[niwrej]

Things I like:

• High-revving engine. Switch to second gear and drive past 100 kmph @ 7000+ RPM
• Steering is an absolute joy, tuned very well. I'd say this is my favourite part of the car.
• I love the suspension. It isn't too soft or too hard.
• Beige treatment and the overall interior feel very premium.
• Adequate cooling provided by AC unit.
• Extremely satisfying physical buttons for infotainment, AC unit, and steering wheel controls.
• Rear seat comfort. Spacious car cabin with adequate leg room.
• Seat covers provided with the Elegant Edition model feel premium and comfortable.
• Decent underchasis protection and bonnet protection.
• BMW 3 series inspired tail lights are a beauty.
• 506L boot space.
• ADAS in V variant (unlike Elevate)
• 5 star rating by ASEAN NCAP
• Elegant Edition perks and Honda Connect app.
• Honda's reliability and low maintenance (WOM). Fingers crossed.

Things I don't like:

• Stock factory fitted 185/60/R15 wheels.
• Paint quality is disappointing. Tiny hairline scratches everywhere are disheartening.
• Not a fan of the front chrome bar. I will probably give the Honda City RS treatment after a few years.
• ADAS is supposed to make you feel safer, not the opposite.
• No 360 Camera or side cameras in V MT.
• No ventilated seats. Available as an accessory for 6k.
• The infotainment system needs an upgrade.
• Honda Connect app isn't the best. If you silently rest the trunk door, the app won't say it's open but the car instrument cluster will detect it's open. On the contrary, no "bonnet open" warning in the car cluster but the app has it.
• Beige fabric on the sides is hard to clean and gets dirty soon.
• 6-airbags should be standard even if it's Elegant Edition as it's just accessories fitted on top.

History/Prelude:




Our family owned an Alto LXI which got submerged in the 2015 floods. My dad sold that to a dealer out of frustration with an insurance agent and dealership and got us a new car. I don't know if this dealer still exists for Maruti but it's the most fraudulent dealer we encountered. Fast forward a few months later we got a new Swift ZXI Top model Petrol in Jan 2016. It has been through some tough times. A reliable 4-cylinder machine. We usually take our car for highway trips with family until it almost faced the same fate. Ran more than 65,000 km. Got flooded in 2023 floods. Repaired it with insurance and with own money. Got it back in working condition but we decided to sell it later for various reasons. Reviewed our car exchange options and sold the car in good running condition (not to dealer).



Car Choices:

Me and my wife started looking for cars to fill the void. We thought of getting an SUV keeping the ground clearance in mind and the high seating point for parents. We also wanted something that lasts for at least 10 years with a decent maintenance cost. So we started calling Hyundai, Maruti, Nissan, and Honda for test drive appointments. The most receptive was Honda. Hyundai took ages to contact us back but called continuously afterwards. Nissan representative didn't care if I buy or not. Maruti representative kept routing calls to other branches until we went straight to the branch itself to talk. Honda was the only brand that valued my request and continuously followed up over calls.

(*WAR - Wife's Approval Rating)



Honda Elevate MT - I'm not going to pretend that I'm a car enthusiast here. This was my first time driving an SUV and my first on a Honda. I had a clear view of the bonnet. The suspension felt like I was on a boat or a VOLVO bus. I felt a bit of nausea due to the suspension but I enjoyed driving the car. It was a different experience. ADAS doesn't come with the V variant like the City. There is some speed limiter set in this machine - probably for stability reasons.

WAR - 3.75/5



Honda City MT - On the same day, we requested a test drive of City MT, as my wife wanted to see what the face-lifted sedan felt like. This time it felt a lot easier to drive and it was like I drove this car before. Steering was so loose and fluid to the point that I thought at one point there was some defect with the car. It felt peppy and the rev-sound was amazing. I loved it. (I later found out that this was my wife's dream car) BTW our focus was on getting an SUV, so we didn’t consider this seriously even after driving and loving it.

