Rs. 880000/-
Registration – Rs.47348/-
RSA – Rs.4600/-
Extended Warranty – Rs. 7150/-
Insurance – Free
Seat Cover – Free (Accessory Number 08P32TMP0MP1)

We decided to have the following add ons from the Highway Honda showroom itself:

Caska 197 AT – Rs. 42000/-
Chrome Finished Exhaust Pipe – Rs. 3200/-
Fog Light - Rs. 16500/-

A week later we got a call from the dealership stating that the car had arrived and we were invited to have a look. Having gone through the Pre Delivery Instruction Manual on Team BHP and armed with VIN information we went to have a first look of our incoming family member. The Highway Honda staff was pleasantly surprised to see us with PDI Manual and was really impressed on how easily we decoded the VIN (thanks Team BHP). In fact a few would be owners of other Honda Cars also gathered around for the PDI check list and the staff were kept on their toes literally for the next couple of hours!! The car came fitted with Michelin tyres.







We paid the full amount and decided to take delivery on 18th October 2013 – an auspicious day. As a good gesture, we took a gift for our Sales Assistant and chocolates for all the staff at Highway Honda to celebrate the occasion.

Comments on the exterior styling & design:
The exterior arrow style is simply superb and gives a strong road presence to the car – far ahead of its competitors. The design itself is a big differentiator and results in a lot of looks on the road.

Overall build quality and fit & finish:
The doors open nearly 90 degrees allowing free movement both at the time of ingress and egress and shuts with a thud reflecting the build. Looks solid.

Interior design & quality:
The beige design is eye soothing and looks good. The quality of the materials seemed to be high and there is no cause to complain. The finish is good and there is no gap among the panels.

Interior space and comfort:
Looks spacious even when fully loaded with five passengers. The rear space is significant and the cubby holes are positioned appropriately. The dashboard layout is simple and the backlit blue dials lends a space ship halo.

Air conditioner, seat support, ergonomics and other noteworthy interior points:
The AC is powerful and it chills the interior cabin quickly even at a low setting of one or two. Both front and rear seats are very comfortable and five passengers can seat without any discomfort in the car.

Engine performance & driveability in the city:
Driving in city is really good. The engine pickup is smooth with a linear drive. Changing lanes, overtaking and turning corners is a breeze with silky smooth drive.

Overall opinion on the engine:
The piece de resistance of the car. Utterly butterly smooth. Love its silent purr and the growl when it revs up.

Gearshift / transmission quality, smoothness, response time etc.:
Initially there was resistance while shifting in lower gears (first/second) during the first couple of days but thereafter the gears were falling correctly in the slots, once we got the hang of the system.

The Mileage : Oil Conservation - The Honda Way:
The daily usage is around 10-15 kms mostly city driving. The vehicle has logged around 332 kms with a fuel efficiency of 12.8 km/litre till now with 70% AC. Initially the fuel efficiency was around 8.4 km/litre for the first 50 kms; thereafter it went upto cumulative 12.8 km/litre. Getting used to the Green ECO light (a wonderful initiative by Honda to ensure optimal use of fuel) and being extremely light footed with the accelerator. The steering is pretty good and the car loves to glide over the roads.

Suspension & ride quality:
Took the car over many speed breakers in the city and it passed with high colours - without touching the ground at any point of time. The car is more stable when it is fully loaded with passengers rather than when it is self driven - the back bounces slightly when going over humps.

Handling, on-road behaviour and grip levels:
Handling is excellent. There is absolutely no noise from the engine and sometimes I had to double check whether the engine is truly running!! Felt like a stealth machine.

Comments on the steering, braking, high speed stability etc.:
Smooth acceleration and transmission. The electronic steering has got rid of the stress of driving a sedan in the city and enables smooth turning on the road. Changing lanes and overtaking is a breeze with silky smooth drive. Tested the brakes on a couple of occassions particularly when two wheelers suddenly turned up from the side roads at high speed. The brakes felt solid and car came to a halt effortlessly.

Any particular likes (damped ashtrays, powerful headlights, music system etc.):
The front and rear arm rest are very comfortable particularly on long drives.

