[TrackDay]

Disclaimer: I have no clue where to start or how to start ! I have been an active reader of Team-Bhp since maybe 2010-2011. After a decade of being a reader I decided to apply for membership last year and got the same. The delay in the decision to apply was mainly because I was doubtful if I could contribute in any way or manner with regards to the quality maintained on this forum. Slowly, step by step, I have reached 150 posts and a good new thread. I have decided it's time, and thought about reviewing my 5th gen Honda City. All details are to the best of my knowledge and kindly pardon for any errors. All pictures were shot on my mobile and hence may not be up to par. If any of the images are not clear, kindly click on them to view it separately. So here it goes. Warning : My review pattern has been deeply influenced by years of reading Team-Bhp reviews.

MODEL................5th Generation HONDA CITY
VARIANT ............V ( CVT )
FUEL TYPE ..........PETROL
COLOR ...............LUNAR SILVER METALLIC



“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." – Professor Dumbledore. There was a dream. An era, where legends lived. It was way back in the 2000's. An era of City, Ikon, Lancer, Baleno, Fiesta, Optra etc. Sadly the age of sedans is on the sunset and a new era has rushed in. And the last warrior remains. The Honda City ! This truly, is a moment in time and this is the story.

Ever since the new Honda City started doing rounds on social media I was always looking up and decided it was time I got this home before the market was washed away by the SUV tsunami. SUVs maybe easy than sedans. Then so is wearing flipflops compared to wearing dress shoes. You know what means business. On a global level, on ceremony Presidents, Head of States, Leaders etc. majorly arrive in their sedans or the Limo version of them ! Check out the majority: https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-c...world-leaders/

"You can take away my house, all my tricks and toys, but one thing you can't take away – I am Iron Man.”- Tony Stark. A sedan is a sedan Period. I am doubtful if the competition is even going to bring the next generation of their sedan offerings as the whole focus is on SUVs/Crossovers. So this could be it. I can even predict a thread here in ten years time by the SUV owners on how manufacturers don't even make sedans anymore ! Imagine the day Ethan Hunt picks an SUV over a sedan for a chase ! Or picture Dom in a muscle SUV.


A New Beginning Where A Dream Takes Shape.



Kindly note this review only covers features and points on the V Variant CVT.

What you'll like:

• A proper C2 Segment sedan!
• Dignified and Brilliant design. This is one of the best balanced looking sedans out there.
• Brilliant 1.5 L i-VTEC DOHC With Variable Timing Control (VTC).
• Starting V Variant package includes 4 airbags, TPMS, ABS, EBD, Hill start assist, VSA etc.
• Basic amenities are all there such as touchscreen with android auto/apple car play, Connected car tech, Auto A/C unit, reverse camera with 4 sensors, alloy wheels, Shark fin antenna, remote key engine start and many more on the V variant (starting model). Absolutely bang for money, Paisa Vasool VFM Car !

What you won't:

• Touch screen isn't the best in the business. It is livable though.
• Reverse Camera too could have been better.
• Could have given auto folding ORVM on lock/unlock as the the ORVM's are already powered on the V variant.
• Honda ought to offer more color options.




Our demands and what we wanted from the car:

1. Reliability & good service.
2. Preferably CVT or Torque Converter. No Dual clutches or AMT's.
3. No requirement for too many gizmos and features.
4. Sunroof not necessary.
5. Safety features are a priority.
6. Preferably sedan over a hatchback or SUV.
7. Preference for Petrol as it will be low driven.
8. Budget less than 15 lakhs on road Thrissur.
9. Preference for 4 cylinders over 3 cylinders as it is a long term car.

Despite the above conditions I still ended up checking out AMTs, SUV'S, 3 cylinder engines and what not. I wanted to know what all options I had. My previous car experiences range from the Swift (P), Xeta (P), Innova (D), i20 in India to the Camry Automatic and Prado in the Middle-East.

Options Considered



One might be wondering how far the options are spread out considering there is a Swift till the Seltos ! I will go into the details of the cars considered besides the City and their showroom experience. Trust me, car shopping consumes more time and energy than taking your date for dress shopping.


1. VW Polo:

This classic car was on my radar. It had got the reliable torque converter gearbox recently with a 3 cylinder engine. For someone who keeps car long, the polo is a keeper if it was purchased in the launch years. Even after a decade, all that the Polo requires is a bumper & light upgrade to stay fresh. Back to the showroom experience. I visited the VW showroom at Mannuthy Thrissur and a test drive was arranged immediately. The sales guy said he will demonstrate the car to me first, following which I can take over the driving wheel. What followed on road was an explosive moment of power. He extracted whatever power he could and I was scared out of my wits. I do agree this is a powerful car, but that is simply not the way I drive. But for someone looking for fun, this hatch is it ! It can do it. I completed the test drive and felt the hatch to be pretty planted and a good all rounder. Also a video of my test drive experience was recorded back at the showroom for their feedback. All pricing, variants details were duly handed over to me and it was a good showroom experience overall.