WAR - Wife's full teeth / 5



Nissan Magnite Turbo MT - This was my wife's favourite car when it comes to exterior look (especially the grill). She was mighty impressed with dual tone demo car that was sent to us. All the excitement disappeared once we entered the vehicle. AC's throw wasn't good enough. Instrument cluster from the 1990s. My seating position felt like I was trapped in a slanted bowl inside the car. My wife was sweating on the back with sub-par seats. The representative did not care whether I buy or not. He did not even attempt to market this car. Our short ride ended and my wife was very disappointed.

WAR - 1/5




Grand Vitara Smart Hybrid Sigma model - We loved this car. Jesus Christ! This thing had to be the most VFM base variant in GV. It surprisingly had more features for a base model. DRLs, 17” wheels, Keyless entry, Sliding Armrest, Stunning rear profile, Auto start/stop button, Tilt & telescopic steering, 210mm ground clearance, Automatic AC Climate Control, Mild hybrid (~2/3 Kmpl difference)

The salesperson was very knowledgeable and explained everything clearly. Cleared all my doubts. The 30k exchange bonus was enticing. The choice became easier when we realized this doesn’t come with an infotainment system (we had a spare Pioneer 5290BT which we bought for SWIFT) but had a provision for one with two speakers already fitted (if I remember correctly). Everything about this car felt amazing….until our friends got involved XL6 and GV owners started messaging about battery drain, replacement costs, warranty woes, and started scaring us about battery concerns. We had to take a step back and contemplate if we needed a smart hybrid car (And would it last for at least 10 years hassle-free?). That path lead to us dropping plans but this car stays in my heart.

WAR - 4.8/5

Hyundai Creta - We dropped this due to high cost and lower variants did not seem value for money. SX Tech and nLine models looked good but to be honest, I never liked Creta. The front grill looked odd. The back looks sexy. Overall it was a tiny tin can moving. I have experienced a lot of bad Creta drivers on the highway and I grew a deep distaste for this car. No offence to good owners.

WAR - 2/5

Other cars that I wish I researched more:

- Hyundai Venue
- Kia Carens
- Dual-tone Brezza

Decision:

We almost went with Honda Elevate at first. Talked to SA and requested another test drive. Told him we needed to see the colours in person, so drove to the showroom and saw them. We were not satisfied with the available colour schemes. Our budget was 15L, and this car came close to 20L. We could have easily bought it but we always took one or two days to decide sensibly as all the sales people tried their FOMO tactics. Capital Honda wasn’t giving us discounts either as we were keen on getting a revised edition (6 airbags standard). At this point, we wanted to try another dealer. I have to say the dealer was prompt in replying and followed up regularly (almost to the point of desperation). Even offered to park the demo car inside my narrow parking slot to see if it fit.

A friend of mine recommended to pay a visit to Sundaram Honda. While talking to the Sales Manager about Elevate, we got to know about an Elegant Edition model in Honda City. It’s the V variant with a good amount of accessories at a cheaper cost that was introduced during the 2023 Diwali season. The value was good and our focus slightly shifted towards buying a sedan. They were very patient in clearing all my doubts. I wanted an Elegant Edition offer on top of the revised edition but they said they can't do that (EE not applicable) and there won't be any offers or discounts for the revised editions yet. I was arguing a little but to no avail. Negotiated and got very good discounts on the current model. Total on-road price in Chennai came to 15.3L. I haven’t applied for extended warranty yet. For reference the price was 80k lower than Capital Honda. We didn’t see other sedan options from VW and Skoda because of high maintenance and negative feedback on reliability from friends and family.

Booked the car at the end of April. Got a March month VIN. The sales manager mentioned about 5-day wait time as the vehicle is transported from Rajasthan. We postponed the date to May as Dad was out of town. I requested PDI which they didn't mind but I cancelled it as it was too far away from town and I trusted the sales manager's word. I'd always recommend doing PDI before purchase.

Note: Honda dealership exchange (bonus) quoted way less for the SWIFT - more than 1 Lakh less to be exact compared to the company I sold to outside. Even with an exchange discount, it was not worth it. They gave to some third party and the guy did not even spend 5 minutes inspecting.

Colour choice:

Golden brown and Meteoroid Grey - We were torn between these two colors. We wanted to see both in person. At the Sundaram Honda sales branch, there was only meteoroid grey. SA offered to drive to the Anna Salai showroom to showcase the brown color. He requested me to drive but I refused as 1) I already did take a test drive with Capital Honda and 2) I wanted to experience the rear seat comfort of the car.

