[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by neel911

I wish Honda would have given sensors along with camera. For me, the reverse sensors with beeps are a boon. Even if I had gone for top end, I would have installed sensors as sound warning is more reliable at times than the eyes trying to find obstacles. Maybe you should consider getting one.

The sensors I had got installed on our Ritz went wonky every time they got drenched in the rain, and we get a TON of rain over here, hence my skepticism about them.

I am usually pretty careful when backing up, but reversing PLUS turning is double the risk. The incident could have been avoided - in the end it was a moment of rashness, carelessness and stupidity on my part.

Originally Posted by neel911

Do be careful on the armrest cover. I wanted one for mine as well but to do so in a proper way, the seat guys would have had to remove the top part and they were a bit skeptical of getting the lock damaged and I didn't want to take risk.

Steering Wheel cover also, I wish Honda gave an option so the fit and finish would be like the top end VX model. For now, I'm happy with plain one and maybe its more hygienic and easy to clean.

Thanks. I have asked for a direct fit one and should get something similar. If it requires removing the top part, no way.

Coming from the 3rd gen City, this one feels a bit skinnier and less grippy. Many a time I feel the loss of grip while turning, hence the need for a steering cover. The one with the Autoform set will be art leather so shouldn't require a lot of maintenance.

Originally Posted by neel911

Check out online sites including ebay. They have tons of options.

Thanks again. I browsed through them and ordered one from eBay on Saturday. (Snapdeal doesn't deliver to my city) Should get it by the first week of May.

Originally Posted by anilagdr

Your Empress dims in comparison to your extremely charming princess. Hugs to her.

Thank you so much, Anil. Hugs duly forwarded.

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

Fuel Efficiency of Empress's famed i-DTEC

The first highway run of Empress - 320 kms - yielded a FE of 23.2 kmpl, with ACC set at 25°C and was on throughout the trip. This was with a sole person inside the cabin - me.

Four highway runs later - all within 200-250 kms range - the FE is a sound 22.7 kmpl overall. This is with the ACC set to 23°C, and all trips were with four persons (+ one 2-year old) on board, and usually with 3-4 suitcases inside the boot.

During one of the trips back home, the MID was showing 30.3 kmpl in mid-journey!! I had to rub my eyes once to see if the MID was correct, and it was. This was with "Cruise Control" set at 90 kmph in the 6th gear on a flat stretch of road during the night. I was driving so there was no chance of taking a picture.

The in-city runs are all in the range of 20.2 kmpl and 21.9 kmpl (best I could achieve till now). ACC = 23°C, single person.

Two tankfuls later, FuelLog calculates the overall FE at 21.3 kmpl. It's at a variation of around 0.6 kmpl from the MID figures displayed, so it's almost accurate. Of course, the MID doesn't take the 60-second idling before/after journey into account.

Overall, I am very happy and satisfied with the FE figures. My SA, Deepak, assures me that the figures will go higher as soon as the engine completes 5000 kms and goes through the first oil change.

Haven't felt the need for sunfilm/shade yet. The ACC is quite powerful and cools down the cabin in no time.

I have noticed one thing though - the FE indicated on the MID starts to dip as soon as the fuel bar reaches the last 3 bars (and lower), however hard you try to be within the "green" band. Anyone else notice this?

Also, I have fiddled with the settings quite a bit, and simply for the life of me, can't figure out how to change the display of the HU into the Analog Clock. Selecting "Wallpaper", then "Clock", shows the digital one. Anyone else figure this out? Or is it a feature reserved only for the VX variant?

[anilagdr]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Thank you so much, Anil. Hugs duly forwarded.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Overall, I am very happy and satisfied with the FE figures. My SA, Deepak, assures me that the figures will go higher as soon as the engine completes 5000 kms and goes through the first oil change.

The ACC is quite powerful and cools down the cabin in no time.

Yes, the FE appears awesome.
Some posts described the performance of the ACC to be below par. I am happy you found it quite efficient.

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by anilagdr

Some posts described the performance of the ACC to be below par. I am happy you found it quite efficient.

I think this depends upon the city and the climate conditions there , the peak temperature rises to 47 degrees at times (here in Delhi NCR) and puts the aircon systems to some real tuff test , the same systems might perform much better in other cities with lower temperature.

Just yesterday i had parked my car under the sun and it showed the outside temperature to be 43 degrees , it took a good 15 minutes to cool the cabin and the AC performed above average thereafter. (its not below par though , but its yet to undergo the extreme summer test)

[anilagdr]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

I think this depends upon the city and the climate conditions there , the peak temperature rises to 47 degrees at times (here in Delhi NCR) and puts the aircon systems to some real tuff test , the same systems might perform much better in other cities with lower temperature.

Just yesterday i had parked my car under the sun and it showed the outside temperature to be 43 degrees , it took a good 15 minutes to cool the cabin and the AC performed above average thereafter. (its not below par though , but its yet to undergo the extreme summer test)

Thanks for clearing that point. While what you said could be true, don't you think the ACC should perform well even at such ambient temperatures as you find in Delhi?