Reason not considered: A new Polo perhaps around the corner ? Also we wanted a newer car with good after sales. Skipped Skoda Rapid altogether because of the same.

2. Maruti-Suzuki Swift, Brezza & Ciaz:

a. Why the swift when I was gunning a segment above ? Simply because I love the car ! But the only downside is the AMT. In the middle east I have seen Swifts with proper automatic gearboxes and hoped the AMT could match that. Even knowing it is an AMT, I test drove the car. Sadly the test drive disappointed me. We wanted a proper automatic and this was not for us.

b. The Vitara Brezza was not test driven, rather just a direct interaction with the showroom. Didn't impress me that much due to the spartan interior. Although I was familiar with the pre-facelift diesel model, I thought the facelift would make things better, but it didn't. Dropped the car as a result.

c. The Suzuki Ciaz. The test drive was provided and the 4 speed TC with SHVS was more than adequate for my driving needs. The car was pretty spacious and also well laden. Healthy discounts were also on offer. However we dropped this car due to the age in the model.

Nexa experience was with Popular Thrissur and Maruti Suzuki was with BRD Thrissur. Overall both the visits were good and satisfactory with follow ups wanting to know when we will book the car.

3. Renault Duster :

Like the swift, this car also hold a place in my heart. In the Past, having driven the diesel on good and bad roads, I was mighty impressed by the car. The lookout was for the Petrol CVT, which I heard was discontinued. There were no showroom visits with this car and was ruled out at home itself due to it's age and discontinued CVT.

4. Toyota Yaris.

For someone based in the middle east the Yaris is not exactly aspirational. Nonetheless I checked the car out. It was plain jane boring for me and didn't feel the price was worth it. A test drive car was not available. I also checked out the urban cruiser and was reminded of the Brezza. The sales representative explained the car in detail and promised to call me when the car was ready and also send me the pricing and brochure over WhatsApp. To this date That has not happened. I later received a call from Toyota asking about the showroom experience and I shared the same with them. On asking if I dint pick up the Yaris due to lack of communication, I explained it was because I was not interested in the car.

5. Mahindra XUV 300:

Again an AMT, but nonetheless I checked the car out. It had a good stance and power to it. I did feel the fit and finish were not unto the mark, but the car definitely had some good list of features and was well rounded. The sales guy at Eram Mahindra Thrissur was courteous and arranged the test drive. The car was reasonably good to drive but didn't cut it with rest of the family, hence the car was dropped. This showroom visit also allowed me to check out the Mahindra Thar. Boy that is for another day ! One day my garage is going to have 2 cars: Primarily the Thar, and second the EV Nexon. Not now though !

6. Tata Nexon.

One might notice two Nexon's in the pic above. That's because one is an AMT ICE car and the other electric. The electric though considered was dropped at home itself due to the range issues. I am in the habit of spontaneous long journeys and don't know whether the car is ok for that now. I went to Hyson motor Puzhakal Thrissur to check out the Nexon AMT. As a previous customer of a Tata car from this showroom I have had relatively good experiences. It was good to step in after a long while into a Tata showroom. As an ex-owner I feel pride in how far Tata has come. There are plenty of customers on their showroom floor. A sales rep was assigned to me and everything was explained in detail and a test drive was arranged. Although an AMT, I still wanted to check the car out. The car was very good and well engineered. Except for the AMT everything else was fine and robust. Would have considered this car were it in a CVT/TC avatar.

7. Hyundai Verna:

Visited Popular Hyundai Kuttanellur Thrissur. A very neat and clean showroom. The Creta and Venue was out of consideration due to the designs. The sales rep explained the pricing and features on the Verna. We did not request a test drive as we were familiar with this car. There was a shade called Starry night on display and it is a brilliant color. This is something where Honda lacks. They need more colors on their cars. However the front design and rear space was a factor in dropping the Verna. It is however a feature loaded car. The sales rep was the most persuasive of all my showroom visits and must applaud them. They didn't want to let go of a customer and were behind me till I told them I got the city.

8. Ford Eco sport.

Like the duster the Eco sport has been around for a while, yet I considered it due to it's good engineering and reliable TC gearbox. I didn't request any test drives on my showroom visit due to model familiarity. I checked out the car and got all the necessary pricing and brochures. The reason this car was not finalized was due to the uncertainty in Ford's future and dated model timeline.

9. Kia Sonet/Seltos.

How can one shop within this segment and not check out the hot entrée in the automobile scene here. This was also the most suggested brand to me within my budget. However the Seltos in it's automatic avatar was not matching in price to the V variant CVT City in terms of equipment and safety. And hence I dropped it. The Sonet felt more in line with the automatic in terms of pricing. I visited Incheon Kia - Thrissur and the sales rep were warm and explained in detail despite KIA being in demand at the moment. A test drive was given in the diesel auto (TC) since the petrol was only in IMT / DCT. The car handled well and was reasonably well equipped. However I felt the vehicle to be a tad smaller when compared to the city and was dropped.

