2023 Honda City Facelift with ADAS in CarToq’s first drive review [Video]
While cars with high ground clearance have become one of the most popular segments in the Indian market, many still prefer the good old three-box sedan design. Honda City remains on the top of the list of sedans in the Indian market and has remained so over the last few decades. After bringing the fifth-generation City to the Indian market in 2020, the Japanese brand has updated India’s most-loved sedan – the City. The new City does not offer a diesel engine anymore but it gets a list of new features and capabilities. We drove the car around to find out what is new in the 2023 Honda City.
Honda City has always been that “classy” aspirational sedan that many Indian middle-class families wanted to park in their garages. With the facelift, Honda now wants a share of young buyers too and that’s why the new City facelift looks sportier. With small changes like updated front and rear bumpers and carbon fibre detailing on the bumper diffusers, the new City definitely looks fresher than before. There is a slightly different look for the lower-end variants.
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The alloy wheels have been updated too but they do not look very much different from before. Overall, the new Honda City will attract a lot of young buyers, especially because it looks much sportier than before and gets inspired by the RS variant that is available in many international markets.
The cabin of the Honda City remains as premium as before. While there are not many changes that you will be able to notice, the Hybrid variants get a carbon fibre finish on the dashboard replacing the wood trim. The non-hybrid petrol variants continue to get the same wooden trim though.
Other changes include an updated 8.0-inch infotainment screen that now gets a better-resolution rear camera and wireless smartphone connectivity options like Android Auto and Apple Carplay. There is also a new rain-sensing wiper and wireless phone charger available with top-end variants. In the full hybrid variant, the wireless charger is well-integrated into the central console of the car. In the non-hybrid version, Honda has added a removable version that sits snugly in the front cupholders.
It is a well-laid-out cabin with premium soft-touch material everywhere. The City remains one of the most luxurious sedans in the segment.
The space inside does not change though. It is as spacious as before and is loved by the customers who would want a chauffeur-driven-sedan.
Apart from the diesel variant, everything else remains the same in the new Honda City. So it remains exactly the same as before when you get behind the wheel. The Honda City’s driver seat is as enjoyable as the rear seats if you like driving. The suspension is well-balanced with a good amount of steering feedback. Also Read:Hyundai Verna vs Honda City: A Comparison of Their Variants Under Rs 11 Lakh for Senior Citizen Car Buyers
With additional features in ADAS though, driving the new City has become more relaxing than before. The ADAS is now available with petrol-only variants as well and offers two new additional features. There is now a warning system when the car parked in front of you starts moving. It allows the driver to be more relaxed at the traffic signals and be anxious about not noticing the light turning green. The second new feature is the slow autonomous cruise control mode. This feature allows the hybrid variants to follow the car ahead at very low speeds. The hybrid variants can actually make a complete stop and start moving according to the movement of the car in front. The petrol-only variant’s low-speed cruise control system is limited to 5 km/h. Below that speed, it disengages.
With the new ADAS features, the City has definitely become much easier to drive. Especially in heavy traffic situations.
Honda Car India has come up with a new strategy with the new City facelift. Apart from the lower-end variant which starts at Rs 11.39 lakh, all the other variants now offer ADAS. Also, the City remains very premium and Honda has used top-notch quality materials. It will continue to attract a lot of buyers who want a premium car and the brand name Honda. The City continues to be the top seller in its segment and no other car could challenge the dominance of the sedan. With the facelift, the dominance is likely to continue in the future. Also Read:Skoda Slavia vs Hyundai Verna vs Honda City: Comparing Variants Under Rs 15 Lakh