We reached the destination and took a solid 20 minutes to decide between the colors. Brown looked blackish but we saw a couple of aged cars outside which didn't look that great. I believe it's very hard to maintain (for any dark color). Grey was giving BMW vibes with a tint of blue (Got NFS Most Wanted flashbacks) and with that spoiler it looked awesome. My wife agreed and our car search ended there.




While I was there, I looked at the eHEV model of Honda City. Elegant and beautiful engineering! Too bad it’s ridiculously priced. There was a 10 lac difference between V MT and eHEV. Even if it was near 20L, I would have bought it 100%. 26+ Lacs for this car is outrageous pricing.

Delivery:



Took delivery of the car late May with dad and wife, after confirmation of invoice and payment. Signed a couple of papers and received a lot of paperwork in the dock. I paid for the steering wheel cover beforehand which they promptly forgot and said it was out of stock. They promised they'd fit it during the first service or whenever I come for a mall visit (Express Avenue is nearby). They did not force me to buy anything or offer to look at accessories. I would have bought something if they showed me a list. I later found out that they don’t have any accessories readily available. Registration was completed for the Honda Connect app during delivery. A survey was given to rate the sales experience. We visited the showroom only once for color selection, other than that everything was done at home.



Overall delivery experience was mediocre. They take a photo and give it to you in a frame before you leave. There was another car waiting for delivery so all seemed a little rushed. Honda needs to improve on the delivery experience. My bike delivery was more exciting than this. My wife laughed and felt the same. Driving back home in traffic with a lengthy sedan was one of my nerve-wracking experiences. It did not want to put a dent or scratch on the first day.

Exterior:



The side profile looks sexy! The trunk spoiler with LED that comes with Elegant Edition looks great in person. I don't know if this car requires that much downforce. It's more of a wing than a spoiler.



The hood open clip is situated almost at the center, right above the Honda logo. I'm not a fan of the front chrome treatment but my wife seems to like it. All physical and neat surrounding finish across the clip. No front parking sensors. I was told by SA that they had this but Honda removed it because too many customers started complaining that it's annoying.



Good interior bonnet protection. SA recommended that I don't push the bonnet with my palm instead drop it from a decent elevation. He said he has seen many dented bonnets on day 1 when customers press or sit on them to close.



1.5L i-VTEC Engine ♥️ Buttery smooth. During the test drive, I didn't hear a sound, I was under the impression that the car needed to be started. The Engine bay is well-protected and doesn't have any vibration. My 10-hour drive to Tuticorin felt very relaxing with the sixth gear and low RPM drive, everything felt so comfortable.



Front Fender Garnish that comes with Elegant Edition. Blends well and looks good even though I don't like having chrome in our car.



Easily scratch-prone door handles with sensors. It also allows for key-insert to open and lock. I received my car with even more scratches after giving it to service people at Sundaram Honda. Sigh! The auto lock/unlock feature is useful when I got the hang of it.



Tail lamps are beautiful - Thanks BM...Honda. You can see the Elegant Edition badging and rear parking sensors. Sensors are very sensitive and help me in parking. There is an option to turn off the sensors as well.



Stock Good Year Assurance Triplemax 2 - 185/60/R15 84H. It doesn't come with a TPMS system. I have plugged in a nexdigitron Bluetooth valve plug for TPMS. Such a shame to give puny tyres for a car of this size. Above 120+ isn't confidence inspiring with them. Would it look good if I blacked out the rims or is it unnecessary?



The exhaust. I should go do a full underchasis rubberized paintwork from 3M. I enquired the shop and they said it costs Rs. 5100 (5 years - every 6 months free repaint interval). Asked the same to the dealership and they told me it'll cost 6k+ (one time only). Huh?



Good to see some factory underbody protection that is already present. The ground clearance has not been a problem for me. There's a lot of fuss about the lower GC but I've done 1700 KM and I've not faced a single bump so far.