Any particular dislikes (small mirrors, weak wipers, weak foglamps etc.):
Existing HU - Replaced the same with CASKA HU as it did not have Bluetooth; Map My India; Reverse Camera etc.

Poor headlights – will have to upgrade them soon. The stock lights are not adequate for city (large stretches without street lights) or highway driving. Will upgrade to Philips Extreme Power Bulbs 60/55 as advised by many members.

Spare Tyre – very difficult to fill up with air at the service station as the tyre is placed upside down in the boot. One has to turn the tyre up in order to access the outlet.

The beige interiors in the city gets dirty quickly. The driver's inside door side handles catches dirt. Would have appreciated if Honda had provided black/dark grey interiors.

Review on overall practicality (luggage room, ease of ingress/egress, cubby holes etc.):
The boot is significantly large and takes a lot of luggage unlike our earlier car. Very useful when we have guests coming over and picking them up from the airport. The cubby holes are neatly spaced and adequate for the passengers.

Any niggles, problems or part replacements faced:
Nil as on date.

Quality of after-sales service (if experienced):
Went for the first month service and it was quite pleasant. There was regular follow up for first service- two days before / one day before / even on the morning itself from the service people. The car underwent a wash and they checked the basic parts to see whether everything is working properly. The customer's lounge was big and two hours went off very fast.

Cost of upkeep & maintenance:
Not much - within a couple of thousand rupees for buying basic maintenance items like Jopasu Car Duster Set; Meguiars Next Generation Car Wash; Meguiar's Wash Mitt and Water Magnet Drying Towel; Kaja Guitar Sponge Special etc.

Anything else you wish to add about your car:
Peace of mind - ownership. Having read all the ownership reviews on Team BHP and talking with several Honda owners, it is indeed a car to keep for the long term considering the low/NIL complaints over the past one decade. The IVTEC engine has an enviable track record in this regard.

A few photographs taken at the time of delivery :















Parked at home :









A few shots of the CASKA 197 AT HU:

Let me be the first to Congratulate you, and welcome to the City owners club!
Keep us posted about the headlight upgrades.

I like the beige interiors, I went for the seat covers from Honda dealer (I think they are Art leather), not the expensive leather ones. I paid around 15K I think. Door side parts are also 'patched' as per the package. Definitely worth it.

Congrats on your new ride. Why didn't you wait for a month more and opt for the new city? Also you didn't get any considerable discount on the present model. So didn't understand the reasoning behind opting for this one.

Congratulations on the new car and welcome to the club. Your machine looks classy in silver.
The newer model is just around the corner, but this is also one fantastic car. Elegant looks and, of course the ivtec. The best part is the engine. You can glide around the streets silently and get mileage which can put many smaller cars to shame. And then when you want power, the ivtec roars and you get performance that can smoke more than a few cars on the roads.
Cheers and enjoy the ride!

Congrats on the purchase of the City- which is the most perfect blend of style, performance, handling and comfort. What maps does the HU use, for eg. MMI ?
Were you offered any discounts as the new City is slated to be launched shortly?

Congratulations on getting yourself undoubtedly the segment leader, Spinks_69.

This version of the City is surely a vast improvement over the earlier one. The head unit looks great. The car looks premium in the Alabaster Silver colour. :thumbs up

I have a few questions:
-Why didn't you wait for the 2014 City to be launched?
-Why did you leave out the Swift (based on the looks as you have said)?
-What are your comments on the body roll, while going around corners at different speeds?

Cheers! :D

Congratulations! Welcome to the City club, my friend.

She's a beaut! Looks classy, as all things in royal, shining silver.

Don't worry about the initial FE too much - just enjoy the rides and remember to keep the engine under 2500 RPM for the first 1000 kms. An occasional burst to the redline for the 1st and 2nd gears after the first 100-150 kms will help immensely. Idling rule is a must since it's cold weather at the onset for the next 2-3 months. Once the engine opens up properly, you will be surprised at the FE you achieve, plus the VTEC kicks on the highway will leave you breathless!

But for now, forget the ECO indicator, petrol bills and the like. Just sit back and let that grin be plastered across your face as you enjoy the rides and the supreme comfort (specially in the backseat) she provides you.

Enjoy your new steed. Have you thought of a name for her?

