Tell a mathematics prof. to buy an automatic and he would probably spank your knuckles off.
No QED! In the first place petrol manuals itself asked for numerous questions like daily driving,
maintenance etc and top of that this.
Let’s see what the most popular C segment petrol sedan has to offer with its refreshing Avatar.
Exterior:
As they (HSCI) famously claim that the City is an ‘Arrow Shot’ inspired design, we feel no
doubts about it. Stunning cues starting from the front chrome grill adds that masculine character.
The grill sits well on the new shaped bumpers and the headlamps also get neatly integrated. Out
goes the 5 spoke alloys and we welcome the 10 spoke with a grin . Mounted on a R15 175/65
Michelin tires they merge well with the Chrome door handles and the front grill. The rear of the
2012 Honda City gets a pair of all new fresh looking tail lamps looks classy. The rear bumper
is also an all new affair. The city was always an elegant looking urban up market C segment car
and with these refreshes making it only a notch better.
Interior:
The cockpit welcomes you with a fresh kicking your senses feel which makes you want to build
your home inside this beauty. The beige leather seat along with the two tone interior dashboard
gives a roomy spacious feel. The Instrument cluster now gets a Blue backlight which makes it
look exceptionally good. Quality of plastics feels they belong to a segment above it and with
finer details like chrome interior handles, chrome finish on the AC knobs gives the car that
elegance it’s always been boasting of. Comfort and Convenience has also been addressed with
steering mounted audio controls and electrically adjustable ORVM’s placed near the power
windows.
The car does not get a regular MP3 music system but carries the 4 speakers along with ability to
play your IPod songs and the USB drive.
Surprising Elements:
You would be wondering I missed out on a few features! Yes, the first in class ever so sporty
Paddle Shifters gives control of the City at your finger tips literally. Gear shifting has never
been so fun. The other nice thing that I found out was the clever space that Honda has provided
under the rear passenger seats which allows you to store loads of stuff. 160 to 165 – This 5mm of
additional ground clearance comes as a complete boon from the previous one especially in city
roads of Bangalore. The Automatic variant even has an option of company fitted leather seats
and again a first in class Sun-Roof factory fitted option. This element makes you feel you own a
car beyond what it actually is!
Engine, Performance & Mileage:
Undoubtedly one of the best petrol engines offered in the country. The 1.5L I-Vtec pumps
out 118ps of power @ 6000rpm and has 146nm of torque @ 4800 rpm under the hood. The I-
Vtec engines are super refined offering supreme drivability and the Automatic transmission
seamlessly shifts gears as though it senses which gear you want the car to be in. 0-100kmph in
this car would take you a surprising 11 seconds and might even do it quicker with the Paddle
Shifters. Engine is utmost quiet with sometimes you having to crank it without realizing!
City in the City – If you are one of those having to travel across the Dalal street in Mumbai,
Silk Board Junction of Blore and Mount road of Chennai look no further than this AT. Good
road intra city driving manners makes this car suck up every liter of petrol to the T – achieving
13kmpl which is rather commendable for a car of this segment. Oops, forgot to mention the light
steering as well.
City let Loose – On the highways you’ll wonder if you could take a nap or watch a movie on
your IPAD. Put the car on Cruise Control mounted on the steering wheel and at ease it takes you
even at speed of 140kmph. When the steering feels very light and easy to handle within the city,
it adjusts brilliantly on the open roads @ high speeds. Car feels all so stable and planted which
gives oozing amount of confidence to the driver. The engine does loose out of steam when you
are pushing her excess of 150kmph. All this with an FE of 16kmpl comes as a surprise element.
The Essentials:
- Dual Air Bags
- ABS with EBD and BA.
- Rear Defogger
- Multiple crash and crumple zones
- Tubeless Tires
What we ask:
- Rear AC vents
- Automatic Climate Control
Judgment Day:
Sony has the famous saying of ‘It’s a SONY’. I guess the Japanese are famous for making
statements and also live up to it. ‘It’s a HONDA’. The discussion begins and ends there. Utmost
refinement levels of the engine, great city and highway dynamics, feature loaded AT variant with
Paddle Shifters and Cruise Control, we say this is the perfect mid size C segment sedan you can
buy in this country and feel proud and happy about it every single day.
Warning: Strictly not for the Diesel lovers.