Interior:



Interior looks premium. Overall beige treatment feels luxurious when you enter the car. My dad told me it was easier to get in and out of the car compared to the Seltos X-Line that my brother owns. (surprised!)



Middle armrest. Good finish with the elegant edition fabric but it does not slide back and forth. I feel the position is a little odd. It should have been a little up further. Maybe it's just me.



Traction control (long press) and headlight leveller buttons. I believe the surrounding boxes (3) are additional switch slots that I can utilize.



Fuel cap and bonnet release levers. Good quality plastic all around. The clutch is smooth but I feel it needs more effort to push it at the bottom end. Braking is adequate. I wouldn't try braking with these tyres post 120+ kmph. It's not confidence-inspiring. Overall feel of the drive is good and my wife felt very comfortable.



Driver seat height adjustable lever. I'm 5'11'', and I can see the bonnet from the driver's seat with my current position. After driving the Elevate, I thought City's seating and viewing angle would be a lot lower but it's not, which is a good thing for me.




The wireless charging pad that comes with Elegant Edition has a power on/off switch. My iPhone 14 Plus heats after a while so I don't put it for long hours. The charging pad fits in the cup holders. This charger occupies the 12V socket. I had to plug my dashcam USB into the first socket. TPMS bought separately from nextdigitron. No USB-C in 2024 for a 15L+ car.

[niwrej]

Side seat pocket storage - Enough space to keep your phones and purses here. The Honda key cover was bought from Amazon separately. Handbrake feel is good. Are there two levels to the handbrake? Sometimes even though I pull down the lever, the car signals that I did not pull it all the way down. I was surprised a bit coming from the previous car.



I like the gear knob and the leather finish. Coming from a SWIFT everything is an upgrade for me. My brother said it wasn't as smooth as the Verna 1.6 SX(O) knob. I read in the manual that there is a mechanism that prevents you from accidentally putting the car into reverse gear while the car is on the move. I felt relieved after reading since I've not driven a six-speed gearbox before.





Driver, passenger, and rear foot lamps that come with Elegant Edition. GFX premium mats bought from Carhatke (Rs. 3699). Very premium quality. Thanks for the recommendation, Team-bhp!




Dome lights on the rear. Halogen light with a satisfying physical button and decent throw at night. Sleek step illumination on all four doors which comes with Elegant Edition. I thought these were unnecessary but my family likes it. Haha!



Boot space is more than adequate. GFX Trunk tray from Zapcart (Rs. 1800). While shipping was horrible, my tray survived. You get a trunk light as well which is neat. I did not buy the basic kit from the dealership as I did not see value in those for Rs.10,000.



Halogen headlight controls. The nighttime throw is not adequate at all. I would not go out at night with these lights. Headlamps are defaulted to Auto. The spring setup gets annoying when you don't have any control to turn them off manually when the engine is running.



Music controls, voice assistant, and that satisfying instrument cluster scroll-wheel control button. The steering wheel cover wasn't the best. I was expecting the top model cover as it was mentioned in the brochure for accessories instead I got this cheap cover sold for Rs. 1500 which had noticeably bad stitching parts. The accessory guy explained that it is not possible to put a top model cover as it's machine cut and comes factory fitted.



AC physical knobs are the best. I would have struggled with touch controls while driving. Cooling is very sufficient. You have options to turn on/off/circulate air/max cool and defogger (front and back) options.



Adaptive cruise control and other ADAS control buttons. Tried it during my trip to Tuticorin and felt it was programmed well. Adaptive CC on a manual car is great at this price point. Lane keep assist (works above 70 kmph) got annoying fast on the highway during overtakes when I had to put much effort into steering left when the system steered me right as I was crossing the lane. I have to put the indicator every time to avoid the car from doing that. There is also CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System) which brakes and shuts the engine when there's a close encounter. It will brake after giving warnings and if you don't keep pressure on the brake pedal after multiple warnings, you are in for some rear-end action. This can't be permanently turned off in safety settings as CMBS is turned ON after every engine restart and I fear it's going to suddenly brake and end up in a situation where vehicles rear-end you.



The infotainment system looks dated. The touch screen is responsive but with Honda, the features are non-existent. The car deserves a better system, front parking sensors, 360 cameras, and better speakers. I haven't had issues connecting to Apple Carplay. At first, we had difficulty knowing how to connect after that it became a breeze (click the button above the radio).

I was contemplating getting the top variant for lanewatch alone but my friends said the camera quality isn't great and I also did not want a sunroof as well. My dad laughed when I said lanewatch comes on the left side only (for a 16L+ car you buy...).



Wiper controls. I haven't seen these many speed controls for a wiper to be honest. At high it almost feels scary. I don't know what wiper fluid they filled but I ruined it by pouring water into it during my trip and my factory hydrophobic coating did not last long.



I like the chrome finish around the AC vents. Sleek finish and good air circulation. Received good feedback from the rear passengers too. The NVH levels are decent. We drive with music on so I don't get bothered much but it could have been better. The rev and engine sound is music to my ears. I have seen people complain about that as 'noise' so if this is what they mean, I'm happy with the noise.



Rearview mirror with manual dimmer. Attached blind spot mirrors to both the side mirrors for some more visibility. Replaced stock dealership tie-up (Equitas) fast tag with the ICICI one. Removed it using nail polish remover. Big thanks to my wife. There is a rule to have only one fast tag. I ordered from ICICI 2 days before the trip and was worried it might disable the current one and I won't get the new one on time. Luckily, ICICI shipped via Bluedart from Mumbai and it reached Chennai within a day. Even after I manually disabled the Equitas account, the Netc site still shows both are active. Their FAQ section states they'll automatically disable the old one after 15 days.



The seat cover that comes with the Elegant Edition feels premium but I might change it to black at some point since even a tiny dust mark looks big with this colour. There are two side airbags for driver and passenger and two in front. There are no side curtain airbags with this variant.



Seat belts and headrests (not adjustable) for everybody! Rear seat comfort is one of the main highlights of this car. My family felt very comfortable. One annoyance with the Elegant Edition cover is the middle seat zipper cover doesn't blend well when I open it and pull in the armrest. I cannot hide the cover properly. It looks odd with the already odd-looking armrest that touches the middle seat when pulled. My rear dashcam is picking up defogger lines on a certain part of the day. Any workarounds?



ORVM adjustment buttons and power window controls. Driver seat window gets one-touch up/down. The rest of the window control buttons need to be held. Beige fabric accumulates dust fast and I'm finding it very hard to clean. (I don't know what to apply)

Parking:






Asked the dealership to check if it fits in my parking. The driver rammed the right ORVM at the gate (did not close) when he tried to reverse park. It was not confidence-inspiring but stressful.




Pic from the first day. Our parking spot is very tight, especially going through the gate. After putting some protectors in the side pillar and gate, we managed to park it without any scratches or dents. Took a decent 20 minutes at night.

[niwrej]

The incident during the trip:

We took a 600 KM trip to Tuticorin from Chennai and visited my in-laws. Not even one close call happened. We decided to go down south the next day, to visit another family. Our car was slowly moving at 20 kmph in traffic and all of a sudden a biker with multiple 25kg rice bags on top of the petrol tank rammed into our car on the rear side right door and dented it upon seeing a police officer. The police officer laughed and went off. I called people at Honda at 9 AM even though their work starts at 10 am. They were responsive and I sent pictures to the body shop crew via WhatsApp. They told me it should cost about 8-9k (part only). With labor, it cost more but it was covered under insurance.



The guy cried and gave Rs.1500 as he did not have money. He left the spot without balance with his ricebags. My wife did not feel right getting money from the guy and refunded after an hour of discussion. Not even 10 days old. Dented and scratched. At that point, I was beyond frustrated and unsettled. My wife calmed me down and said it was an uncontrollable incident.



Reached Sundaram Honda Service Centre - Anna Salai (backside of Express Avenue Mall) for dropping car for first service and for door replacement right after reaching Chennai. Honda assured insurance came in handy. The following is what they checked/did for the first free service. The next free service is in six months or 5000 KM.





It took them a week and a half to order and replace the door with polish and paintwork. I believe the body shop did a pretty good job with the paintwork. The insurance process was a breeze. Good thing I picked Honda assured insurance. The advisor gave me constant updates so that I don't get paranoid. All I had to do was fill out one form and inform them of the reason for the accident. I couldn't find a difference after the replacement. Good as new?



Mileage:



Mileage on a recent trip to Tuticorin was 16.4 km/l. The total KM run is close to 1700 KM now and the first service is complete. In the city, I get about 12-14 km/l with AC settings sprayed between max and auto. If you look closely there are still residues stuck from the paper cover that was protecting the instrument cluster. I tried with a nail polish remover but it's very hard to remove.

Accessories that I bought outside:

Tom Cat Rat Repellant Rat Spray and Jopasu Rat Repellant Foam Spray. Cost about 1000 for both. The first one is a very concentrated solution. So make sure to wear your masks and hand gloves. It comes with an ordinary mask but I'd recommend an n95 at least. I do not know the effectiveness of both of them as I currently use a rat wrap-around cover.

Infotainment screen guard - Good quality. Worth the price.



Window visor with chrome line from Galio brand.



Car with the rat cover for Honda City (Rs. 8500) - Ultratuff. At first, it was a hassle but I think now it's a bit better. Still need my wife's assistance to put the top cover to avoid scratches. The entire thing weighs 8.9 Kilos.



Door handle scratches. Bought a scratch guard from Galio but I haven't applied yet because it looks out of place. (Not in pic)



Rain-x Rain Repellant. I was told this was useful. I need this for the upcoming rainy season. Saw some reviews on YouTube and the feedback was good. Little worried about the foggy effect at night time.





It was a decision between getting 2 x M200 or A810 or Viofo A229 Plus 2CH Dashcam + SanDisk 256 GB Max Endurance. Viofo also only recommends that you use certain endurance cards. So the overall thing is costly but I hope it's worth it in the long run. Updated to the latest firmware and fitted in the car. Installation (running wires) costs Rs.900.

• Tusa Wireless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
• Yantralay Head Strap Mount
• Keycare® Silicone Key Cover
• Contacts Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Key Chain
• Detachi 3R-240 Car Glass Mirror Blind Spot Mirror
• 3M Car Dashboard Dresser
• Amazon Basics Emergency Seat Belt Cutter And Window Hammer
• 3M Specialty Cream Wax
• Jopasu Car Duster

Overall Experience:
Overall I'm satisfied with the purchase and the driving feel the 5th Gen Honda City provides. Even though there are many negatives, the hope that it gives regarding reliability and comfort is enough to feel satisfied. I wish Honda wakes up and introduces more features and cars in Indian market. Currently at this state, the target audience seems to be old Honda owners and those people who once dreamt of owning a Honda City in their childhood.

I’ll share more updates in later posts. If you made it this far, thanks!

[Aditya]

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

[saket77]

Thanks for the nice review and many congratulations for the car. The dark colors look really lovely. But it takes good effort to maintain them.

A little annoyance with the car I have found is that at times trying to pick speed from the second gear from idle RPMs, the engine acts a bit too irresponsive. It takes a while to pick up RPMs/ speed. Also, gearing is on the shorter side. I can feel some torque even in the 5th gear if I press the gas pedal. Apart from that, it is a very nice car to buy.

Wish you great miles on this this one.

Regards.

[niwrej]

Originally Posted by saket77

Thanks for the nice review and many congratulations for the car. The dark colors look really lovely. But it takes good effort to maintain them.

I die a little every time I find a hairline scratch with this color. I haven’t personally noticed the lag/pickup from second gear but I’ll keep that in mind. By the way, your review sealed the deal on the car choice for me. So, thank you!

1) How are you finding the current fog light setup? I feel like changing my fog and my halogen headlight setup should be my top priority. I don’t feel comfortable driving at night.

2) How are the tyres holding up? I’m interested in getting either the Yokohama BlueEarth GT or the Continental UC6. Little worried about the tyre noise.

3) General question: I have noticed increased spam and scam calls after my car purchase (Hotels and Extended Warranty fakes). I’m not sure if the dealership sold the data or someone leaked info during the car registration process. Did you notice anything similar?

