Honda is making big changes to its product offerings, discontinuing half of its portfolio and introducing a new base trim. This month, the 2023 Honda City facelift was unveiled. It includes a few enhancements that go beyond the obvious.
Design & Features
The 2023 Honda City facelift includes new alloy wheels, a redesigned chin, and a few new features. The facelift, however, is more than just these physical alterations. Honda has made a number of changes to enhance the overall driving experience. Honda is abandoning three cars, including the fourth generation Honda City, due to required Bharat VI - Stage 2 standards. This means Honda will only offer three vehicles, most likely only two: the fifth-generation City, the fifth-generation City Hybrid, and the Amaze.
The facelift improves the design and features. The sedan's new chequered grille, revised wheels, carbon fibre wrapped diffuser, and boot-lid integrated spoiler provide a sporty touch to its otherwise sleek appearance. Top-tier trims have more sporting aspects, while lower-tier trims have more subtle modifications.
New Color
Honda City in a New Color Obsidian Blue is a new colour option. Honda has released a new Obsidian Blue colour choice that is enticing, but consumers can also select other colours.
The interiors have remained essentially unchanged, with minimal changes. In e:HEV, a carbon fibre pattern replaces the previous wood design element on the dash. The infotainment system has been updated, and the resolution of the back camera has been increased. Honda has also improved the passenger experience by adding ambient lighting.
Advanced Driver Assistance System
The 2023 Honda City facelift includes important technology and safety improvements. The incorporation of Honda Sensing technology in the petrol-powered versions is particularly remarkable. Formerly reserved for top-tier trims, Honda Sensing is now standard on all models starting with the V trim. It makes the City petrol the first sedan in its segment to feature Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).
City captures information from the road using a front wide vision camera positioned on the windscreen, delivering a variety of valuable features. Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Departure Warning with Road Departure Mitigation System, Lead Vehicle Departure Notification System, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Auto High Beam are all part of the safety suite.
The 2023 Honda City facelift is available in three trim levels: petrol manual, CVT petrol, and e:HEV. Each of the three types has its own advantages, with the petrol manual providing a lively driving experience with iVTEC and the CVT petrol being better ideal for relaxing driving. The e:HEV, with its insane fuel efficiency (we managed 30 kmpl) and good performance, is a logical and one-of-a-kind option.
Driving Experience
Apart for the addition of ADAS capabilities, we observed during the Media Drive that there is no difference in the way the City drives compared to the pre-facelift version. While some options, like as motorised seat adjust and ventilated seats, remain unavailable, the advent of ADAS compensates in part for their lack. The NVH levels are pleasant, except during the drive mode switch.
Performance
In terms of performance, the petrol manual is an excellent choice for a semi-luxurious ride or an inexpensive thrill machine, but the CVT petrol is better suited for relaxing driving. With its great fuel efficiency and performance, the e:HEV is a logical and distinctive option. Overall, the 2023 Honda City facelift delivers updates and improvements over the previous model, with each of the three variants having its own strengths in terms of everyday driving demands.
With a fuel efficiency of 18.4 km/l, the Honda City 1.5L petrol engine is ideal for city and motorway driving. It comes with a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT with a 7-speed manual mode, which provides smoother gear changes and better fuel efficiency than typical automatic transmissions.
The City hybrid offers exceptional fuel economy, producing only 89.5 g/km CO2 and achieving a remarkable 27.13 km/l. For smooth acceleration, the hybrid system combines a maximum power output of 93 kW (126 PS). The Honda Two-Motor Electric-Hybrid system produces 253 Nm of torque and has a fuel tank size of 40 litres.
Info Source: Rushlane