2023 Honda City Facelift Review

The Honda City has been one of the best-selling cars for the company in India and with the facelift, there's a lot to like. New features and updates galore!

I’ll paraphrase Shakespeare to answer a query on the new Honda City. Is it a facelift? Is it a new generation? That is the question. To establish the fact that this is not an all-new car but in fact, a facelift, what you get is a redesigned front section with a new grille and a redesigned bumper and that’s about the new elements you find here. At the back, you don’t receive too many alterations apart from a slight nip & tuck here and there. The profile also remains unchanged. Even with the limited tweaks, the compact sedan looks sporty. It looks aggressive yet elegant. The carbon wrap effect to the front and rear adds character. And the chrome treatment adds depth. Personally, I would’ve preferred this to be completely blacked out. Even then the car manages to strike a personal connection.

Tech & Interior

The cabin is even more identical. But the difference lies in the details. The cabin of the petrol version of the Honda City is slightly different compared to the diesel version. So what you get is a wireless charger positioned below the infotainment system instead of behind the gear box unit. What is interesting though, is that you can remove the panel to clear out space for the cupholders. There’s even wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. What also impresses us is the infotainment unit. it is the same unit as earlier but what Honda has done now is that it has improved the UI to make much more refined, cleaner and even more responsive than before. The seats are still plush and offer a comfortable drive. Ventilated seats though would have maximised this sentiment. The quality of the 360 degree camera is also improved.

Safety Features

But there’s more to it, what’s also new in the Honda City petrol version is the availability of Level-2 ADAS functions. We’ve seen this on the hybrid version and now it makes its presence felt on the petrol version. Features such as the collision avoidance braking, road departure warning, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control makes driving on highways so secure.

Engine & Gearbox

Honda has even updated the 1.5-litre iVTEC petrol unit of the compact sedan that is now compatible with E20 fuel. There’s the hybrid motor coupled to the tried & tested 1.5-litre iVTEC petrol engine that we drove only last year. Along with the updated 1.5-litre naturally aspirated unit with dual overhead cams producing 119 bhp and 145 Nm.

Ride & Handling

First one we drove was the hybrid version. Now driving the hybrid version has always been a pleasure to drive. There is ample amount of grunt, more than enough power, and generous torque all thanks to the setup of the powertrain. The electric motors along with the petrol engine works so well that the car never feels out of breathe and always surprises you. The switch between the hybrid and engine mode adds to the overall experience.

And then there’s the petrol version of the car. it is still in essence the same car from before and we’ve enjoyed driving it so much. it is so lovely, the engine is so responsive, the gearbox is so slick, the shifts are smooth and seamless but it is the ride quality that is unparalleled. But the real difference you get in both these cars is the feel, so the grunt from the engine is present throughout the rev band and the sound coming from the exhaust is so mesmerising.

Verdict

The bifurcation between the two is clear. if you want fuel efficiency then there’s nothing better than the hybrid version. But if it is performance that you crave, then the petrol version is what you should get. Because in terms of pricing, the City CVT is still more affordable than the fully-loaded automatics of the Volkswagen Virtus and even the Skoda Slavia.

Only the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is the least expensive in the segment. And the Hyundai Verna will soon receive a major upgrade. Having said that, the Honda City is still… one of the best cars out there. It may seem that the Honda City is out of the race with the arrival of fresher products. But there’s no denying that the car still has game, even after being in the market for more than 20 years.