We even considered checking out the Pre-Owned route. But to come by a good automatic in the used car market here was tough. I did manage to find an automatic ciaz through the True Value route. The car was in pretty good shape. But I checked out with a fellow Team-Bhp member who owned an auto box Ciaz and found out that the car I was looking at had an unusually loud engine noise and the revs were too high. Following more less promising search results, a pre-owned car was dropped from consideration.


Purchase decision:


Despite being a Team-Bhp reader for more than a decade, This is my first purchase without reading the review on the forum. I turned to all online mediums and reviews and found the product to be ok. I visited the two Honda dealerships in Thrissur. John's Honda & Vision Honda. Both the the visits were met with satisfactory results and I can say I am pleased with both of them. The Vision Honda dealer and service center happened to be closer to my home and definitely was on my radar. However this purchase involved an old car exchange and I used it to get maximum bang for buck. Also this was towards the end of November and everyone was looking to close the deal. With good exchange offers from each of them plus the other brands, I tried to get a good deal. Finally I closed the deal with Vision Honda since they were nearby and matched my expectations.

The sales consultant at Vision Honda, Thrissur was Mr. Rajeesh Chiryangattil. From my first enquiry to the two test drives, everything was handled smoothly. All my channels of communication were through him and I should say the whole experience was very good.

Upon enquiry I was told If I wish, I could take insurance from outside. However I felt as I was busy, I will take it from the showroom itself. Transferred my NCB and let that get done. The following were also finalized :

1. Extended 2 years additional warranty, taking it to a total 5 years warranty.
2. Door Visors.
3. Basic accessories kit (this will be explained later).
4. Underbody Coating (BARDAHL).

(The insurance came from HDFC ERGO and the fast tag was from Federal Bank. Fast tag was pretty responsive at the Toll Plaza.)

Then comes the next dilemma, though not much. Out of the just 5 colors, it was either white or silver for us. I was sure white would be the major selling color as that was the most seen Color of the City on road. But we love silver too. Our previous car was also in silver & hence went ahead with the Lunar Silver shade.

Colors available on the city :

Radiant Red Metallic
Platinum White Pearl
Modern Steel Metallic
Lunar Silver Metallic &
Golden Brown Metallic


For those looking at the City in the V variant, this is the headlamp you will get. I don't have pictures of the modern steel metallic that looks similar to Ford's grey shade. So far I have seen just one City in that shade. Color choices in V variant headlamp style (Silver and Steel missing here). Click on the picture to view them in a larger size.



The City comes in 3 variants. V, VX & ZX. The only external difference in terms of appearance of the V from the others are with respect to :
1. Sunroof.
2. Tire & alloy Profile.
3. Headlamps.
4. Door Handles.

Booking and Delivery:

The car upon arrival for PDI before delivery.


The underbody coating was done and ready. The Visors were attached as well. The car was sanitized and there were covid-19 adhering protocols in place. The steering to the seats were covered in additional light cloth like material besides the basic plastic cover. All that was 100% given for recycling !

The delivery date was fixed on 7th December 2020 and the car was delivered on that date. The car came with temporary number on a plastic board. This was later removed and HSRP Plates were fixed free of cost after the registration was done.

Delivery day

I had taken a box of chocolates for the Sales rep. The car was covered with a red cloth which was later unveiled. The team explained everything about the car and the delivery was handled smoothly. That is me on the right in the Dark Blue Shirt taking delivery from Mr. Rajeesh and his senior.


The chocolate box we received from Vision Honda. There was also a tissue box and a photo frame which had a picture of us taking delivery.


Manuals that came in the glove box. The main book is around roughly 300 pages and easy to get through.


Accessory Kit package came with the following (From top left clockwise) :1) Set of hard floor mats 2) Set of carpet Floor mats. 3) Glass Hammer + seatbelt cutter 4) Microfiber Cloth 5) 2 Honda key Chains 6) 2 Honda rear seat cushions. (These cushions are super comfy and doing duty in my arm chair. What is the point of having them in the car anyway ? No one uses them. )


Document pouch provided by the dealer:


Clockwise from top left : 1) Hammer + seatbelt cutter box (reminds me of the wand box when Harry Potter went to get his first wand at Ollivander. 2) The thing itself. 3) The two key chains from Honda. ( I prefer not to use them though. I am a minimalist.)


The mats are a perfect fit and the reason I went for the accessory kit mainly:


Medical Kit on board. Though I will probably add more essentials like a paracetamol and Vicks.


When she came home for the first time !