[saket77]

Originally Posted by niwrej

I die a little every time I find a hairline scratch with this color. I haven’t personally noticed the lag/pickup from second gear but I’ll keep that in mind. By the way, your review sealed the deal on the car choice for me. So, thank you!

Thank you so much! I am glad that my review has reached potential buyers and has helped take you a decision.

Originally Posted by niwrej

1) How are you finding the current fog light setup? I feel like changing my fog and my halogen headlight setup should be my top priority. I don’t feel comfortable driving at night.

2) How are the tyres holding up? I’m interested in getting either the Yokohama BlueEarth GT or the Continental UC6. Little worried about the tyre noise.

3) General question: I have noticed increased spam and scam calls after my car purchase (Hotels and Extended Warranty fakes). I’m not sure if the dealership sold the data or someone leaked info during the car registration process. Did you notice anything similar?

1. My car doesn't have halogen set up like yours for the headlamps; neither for the foglamps. It is an LED set up and the white light is simply not sufficient for highway runs. It scatters too much and lacks the throw and intensity. I think upgrading a halogen set up should be easier as you can swap the bulbs. No such option in the LED headlamps as it is a sealed unit.

Regarding the fog lamps, it only lights up a small area just between the headlamp light and the car. An upgrade is definitely required for safer night highway drives. Just check the LED bulb in the fogs- you will be surprised to see this in a car retailing at such a sticker price:




2. BluEarths are good and I have found nothing to complain about them. Noise wise, grip wise, I am happy. I guess you cannot go wrong with either options you have.

3. Na, didn't notice any spam calls- except for service calls from Honda Showroom themselves
They called many times enquiring about my experience of shopping with them and finally wanted a review/ star rating. Apart from that, nothing else is noted.

Keep updating this thread so that we all can benefit from each other's experience.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by niwrej

[*] 5 star rating by ASEAN NCAP

City V MT variant is a real value for money offering matched probably on by the Verna. It is certainly a keeper and I wish you many happy miles with it.

The 5 * rated ASEAN NCAP car was the car that is manufactured in Thailand if I am not wrong. I am not aware if any structural differences exist between Indian manufactured City and the one in Thailand.

Regardless, my advice would be to not fret over such ratings, as they have had their own shortcomings. City's set of active and passive safety features, mechanicals that work as how they are supposed to work and a sane driver should be enough for a safe drive.

[sbenstewart]

Originally Posted by niwrej

Attachment 2624591

Things I like:

Accidents do happen, sometimes outside the things we can control. Leave that behind and enjoy the best of the many many miles yet to come.

The photos of the car parked in the House of Prayer Adyar brought back memories of old when I used to attend the service there during the college days.

[Dhananjay_Desai]

Originally Posted by niwrej

GFX premium mats bought from Carhatke (Rs. 3699). Very premium quality.

Hi, there are two hooks at the driver side that keep the OEM mats in place on the city. Does the GFX mats have corresponding holes for the driver side mat? On carhatke website the photos show the two holes but the photo of your car mat does not show them. Could you please confirm if the holes are present or if the mat just sits on top of the locks? Thanks.

[niwrej]

Originally Posted by saket77

Just check the LED bulb in the fogs- you will be surprised to see this in a car retailing at such a sticker price:

I cannot understand Honda’s weird cost cutting here, that too in your ZX top variant. That’s unacceptable. I talked to few local shops and they did not have many options for fogs. I did not replace the lights yet. There’s not many options near my area too which is sad.

And I didn’t know that the LED headlight that comes with ZX is a sealed unit. Makes me even more happy that I went with the V variant. (no offence)

Originally Posted by 07CR

City V MT variant is a real value for money offering matched probably on by the Verna. It is certainly a keeper and I wish you many happy miles with it.

Thank you very much
Regarding the rating, I believe seat belt awareness and proper road discipline is more comforting than any 5 star rating in terms of safety. This car has made me to drive very slow inside the city. No other option because of Indian traffic and the length of the car.

Originally Posted by sbenstewart

Leave that behind and enjoy the best of the many many miles yet to come.

Thank you. I’ve made peace with that after seeing that most of the vehicles I see have a dent or scratch on the road. Knowing the reason why we pay insurance also gives me some peace of mind. Glad I was able to give you a ride to your nostalgic moment through the church picture.