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by anilagdr

Thanks for clearing that point. While what you said could be true, don't you think the ACC should perform well even at such ambient temperatures as you find in Delhi?

To explain this better , i sat in 3 cars yesterday afternoon.
The ecosport performed the best and cooled the cabin in no more than 5-7 minutes , cruze came in second and city came third and took the longest to cool the cabin to acceptable levels.

To answer your question , yes i expected it to perform better.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by anilagdr

Some posts described the performance of the ACC to be below par. I am happy you found it quite efficient.

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

To explain this better , i sat in 3 cars yesterday afternoon.
The ecosport performed the best and cooled the cabin in no more than 5-7 minutes , cruze came in second and city came third and took the longest to cool the cabin to acceptable levels.

Summer temperatures here have also soared to around 43°C in the afternoons. I make sure Empress gets some shade from the sun when parking inside the office compound. If your car is parked directly under the sun, cooling a hot cabin can take quite a bit of time.

Some simple steps to follow:

- Roll down all four windows and let the car be for about a minute or so, so that the stale, hot air inside the cabin is dispersed out.

- Start the ACC without the AC (just the fan), set the air flow to "outside", and let in some fresh air for about 10-15 seconds with all 4 windows down.

- Roll up all 4 windows, start the ACC with the AC, and set the temperature to "LO". (which is 18ºC)

- Let the chilled air flow through the cabin for 3-4 minutes.

- Once sufficiently cooled, set the temperature of the ACC accordingly. (I put it at 23ºC)

The cabin stays cool regardless of the temperature outside. The catch here being, fresh air is easier to cool/chill than stale, hot air.

The only downside here is that during the last step, you have to take your eyes off the road for a minute to set it to your desired temperature. But I have practised it by now and it's done in a jiffy, and without averting my eyes. All it needs is 5 beeps (to move from "LO" to 23).

I admit that the ACC of the City is not as powerful as the Fords (or some other cars). But it does it's job. Maybe for places where the daytime temperatures soar beyond 50ºC, it might take a while, but the ACC is sufficiently adequate to make all journeys in the daytime comfortable enough.

Also, if you can, park your car in the shade!

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Summer temperatures here have also soared to around 43°C in the afternoons. I make sure Empress gets some shade from the sun when parking inside the office compound. If your car is parked directly under the sun, cooling a hot cabin can take quite a bit of time.

Also, if you can, park your car in the shade!

Another suggestion, which I do everyday as the temperature is similar in Hyderabad too.

When I park the car outside and before getting out I leave little gap in all windows. I don't close it fully and not that open so as to put ones hand inside. Just that gap so that hot air disease above and goes out of the car and prevents heat build-up.

I have seen this help in cooling the cabin faster and least loaf on ACC and engine.

Try it!

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

- Start the ACC without the AC (just the fan), set the air flow to "outside", and let in some fresh air for about 10-15 seconds with all 4 windows down.

- Roll up all 4 windows, start the ACC with the AC, and set the temperature to "LO". (which is 18ºC)

I hope the engine is reaching the operating temperature and ONLY then the ACC is used.

Anurag.

[RavenAvi]

Had a bit of free time so did a border run to the state border and back. It felt good to leave the confines of the city traffic for a change and let Empress stretch her legs out on the highway. Traffic was light as usual upto the Orissa border and beyond, but I had to be back home before lunch time, so turned back.

The trees dotting the highway on either side were in full bloom - the lush green mango trees, the light orange-bright red combination of interspersed palash trees, etc., lent the countryside a distinct (summer) freshness flavor. Farmers on their cycles, loose cattle grazing in the fields (and occasionally making a trip across the highway), people standing by the roadside in the small villages waiting for the next bus, lush green fields and lovely green trees - the picture-perfect countryside of my state.

Ride quality of the City, while not as superb as the Linea, is still pretty plush to keep you comfortable inside. Outside temperature hovered between 35-38ºC, and the ACC kept the cabin nicely cooled at 23°C.

The 80-km journey showed a stupendous 23.9 kmpl on the MID when I parked Empress back in our garage. This was with speeds of 80-90 kmph in the 6th gear. The sweet spot for the RPM band for the i-DTEC is 1500-1600 RPM, and that was where it found itself for the most part of this short trip.

Some pictures:

At the state border.



View from the other side.



From whence I came.



Fully-blossomed tree on the outskirts.



Breath-taking sight!



Green, red and golden brown.



A closer look.



"The woods are lovely, dark and deep..."



"But I have promises to keep..."



"And miles to go, before I sleep..."



"And miles to go, before I sleep."

[anilagdr]

Hi RavenAvi

Design blunder. Look how the IRVM eats into the driver's left side view. Be careful when the traffic arrives from that side.

Do you still find this a problem or have you got adjusted to it?

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by anilagdr

Do you still find this a problem or have you got adjusted to it?