The Keys. The car came with 2 sets of identical remotes. Functions include lock/unlock, boot open, Remote start. You can also retract the metal key via the soft lever in case of emergencies. To remote start the engine, press the lock button and then hold the ignition button for a few seconds. The car comes on. This is good if you want the car to warm up while tying your shoelaces, so you can drive off as quick as you enter.

Pressing the lock/unlock button twice, confirms the function with a beep. Leave the car unlocked/engine running/ lights on, there will be intermittent beeps from the car to warn you. Even if you leave the car lights on and switch off the engine, the car interior will warn you before exiting.

Exteriors:


The front profile.


A Sedate sedan. Overall a calm experience.


Car is definitely a looker ! Rear glass comes with a window defogger.


Ever remember how as kids we used to play with Die-Cast cars and check if everything opened ! This is that moment re-lived !


Bonnet comes with insulation under the hood. Notice the Covid-19 delivery kit on the steering wheel.


Yep ! There is a panel below the engine bay to guard it.


Car comes with an Amaron battery.


Notice the various creases and body lines.


Check out the bumper side profile.


The wiper bay with concealed spray nozzles. Planning to get good wiper blades next season. This car needs the frameless ones. Overall the wiper & spray action is good. I have highlighted one set of the Nozzle sprays for a close view.


Lift the Large one first followed by the smaller one.


Car came shod with Goodyear Assurance Tripplemax 2 tires in 185/60 R15 On alloys. First time using Good years. So far, they are satisfactory and won't be upgrading soon. Tire pressure ratings inside the driver side area.

[TrackDay]

The alloys look good and classy IMHO.


Higher variants get the diamond cut, two tone R16 alloys.


Check out the Rubber beading between the hood and the bottom. Bonnet is open in this picture.


Classy ORVMS are powered and come with Blinkers. On the V variant these don't auto-fold/unfold on locking/unlocking.


Door handles are the pull type with sensor on both front doors (Gets chrome on ZX). Place your hand in the door cavity with the key in close proximity and the door unlocks. Press the black button to lock it. Drivers side handle gets emergency key slot. One can also use the Remote or the Honda connect App.


Rear windows roll down almost completely.


Fuel lid with "RON 91 minimum" mentioned. I am pretty sure the fuel pump attendant won't know who or what RON is. Could have included petrol or diesel in layman terms. Fuel tank capacity is 40 liters.


Shark fin antenna is excellent at picking radio stations. Kindly note the second picture was a failed photography attempt by me to show the shark fin rising out of the water body.


Look at those rear bumper arches with reflectors. Wouldn't it have been cool, if there were exhaust pipes here ?


Boot comes clad with a sensor button that can be used to open the lid even when locked. Notice the rear view camera. All are neatly packaged and housed perfectly.


Boot is big and cavernous at 506 liters and Comes with cladding. The boot is also illuminated. Also there are four parking sensors on the rear bumper.


Spare wheel is a MRF ZVTV in 175/65 R15 on a steel wheel. Top end gets proper full alloys me thinks. The spare is held in place by means of a screw cap. I wonder why the wheel well is so huge ?


In an age of fake exhausts, one can barely see it on the humble city. No need for Mat Watson's stick of truth here !


I look back at my car every time I park it! She is a stunner !


Did I say the car comes with hill hold function. Yep that too on the V variant. Stop on an incline and take your legs off the pedal and the car holds it temporarily there without rolling back. By the way this picture is not a demo of that !


Ready to hit the road and munch some miles !


Headlamps and Taillights :



Headlamps on the V variant are the projector type and are pretty good. Go for the higher variants for the LED cluster type headlamps. Taillamps are same across the variants. Clockwise from top left 1) DRLs only. 2) DRLs + Fog lamp 3) DRLs + Fog lamp + low beam headlight & 4) DRLs + Fog lamp + (low+ high)beam headlight


Light throw in the dark.


No money to buy BMW ? No problemo ! Another talking point of the City ! Notice how the LED trails off in a Chevron finish on the side of the car (Bottom Left).


Relative size and comparison:

The following pictures were taken during the initial days to show the car's size with respect to common cars around.

The humble yet legendary 800. One thing it has common with the city ? Shark fin antenna !


Seen with the XUV 500, Spark & Seltos.


The main car suggested to me. The Seltos. To match the V variant of the city, I will definitely have to up my budget in the Seltos.


Now not something that can really be compared. But if you ever feel you want a city over a Maybach, your welcome !



Look at those wheels !


P.S The parked Maybach had the driver side lights on. Seems this is the reason : https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/...ide-car-269684
I hope the Mercedes/Maybach owners can shed some light on this light thing !

[TrackDay]

Interiors:

The Cockpit of Supremacy as Honda prefers to call it. Everything is ergonomically placed and one can get used to it in no time ! The AC vent on both sides can be shut off, however not the ones in the center. Notice the piano black finish bar below display running along the passenger side. This comes in wooden finish on top variants.