Originally Posted by Dhananjay_Desai

Does the GFX mats have corresponding holes for the driver side mat?

This is exactly what you get. I did not find any holes. Maybe they used a different model in their page and in promo video. Overall, it’s an easy fit with a little gap. It doesn’t affect your driving or the passenger. The rear mat on the other hand is a perfect fit. I’d recommend the mat over the ‘basic kit mat’ they provide which looked ordinary.

Update:

1) Found time to fit the window visors. I was worried it’d look odd but it blended well with Meteoroid Grey.





2) Apparently someone in dealership/RTO sold my information to Hotels and Insurance companies. I have been getting calls with starting line “Congratulations on your new car. As a complimentary offer we are providing you tickets to trip X”. Some fake promises of holiday packages for hefty cost. Age old timeshare scam. New call I’m getting these days are RSA fraud calls. Extended warranty for 15 years!

I hope the new car owners are aware and do not fall prey to any of these scams as nothing is free in this world. If it’s too good to be true, just avoid and block right away!

3) I will most definitely get the ventilated seat accessory before my next trip in 20 days. I’ll post my impressions of that in this thread. Sundaram Honda does not have ready stock (they place order for everything). I might have to get it from other dealerships in Chennai.

[vvijayakrishnan]

Originally Posted by niwrej

3) I will most definitely get the ventilated seat accessory before my next trip in 20 days. I’ll post my impressions of that in this thread. Sundaram Honda does not have ready stock (they place order for everything). I might have to get it from other dealerships in Chennai.

Nice detailed informative write-up. Interested in getting your impression on ventilated seats. Also wanted to know whether those ventilated seats could be installed on older Honda City cars, specifically 2016 models. Thanks in advance.

[niwrej]

Bought three pairs of T10s to replace rear ceiling light (1 bulb), map lights (2 bulbs), boot light (1) and number plate lights (2).



This is not a recommendation or an ad for this product. I’m just posting what I did. Please do your own analysis.




Current Map light setup have 8W Halogens inside (it says Kelly - I don’t know which brand this is). Take a flat screw driver and place a cloth over it.




Pry open the cover by placing the screw driver on the opposite area (flat side) and gently open. Push the bulb downward. Do not twist and turn. These bulbs are hot after use, so keep that in mind.




Push the LEDs inside. For LEDs polarities matter, so make sure you test it before closing the cover.




Do the same for the other side and close the cover. For best inspection results, try replacing at night. Don’t be dumb like me.




Rear ceiling light is a little tricky as you don’t have enough space to pry open. Forget using the cloth this time and try opening from the side (clips on one side - visible). This time the bulb will be in horizontal position, again, don’t twist or turn - simply slide to the side and replace the bulb.That is all.

I haven’t replaced the boot and number plate lights yet as my parking space is uncomfortable with a rat wrap cover. I’ll do it during my upcoming trip.

Originally Posted by vvijayakrishnan

Also wanted to know whether those ventilated seats could be installed on older Honda City cars, specifically 2016 models. Thanks in advance.

I don’t think this accessory requires any special installation treatment. You have elastic clips on the top and bottom. 12V socket powers the seat. You should have a Honda vehicle and might have to give some RC details if asked during the buying process. I checked with Manasarovar Honda in Chennai, looks like they have ready stock.

[revvingbeast]

Originally Posted by niwrej

1) Found time to fit the window visors. I was worried it’d look odd but it blended well with Meteoroid Grey.

Attachment 2626836

Attachment 2626837

Hi niwrej,
Congratulations on the City! Lovely shade of colour as well!
I'm not a fan of the window visors on our 4th Gen City. I feel they make a lot of wind noise when you cross 100kmph. I get the noise from my window and I'm pretty sure they are from the visors. They don't really help in keeping rain droplets from entering the window either.
They cause a lot of obstruction on the right hand view while turning right. Feels like a huge A pillar that is obstructing your view..
I'm planning to remove the visors sooner or later

[tc89]

Hey Nice post ! I did the same on my WR-V and the results are phenomenal not only does the interior feel brighter, the LED lights only take up very little power !