My Honda City dilemma: Do I buy the hybrid or non-hybrid version?

I am not even considering the Honda Elevate SUV as it's a newer model.

BHPian Strider24 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

At the moment I am in the middle of choosing between City Hybrid V & City ZX CVT. I started with a budget of Rs 18-19 lakhs & almost finalized the Petrol ZX model> But, during a casual TD of a hybrid model, the insane power delivery on tap made me rethink on my budget. Now, I am doing a comparative analysis of both models and can use some feedback/help.

Here is a comparison of both models on the relevant parameters:

Advantage of ZX CVT over e:HEV V variant:

• The top-of-the-line variant of petrol powertrain. No Compromise on available features.
• A few cabin elements like leather seats, soft-touch material on the dash, focus-LED cabin lights & Auto IRVM give it a plush feel to be in.
• 6 airbags (A BIG pro for me)
• Lane watch camera.
• More boot space than in a hybrid.
• Better LED headlight setup( Love it)
• Tried & tested engine/gearbox combo, Its driving characteristics are well known.

Advantage of City e:HEV V over Petrol ZX CVT

• Superb power output from electric motor. acceleration is addictive. this is what has mesmerized me and my wife.
• It has the latest drive train tech available in the market.
• Much better FE figures.
• Better rear suspension
• Sufficiently loaded with 4 airbags, LED fog lamps, spoilers and diffuser.
• Same alloys & MID as in ZX.
• Electric parking brake & wireless charger.

In my case, the annual mileage is likely to stay within 7000 km with 65/35 distribution between city & highway trips. Mathematically there is not significant savings that I would realize, the likely recovery period is around 6.5 years calculated with an assumed Avg. Petrol price of Rs.125/l. I am attaching a sheet I created for this calculation.

Honda dealers are offering a flat discount of Rs. 1 lakh on V Hybrid in August which has brought down the price difference between both variants only at around 2.8 lakhs now.

Cause of dilemma:

1. While I absolutely love the power delivery and driving experience with the hybrid engine in the city, I am not able to come to terms with the lack of 6 airbags and lane watch assist cameras in the Hybrid 'V' variant. In my opinion, both are must-have features in a car costing Rs 21.7 lakh OTR Pune. These points alone are forcing me to go for the petrol ZX variant.
2. I am also not sure if I would like the headlight throw of the projector setup in the V variant. Being hybrid, I won't be able to upgrade them as it is an electrical part and will void the warranty.
3. Not much is known about the maintenance of the Hybrid combination in India since it is barely a year old launch.

I am not considering Elevate as it's a newer model and the chances of unknown niggles in it are high. Also, I am a sedan person.

Need feedback if I should go for a V Hybrid with a car lover's greed & ignore the airbag/camera/headlight-related concerns. or simply go for ZX CVT. I can't stretch the budget to ZX e:HEV at all.

Here's what BHPian JLS had to say on the matter:

I am not sure whether you care about this difference.

Hybrid City comes with disc brakes at the rear [both V and ZX variants] while petrol City [including top-end ZX variant] comes with drum brakes at the rear.

Here's what BHPian Dead_Pedal had to say on the matter:

@Strider24

For me, the lack of 6 airbags in the V e:HEV is the only concerning matter while the lane watch camera and auto-dimming IRVM are things that you can live without. They wouldn't really matter once you start enjoying the hybrid hardware and its gains. Also, that electric park brake with brake hold is an absolute lifesaver on urban roads. I can't imagine my life without it.

My vote goes to the future-proof (for several years at least) hybrid model and I'd pick that one easily if I were in your position.

Here's what BHPian Kevinrevvz had to say on the matter:

I recommend you blindly go for the Hybrid. My e:HEV has been absolutely blissful. The performance is addictive and the NVH, usability, and FE are leaps and bounds ahead of the standard City. Even if you don’t care about the mileage, just the driving experience is worth it.

Here's what BHPian vijaykr had to say on the matter:

Personally, I'd say go for the Hybrid. I had the earlier Petrol City for many years and bought the e:HEV last November. As other owners have said, the driving experience itself makes it worth it. I don't know if the picture quality of the lane watch assist camera has been updated in the recent facelift, but I find the one in the earlier e-Hev pretty much useless unless it is a bright day and I rely on the mirrors more - probably due to old habits

I have driven close to 2k kms in the last four weeks and absolutely love the car on the highways - I drive pretty sedately and very rarely go over 100kmph. The car is very different when compared to the Petrol version and having the additional power on tap for quick surges is great. Most of the ADAS features are usable and non-intrusive though both your options have them anyway.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.