The front row seats with the center arm rest. The seats in the V Variant come in beige fabric and are super comfy. I recollect GTO's reference to how the Driver’s seat has fantastic lower-back support and how those with a weak back will appreciate this. Only pain is the seat color. But then you cant have black seats in a car like this.
By the way there is a seat belt warning chime for both the front seats. If you wish for leather upholstery seats go for the higher variant.


The portion below the steering on the right side houses levers for releasing the bonnet as well as fuel lid. The boot lid lever comes below the drivers seat. Also note the height adjustable drivers seat with recline. Overall the levers feel built to last.


Only driver seat height is adjustable. Shown in maximum height in the first and lowest in the second with respect to the passenger seat.



The pedals are comfortably spaced with a dead pedal to rest that leg foot. . Footwells are illuminated in higher variants.


Both the sun visors at the front come with Vanity mirrors. Yep on the V, IRVM is not auto. Buy the higher variants for a sunroof and auto IRVM.


The steering :

The steering feels very good at driving response and has a feel good factor. Functions on the left involve the music/audio controls and also voice commands and telephone functions. The right side handles cruise control. Contours are on either side for placing thumbs. Paddle shifter are also present behind the steering.


The wheel at night.


Comes with tilt as well as telescopic adjustment (rake & reach adjustment)


Notice the paddle shifters ! Other than bragging rights I have rarely used them! The rain wiper / water spray controls are on the left stalk. The right stalk houses external illumination, foglamps & Indicators. One touch/gentle tap on the indicator and they will blink 3 times. Put it into the slot, and they will blink till the turn is completed.


Instrument Cluster:
The V variant comes with an analogue cluster. They are made up of two dials (RPM & Speed). There is a multi-information display in the center which will be explained next. A white light come on both ends before ignition. Upon driving they turn green. Don't know if it changes color at high speeds as I am still in the running-in period. There is a small warning chime at 80 km/hr. I am told there is one at 120 km/hr. too. Pressing the Start/Stop button without using the brake lever puts the car into accessory mode. All lights and warnings come on with the dials doing a full sweep. They disappear when the car is started. Higher variant get's a fully digital display here.


The engine temperature is shown as a blue light on cold start. After a few seconds, when the engine is warm it goes away.


The multi-Information display and Various modes explained. Kindly note time is always displayed at the top and outside temperature at the bottom. Also on both sides you have the Instant mileage and Fuel gauge with gear mode in-between. Here it is in Neutral. I would have appreciated an engine temperature dial instead of the mileage one though.

The CVT City promises a mileage of 18.4 km/l and I have managed to get around the same or more on highways.
In City traffic condition it hovers around 12-14 km/l. All are in A/C full time.


Press on the +/- to adjust not only the instrument cluster brightness, but also the brightness of all the illuminated buttons and info inside the cabin. The brightness level is shown as circular points in the MID below the time.


Back to the interiors:

The driver side cubby hole has a spring action & can be used to store tickets/change etc. Also notice the 1)TPMS (Tire pressure monitoring switch) 2. Headlamp level controller & 3) VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) switch. Notice the two blank slots. One can be used for Front parking sensors (official accessory). The other one can used for NOS Just kidding !


Driver side door pad control unit. The V variant get auto window only for the driver window. The beige fabric is a stain magnet. Must get the wood trim later on.


The gear lever with ECON mode button. Press the brake lever and pull the button in front of the lever to change gears. There is a slot ahead which I suppose is for the shift release. Kindly note that, when the lever is shifted into P, the car unlocks itself. I find this quite worrisome as I usually shift to P at red lights. I also tend to keep the lever in N or P whenever stationary.


Bottle/Cup holder ahead of the gear lever can hold 600 ml bottles.


Or a Pepsi can and your phone. Kindly note the illuminated area for power socket as well two USB charging points. The bottom one can used to connect your phone to the system (Android Auto /Apple Car Play) or To play music/video from your pen drive. Also notice a sunglass/mobile tray to it's right & below the HVAC controls.


The touchscreen with automatic HVAC control illuminated at night. The A/C is a quick chiller and cools the airy cabin in no time ! Good to see Honda move away from the touch unit of the previous generation. The left dial when pressed will switch on the blower only. One can later press the A/C Button to it's right to activate cooling. Turn this knob clockwise instead and the blower will start along with the A/C. The center knob can used to route airflow. Notice the front windshield defogging and rear window defogging buttons. You can also precool the cabin Via the Honda connect App.

Else one can just press the auto button and leave it at that.


Check out the color changing temperature dial. How cool is that !


Basic illuminated Controls at night. The brightness can be reduced/increased using the instrument cluster +/- switch explained before. Touchscreen brightness is separate and has to be done through settings on the touchscreen.


Touchscreen:


The opening Logo while the car is started. This can be customized. The touchscreen is the weakest part in an otherwise well rounded car. One can live with it though.


I am not going into the ocean of options/ settings as there are way too many. It can do whatever basic things a modern system can do from playing music, FM/AM, Videos, Reverse display etc. The screen response is satisfactory. I will just go into only the basics.

The Home screen with wallpaper set from my pen drive. The iconic Ford GT40 in Gulf Livery.


One can set the theme or upload wallpapers.


The various music formats. From the files on my pen drive to FM/AM on the bottom right.


The various settings in the menu. Two of the pictures are taken with the wallpaper set by me, while the other two are default Honda backgrounds. The reverse cam sub settings as shown on the bottom right can be used to preset camera angle. One can also change it during reverse action on the screen.


Audio quality is pretty good and above average. No idea what the speaker brands are though. The V variant gets 4 speakers and they can adjusted via settings to focus on a particular seat. This really enhances the sound when your driving alone. The image on the right shows it currently re-centered at the middle. Drag it to the desired seat to focus on that seat alone.

[TrackDay]

Interior Continued (ICE):

Video quality is pretty decent and crisp. However one needs to pull up the handbrake to view videos. This is for safety, meaning the car needs to be stationary.


Pull the handbrake down and the show is over.



The following were taken in bright sunlight and the screen manages in extreme conditions. I feel they could have reduced the angle and made it more vertical to reduce the sunlight glare:

Android Auto on the system.


Google maps via Android Auto. I couldn't find any pre-Loaded maps in the system:


The reverse camera. It has three modes selectable by the bottom right three icons. The first one is a mix of Vertical as well as Horizontal view.
The second is only horizontal, while the last one is vertical only to see what is just below the car. Click on the image to see it better.


The screen performed reasonably under intense glare.



Back to the interiors :

The center arm rest. This does not slide and Short drivers might not find it useful. It has the same fabric felt lining found on the door pads & can be used to store small bottles, Phones or your wallet.


The handbrake bay just after the gear lever can be used to place the key fob or some cards etc. Notice the two phones slots on either side of the handbrake.


The glove box is medium sized at best. Can hold all the manuals and some extra stuff. One thing I am disappointed here is that, it is not lockable.


It can also be used to access the cabin A/C filter. Pull both the ends of the end of the box inwards to loosen the box, which can be then pulled off it's holder. See the tab in the red box. Pull it inwards on both sides to retrieve the filter.


Air vents for clearing the windshield. Can anyone tell what that small dome like thing is there for, at the center ? Is it a secret beacon for aliens ?


The ORVM from the driver's Line of sight. Check out the City's reflection. ORVMs are pretty descent and blind spots are reduced due to the gap between the case and A pillar.


The image is from the higher variant since I couldn't find any in V Spec. On the V variant you get only 4 airbags. Also shown are the 4 airbag points on the V. Other safety features on the V involve ABS, EBD, VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist), AHA (Agile Handling Assist) & low tire pressure warning.


The 2 sets of INTERIOR lamps. One in the front and the other in the center.


Lights in action. Higher variants get LEDs


One thing that you will notice is the lavish use of rubber and insulation material on the new city. Check out the door beadings.


First time seeing a beading between the front and rear door ! This is placed ahead of the rear door. Check out the red circled area.


Door pads can store large water bottles and umbrellas along with a space to park your phone. Also all 4 doors houses the speakers. Forgive me for the bad picture quality here.


Rear bench Ingress/Egress.


Rear bench with armrest pulled out. Comes with two cup holders.


Check out maximum minimum leg room. In this picture the driver seat is pulled way up ahead and the front passenger seat way behind. Leg room is never an issue in any seat in this car


Rear bench gets 3 fixed headrests & proper 3 seatbelts.


ISOFIX points for the little ones.


Rear A/C Vents with 2 charging points (12 V / 180 W)


The Honda connect App:
This is the connected car app that can be installed on your Device/Phone to control/monitor your car. One has to register with the VIN and set a Pin/password/Fingerprint to operate the App. It has a plethora of functions which I am still learning about. For a certain car it can be used on multiple devices. For instance the same car can be monitored/used by multiple family members if the primary app member gives permission. There is one downside to this though. Trying to sneak away somewhere without telling anybody wont be possible as your loved ones with the app registered to the car will know where you are.

To be honest though I am not a fan of any connected car technology. But like other trends, this will be common in most cars in 5 years time I think.

The home menu screen. This shows the car and basic menu. If any door etc. is open it will be displayed in a red color. Also it will be written if it is locked/unlocked. Click on the circular arrow (refresh) to update the car. The rectangular area will give the car's current address. Notice the Walk me sign next to it. Will be explained shortly.


The refresh button will show the following details.

[TrackDay]

Honda Connect Continued :

Showing what all is open. This can also come as warning via notifications. The red circular dot at the front Centre is to show the bonnet is open. Also see the circular spots on the side for fog lamps.


Car will also let you know if you didn't switch off the lights. There are more such things that I am yet to explore. From the brochure there is a warning even for "Parking brake off" it seems.