Wishing you many happy and peaceful miles' crunching ahead. All the best!

Thanks mate for your warm greetings. Planning to change my headlight early next year - will definitely keep you posted on the same. I was not aware that the door side parts are available and patched at Honda dealer. Will definitely check the same out as it will minimize the dirt accumulation on the driver's side.

Many thanks for your wishes. In fact your query was asked by many. There were primarily two reasons for my booking the 2012 model instead of the 2014 model : The same petrol engine IVTEC 1.5 will be available in both the models and secondly I prefer the aerodynamic looks of the current model. I was given to understand by Honda officials that the deliveries of the New City which will be slightly larger than the existing one will commence from Jan/Feb 2014 onwards and more emphasis will be given for diesel models than petrol models as they anticipate the demand will be higher for the former - similar to Amaze. Having moved to a new city, I prefer the current city than the New City- no pun intended. stupid:


You said it pyrodrive - "the machine really looks classy in silver" - my thoughts exactly. Everytime I look at it it takes my breath away. Looking forward to the miles ahead.:D

Thanks mate for your wishes. The HU uses Map My India Navigator (Aura) - D106 internet edition. No discounts were offered and I was not really looking for one. The dealer gave me complimentary stuff - Art Leather seats which costs around Rs. 8000/-. I was looking for a trouble free petrol sedan with a proven engine and the City fitted the bill perfectly.

Thank you my friend. As mentioned earlier, I was looking for a petrol engine and since the same IVTEC 1.5 will be used for the New City 2014, it helped me in firming up my decision. Took the SMT model and got the CASKA HU fitted which gave me the addtional features I was looking for namely Bluetooth; Navigation; Reverse Camera; etc.
As I have driven the Zen for more than a decade, we decided to opt out from Maruti stable and look for an alternative. The SWIFT/DZIRE is definitely a good car as most of my colleagues drives one - but the looks were not at all exciting for me!! The Zen had a jelly bean shape and it was quite a rage during those times.
It's too early to tell about the body roll, since I always slow down while going around corners. Will try it out sometime at different speeds provided the two wheelers gives me some space!!!


Thanks a lot RavenAvi for your kind words. Your thread was a relevation for me and really helped us in firming up our decision. We learnt a lot about Pegasus from your shared experiences and as you rightly mentioned the experience and joy of driving the beauty is beyond words except the silly grin plastered on one's face. Thanks again for your advise on the JOPASU car care kit. It really does its job with aplomb. I am looking forward to hear from you on your New City 2014 (Diesel) very soon. Not thought about her name yet - juggling between Greek and Egyptian goddesses - let the mystery remain for some time....

Welcome to the club & congrats!

Suggest you to put door beadings to protect them from side impacts, scratches, door impact of other cars in parking lots etc.

Many thanks mate. My humble opinion is that the door beadings though protective takes away the character and beauty of the car. I try to park at a safe distance from adjacent cars and so far so good. Let us see what lies ahead.:)

Very elegant choice. The City, even if it is now outgoing, still looks fresh and elegant. I have been always an admirer of the looks of City (& Civic too). And as you said, the car has a gem under its hood. Honda ownership also ensures that you will have a long & trouble free ownership experience of this machine.

Regards,
Saket

Absolutely correct my friend. In fact the City will keep on adding converts to their stable in the years to come. Just look at the craze amongst auto lovers waiting for the events of 25th November to unfold. :D

Many congratulations for the brand new Honda City!

You made a perfect choice by choosing City and this car will assure you complete peace of mind for many many years to come.

Though this model will be phased out with the launch of new model on 25 Nov, it still looks fresh and classy. That's a great job Honda did with design of City when launched in September 2008, Five years old design still looks contemporary. I expect similar kind of job with design in the new launch also.

I wish you happy association with your Honda City.

Drive Safe and keep the thread updated with regular service updates.

Thank you my friend. Will definitely update the tread with regular service updates. Your tread along with RavenAvi was really helpful in firming up our decision. Considering that we are driving the fifth generation of Honda City - it still retains the same appeal as it was 5 years ago - a true testimony to the Honda design team. The City has a timeless appeal and it will continuously attract the car lovers in the years to come.clap: