There is no doubt that full-fledged electric vehicles are getting traction. But due to their high pricing, a few carmakers are introducing hybrid-powered vehicles, as they also deliver a good range. There are only a few hybrid cars that are available in the Indian four-wheeler market. Earlier, the Toyota Camry and Lexus cars were the only hybrid offerings, but now, you can buy a hybrid vehicle for under Rs 20 lakh. If you want an affordable hybrid SUV, you can consider the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara or the Toyota Hyryder. And, in sedan, you can consider the Honda City Hybrid. There are no direct rivals of the Honda City Hybrid, as far as the fuel type is concerned.

The starting ex-showroom price of the hybrid version of the Honda City is Rs 18.89 lakh. It is the only flagship offering from the Japanese car manufacturer in the country. It is also worth noting that the carmaker recently introduced the facelifted version of the Honda City and its hybrid variant.

So, if you are planning to buy the Honda City Hybrid, below are a few things that you should keep in mind.

Specifications  

For starters, the hybrid version of the fifth-generation Honda City shares its platform with other Honda cars, such as the Honda Jazz and the upcoming Honda HR-V. For your reference, the Honda HR-V is already available in the international markets. The platform, however, is called Honda Global Small Car.

As far as the figures are concerned, the Honda City Hybrid is powered by a 1.5-litre Atkinson Cycle petrol-hybrid engine, which produces 97 bhp at 5600 rpm and 127 Nm of peak torque at 4500 rpm. At the same time, the electric motor is tuned to churn out 108 bhp at 4000 rpm and 253 Nm of peak torque. The hybrid version is coupled with a standard e-CVT automatic gearbox.

In terms of fuel efficiency, the ARAI-claimed mileage of the Honda City Hybrid is 27.1 km/l. You can expect real-world mileage between 20 km/l and 24 km/l. Please note that mileage figures vary with the local traffic conditions and individuals’ driving styles.

Besides the engine output, the Honda City Hybrid eHEV has a comfort-oriented suspension setup. You will get a McPherson Strut with a coil spring at the front and a torsion beam with a coil spring at the rear. At the same time, the shock absorber is also superior, as it consists of a nitrogen gas-filled telescopic shock absorber. To know more about driveability, check out the City Hybrid review on the autoX website.

Further, the braking duties are taken care of by disc brakes at the front and the rear. These disc brakes can be seen through 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. Speaking of the rim size, the Honda City Hybrid has a tyre profile of 185/55 R16. These wheels can be controlled with an electric steering wheel, which has a tilt and telescopic function.

Features

The ongoing generation of the Honda City has a long list of features. It has one-touch windows (all), a single-pane sunroof, three 12V accessory outlets, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, a leather-wrapped gearknob, and electrically adjustable and retractable ORVMs. This sedan also offers manually operated sunblinds for the rear side windows and the rear windshield.

Apart from that, this popular Japanese sedan has a lot of storage compartments on the door panels and the cockpit. Speaking of storage, this sedan has a boot capacity of 306 litres. It is down from the 506 litres of boot space, which is offered in the standard Honda City. At the same time, it doesn’t have a boot-cabin feature either, otherwise, the boot space could have been increased by folding down the seats.

Other notable features of the Honda City Hybrid include cruise control, engine start/stop button, voice control, paddle shifters, front USB ports, smart keyless access, walk-away auto lock, remote closing feature (power windows and sunroof), and auto HVAC. Furthermore, at the City Hybrid price, you also get connected car technology, ambient lighting (map lamp, footwell, and centre console pocket), auto headlights, a digital clock, and a semi-digital instrument cluster. Considering the City Hybrid price, it has loads of features.

The semi-digital instrument cluster shows relevant readings, such as trip made, G-Force, shift indicator, lane-change camera (only on the left side), Eco-drive indicator, real-time energy flow status, range, etc.

As for entertainment, the Honda City Hybrid eHEV bags an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment unit that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (wired), and the next-gen Honda Connect with Telematics Control Unit (TCU). The connected car technology is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant and a smartwatch. For your reference, the connected car technology can let the user access the vehicle’s status, such as current location, last parked location, geo-fence alerts, OTA updates, emergency calls, remote A/C on/off, remote car lock/unlock, and upcoming service(s). If this sedan has started fascinating you, you can visit the autoX website to check the location-based Honda City e:HEV price.

It also has a premium surround sound system with four tweeters and four speakers. For connectivity, this vehicle offers USB and Auxiliary outlets and Bluetooth.

In terms of exterior illumination, the Honda City Hybrid has LED headlights with LED DRLs and LED indicator lights. Its lower section of the bumper has LED fog lamps. In addition, the driver can also adjust the headlights and can enable automatic headlights. 

On the safety front, the Honda City Hybrid is packed with ABS with EBD, ESC, traction control, brake assist, power door locks, child-safety locks, anti-theft alarm, auto-dimming IRVM, door ajar warning, and tyre pressure monitoring system. Further, it also has an engine immobiliser, centrally mounted fuel tank, rain-sensing wipers, a rear camera with guidance, ISOFIX child-seat anchorages, a hill assist, and a lane watch camera. Just so you know, the lane watch camera is only on the left ORVM. Moreover, it also has six airbags and boasts segment-first ADAS. And, ADAS features include lane departure warning, high beam assist, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure prevention.

Speaking of safety, the Honda City Hybrid secured a four-star safety rating in the Global NCAP’s crash test. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the build quality of a vehicle matters more than the number of safety features. A car with standard dual airbags, alongside a lack of advanced safety features, can secure a five-star safety rating, as well. The best example is the Tata Punch.

Prices and Variants

The Japanese car manufacturer sells the hybrid version of the Honda City in two variants: V (newly added) and ZX.

The Honda City Hybrid price starts at Rs 18.89 lakh for the base model, the V CVT, and goes up to Rs 20.39 lakh for the top model, the ZX CVT. All are ex-showroom prices, New Delhi, as of March 2023.

Please note that these prices are subject to change without any prior notice to the customer. You can, however, visit the autoX website to access the latest location-based price list for your dream vehicle.