Upon pressing the circular icon at the bottom right of the home menu screen the following options will pop up:
(from top) 1)Find car 2)Open Boot 3)Lock/Unlock doors 4)Start car with A/C (Pre-Cool the cabin)


Pre-cool cabin options will cool up the cabin before you reach car. Engine will also run in this setting.


Find car Option. This is incase the car is lost in close affinity. There is a separate way to find the car via maps.


Click on the list menu (top left lines) to reveal the following options.


Click on more in the previous menu (top right) to reveal the following options. All service history and records are available here.



In the home menu click on the walk me to reveal where your car is via maps. It can also show if the car is in motion/ live speed/ fuel gauge/ A/C Usage. This can come in handy to note if your driver is misusing the car, kids taking car out while your at work etc. All Route maps are also stored in the trip dairy.


Click on the mobile phone icon in the previous post to reveal direct route to your car's location


Instead press on the phone icon to reveal the options below. One can also reach this directly by pressing the help icon at the bottom left of the Home Menu screen.


From the list menu click on the profile picture option to set your details.


From the list menu click on the nearby option to see service centers/showrooms or


Fuel stations.


In case I have forgotten anything One can also check out the Brochure for the 5th Gen City
5th Gen City Brochure.pdf


Driving Experience:

This is with respect to the V variant CVT only, which comes with 15” wheels and taller tire sidewalls. Also to be noted here is that I have not taken the car above 80 km/hr. since the car is still new. The drive feels planted and the steering has been tuned nicely. The car feels stable at these speeds and feels confident at corners.

The CVT is not for any aggressive driving. It is for a relaxed and stress free commute. Couple that with the cruise control and things are like a lounge. The paddle shifters were used by me initially just to experience them. Shifting is reflected in the multi-information display from D1-D7. It can useful if you want to downshift fast without braking. Make no mistake the CVT is super good if you keep speeds below the 90 km/hr. limit. During my test-drive of the showroom vehicle, I pushed the car really fast and it did deliver reasonably. However for fully enjoying that i-Vtec one needs to get the manual. That can be a blast.

The car puts a smile on my face after every drive. I know I have good mileage, personally stress free & I am really fresh and energetic at my destination. I do take a good look at her every time, after I park her. The exclusive factor of the Honda City is still high and people still do recognize that.

The ride feels super comfortable and senior citizens complimented on the comfortable seats and overall airy ambience. Yes, this is a sedan, ingress and egress won't be like sliding into a crossover, But at the same time the car is tall enough. Once inside, you are seated super comfortably without being thrown around during cornering. A family member (passenger) told me he felt the journey to be more relaxed and composed in this car.

Braking:

Too early to comment on this as there has never been an instance of hard braking. Brakes are good and responsive. The front is a ventilated disc while the rear is drum.

The car feels like a dream to drive. The CVT is butter smooth.


The Covid-19 situation has been a real eye opener. It opened upon many perspectives of our lives and I decided to enjoy life and take it one step at a time. No more rushes. No more tension, only a laid back and steady approach to life.


The Katana Blade in Motion ! The image is a screenshot from the brochure.


No ! I am not going to say that the City is larger than the Airbus 320! Ever since I have been hooked onto Sam Chui's vlog, plane spotting is now a hobby.


The strong rear staunch. Notice the various Body lines.


City's day out of a City.



First Service & Service Center Experience:

The first free service was due on the 7th January & the car had clocked around 790kms. Booked for the 6th of January and took the car to the service center myself since it was just 5 mins walking distance from my house. The service center was Vision motors, Paravattani and belonged to the same dealer I took the car from. I also wanted to see the service center. The whole thing was pretty much uneventful as there was nothing much to be done. I left the car there at 9 am and got it back at 3pm. The service advisor had asked me about disinfection treatment and I said not to do it as I would be getting the car cleaned again the following weekend for a function.

I will keep this thread updated with my later Service Center Visits & Experiences .

Seen here along with the previous gen city


No payment amount was on the bill. A feedback call was received from Vision Honda regarding service satisfaction.




City against the Skyline.


Please excuse the crudity of this review. It was a quick one done by me with low knowledge with respect to photography and writing. However after the efforts put in for this review I now understand that this is not an easy task. Kudos to Team-Bhp for bringing out stellar reviews.

As for my verdict about the City ? I will be honest here And my opinion will reflect the car I own (V Variant CVT).

At this stage in life, after the pandemic is getting manageable I have learnt to be more appreciative of the things around me. Smaller things that we took for granted are now more cherished. I have taken an approach to life to take it one step at a time. And this car is a reflection of that. Is the CVT the fastest out there ? Definitely not. Take the manual gearbox for that. But for someone driving in the bandwidth of within 90 km/hr. on Indian roads the CVT has plenty of power on tap. As for the engine, the 1.5 liters i-VTEC DOHC with Variable timing control has plenty of power.

The V variant (starting model, don't prefer to call it base model, as it is anything but that !) is packaged as an absolute VFM car. The rough price for the V (CVT) is INR 12,29,000/- ex-showroom (might vary depending on the State I think) and for that price the car feels premium and there is no evident cost cutting anywhere. Features on this starting model are in excess of what even some of the competition is offering on their top spec. I would definitely recommend this car.

I will keep this thread updated regularly with my Road experiences, Service Centre Experiences and the whole ownership. Till the next post, Adios & Happy Motoring BHP-Ian's. Drive Safe !

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[voldemort]

Congratulations on the new Honda City! Your review has been absolutely fantastic, and throws more light on the car. I might consider buying this car a few years down the line.

How is the interior meterial quality? Is it an improvement over the 4th gen car?

Our 4th gen Honda City (there's actually two in our household) has been amongst the most reliable and trouble-free cars we have ever owned.

Originally Posted by TrackDay

P.S The parked Maybach had the driver side lights on. Seems this is the reason : https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/...ide-car-269684
I hope the Mercedes/Maybach owners can shed some light on this light thing !

At the risk of going off-topic, I can throw some light on that (pun intended!). Mods please remove if inappropriate.

Here's how the light switches in a W212 E-Class (and most Benzes) look like:



Here are what the options in the rotary knob mean, going anti-clockwise from right-most option:

1. Headlamp ON. The low-beams on the car is on, regardless of the darkness situation outdoors. You can turn on high-beam via the stalk on the left side of the steering wheel.
2. AUTO. Mercedez-Benz headlight is complicated and I'll be going severely off-topic if I begin talking about it. Suffices to say they work beautifully well. This page has a video if you wish to know more.
3. Parking lights only.
4. Right side parking light only
5. Left side parking lights only

Unsure why last two options exist; perhaps in Europe they actually use that feature.

[mukeshgoel]

Congratulations on buying segment's best sedan. The car looks awesome.

At a glance, I thought Honda has given you Burnol for those would be jealous of you because of this wonderful car.

[CEF_Beasts]

What a detailed review, take a bow! Congratulations on the best mid-size sedan in the market .

[guyfrmblr]

Congratulations on your new acquisition. I enjoyed reading your review. This was the car I was planning to buy around March last year but had to drop the plan since the launch got delayed due to Covid. If I'm not wrong, this is the first detailed ownership report of the New Honda City in this forum. I have been waiting for the official review of this car since it's launch but for some reason it never came up.

This car is indeed a looker on streets. I have rarely come across this car in Bangalore and it's always a pleasant sight to watch this car once in a while among the sea of crossovers/pseudo-SUVs. Please keep this thread alive with your ownership experience. Wish you many more happy and safe miles with your car.

[JithinR]

That was an amazing review sir. Really well done! I hope Honda can get back into the game and give us well equipped and dare I say VFM cars like this in more segments in the future.

[Nav-i-gator]

Wow, what a review! Extremely detailed and filled with eye pleasing photos. I also own the same car (V CVT in Dark metallic brown color), and I don't think I will be able to match your review, whenever I try to pen one.

One question/worry that I have - with keys inside the car, you can walk up to the rear and open the boot through electromagnetic release button! I encountered this in the showroom while I was there to take the delivery of the car. And it feels very unsecure. Any thoughts about that?

[DicKy]

Voah voah!!!!!

Now that's one detailed ownership report, nah, Review!

At some points I was like, "Wait, this is more detailed than our official reviews", especially the interiors bits.

Congrats on your silver Katana. This is one of the few cars so far that makes you take a double look even in silver colour.

Cheapest in the segment in may not be. But I just love the V variant in the new City. Everything you ever want is there and you won't ever regret not buying the higher variants.
And the higher variants are left for people who want blingy show off features.
Just like what a variant distribution should be for any 8+ lakhs vehicles.

Wish you many more kilometres of memories with Athena before you have the EV + Thar dream garage in the future.

[vredesbyrd]

Congratulations on the City! The 1.5L will sure sing will. That aside, these alloys look absolutely stunning. I was never a fan of dual-tone design anyway but they look incredibly better compared to the diamond-cut on the other variant.

[VVN]

Amazing review. Sheds light on a lot of things. Briefly considered swapping my 4th gen for this 5th gen but common sense prevailed and I'll hold onto mine for a long time as was initially planned. Extremely fuss free ownership for me so far. Been 3 years now. Had a minor incident the other day where an Ecosport ended up rear ending me. Cars been in the workshop for a week due to Insurance claim but I am extremely relaxed with how Honda has handled this by giving me timely updates on the work being carried out, checking for other damages which may not be visible to the naked eye etc.

Point being, you have got an extremely reliable car and I wish you all the very best.

@Mods: Was a bit disappointed with no official review of the 5th gen city. The pointers were good to read but a proper detailed review for important cars would be good. Do reconsider please