It's still a bit of a problem, considering that I am a tall guy. But I have done some tweaking in my sitting position by adjusting the height of the driver's seat accordingly and sitting as far back as I can, and now the visibility is slightly better on that side. Looking across from the front passenger's glass also helps.

Now that I have added an idol to the dashboard, the problem has actually decreased, because I no longer look through that central section of the windshield, unless necessary.

Here I must mention that both, the front and the rear windshields, are at quite a steep angle (to maintain the coupe look I think). A lot of the front dashboard and rear parcel tray space is eaten up by the slanting glass.

[RavenAvi]

The seat cover set arrived yesterday from Autoform headquarters, 25 days after I had ordered it. The design I had finalised was not available in immediate stock, hence the delay.

Autoform U-New Cross for the 2014 Honda City, Beige/Black dual tone combo.

Total Cost = 12,500/- (including fitting charges)


Found out a few things while the fitting process was going on.

The seat cover set's tag.



The set unwrapped.



Close look at the texture/surface.



A peek at the stitching on the inside.



Rear seat armrest piece.



Front armrest piece.



Front headrest piece.



Front seat covers come with convenient back pockets.



The Warranty Card (not filled up yet).



The tags.



The thread set + rings set.



Ever seen a seat-less City?



Rear section with the open, gaping boot from the inside.



This plastic clip holding the rear bench in place is very delicate.
Make sure it's handled gently when the rear bench is to be taken off.



The metal arm holding up the rear parcel tray.
It also serves as a support to the rear seat.



Same section on the other side.



This part number is printed across the bottom of the rear bench.
Wonder if it's for the fuel tank down below.



Check the dates on the foam under the seat fabric. Honda using leftover stuff from the manufacturing stocks of the 3rd-gen City??





Front passenger section, under the seat. Really, how careless can Honda personnel be?



Those curious about mounting speakers on the rear parcel tray can check this out - the metal panel under the rear parcel tray will take some cutting!



Work in progress. Notice something about that rear bench on the far side?



It's soiled really, really badly. Best guess would be an oil spill.
Since this part was tucked under the foam, it wasn't detected by me during PDI.



Same place on the upright section of the rear seat. Very dirty-looking!!
Bad, Honda. Bad!!



The City open, inside out. "Look Ma! No seats!"



A shot from the outside.



The rear seat in all readiness as I arrived after lunch time.



Now it's time for the front seats.



The finished front seat (passenger).



BTW, the date on the seat's foam is also printed on the metal part of the seats as well.

(Continued...)

[RavenAvi]

The finished product - Front.



Open the rear door and...



Clearer angle of the rear seat.



Rear armrest fitting.



Front armrest fitting.



The dual-tone beige/black design.



Front seats now have convenient back pockets too.



The proud badge.



Ordered this 10-cm Ganpati ji idol from E-bay @ Rs 699/-. (thanks neel911!)



Got this door protector set of 4 @ Rs 300/-.
Among all the flashy and fancy ones I was shown, I chose this functional set because it's made of hard rubber, is plenty thick and can protect the doors from sudden, sharp thudding on the sides (walls, other cars) when opened.



No matter what anyone else says, it's simply not acceptable for a 1.2 million-rupee car to have such panel gaps which show the car's innards!

Front bonnet on top of driver side - rod peeking out.



Nut peeking out.



The boot's inside can be seen.



Our steeds.



The Empress's regality stands out.









The journey continues...

ODO reading - 2512 kms.

In-city F.E. = 19.9 kmpl at the moment (as per MID display)

[anilagdr]

RavenAvi.

Again as usual an impressive array of images that speak more than a thousand words. Very nice colour combo and design of seat covers, but dont you think the fitting of the rear covers could have been a tad better? Anyway I think you would need to tighten the fasteners after some use and it can be perfected at that point. Pl do keep posting such informative photos. Thanks a lot for sharing.

[harry10]

Very nice. Fitting looks good and the color is perfect for the interior.
Just, the price seems to be on a higher side.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by anilagdr

RavenAvi.

Again as usual an impressive array of images that speak more than a thousand words. Very nice colour combo and design of seat covers, but dont you think the fitting of the rear covers could have been a tad better? Anyway I think you would need to tighten the fasteners after some use and it can be perfected at that point. Pl do keep posting such informative photos. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Thanks.

You must be referring to the central portion around the rear armrest, which seems like it has a few folds on both sides. That is because the rear armrest + cover is a very tight squeezing fit inside that armrest space, and the armrest has been opened & closed quite a few times since the fitting. Rest assured, the fitting has been done snugly and tightly.

Originally Posted by harry10

Very nice. Fitting looks good and the color is perfect for the interior.
Just, the price seems to be on a higher side.

Thanks, harry. This is Autoform's top of the line offering now. The quality is absolutely top-notch and the stitching is excellent.

I initially wanted to go for U-Emperor which is the most premium Autoform design and looks absolutely fantastic, but was told that Autoform has discontinued it because of very few sales at it's price point (Rs. 18,000/-). It would have been great for Empress to wear Emperor's clothes!