New 2020 Honda City Review: Hi-Tech Features, Compact Design; Is The Longest Sedan Worth Buying?

The longest car in its class with better cabin design and Alexa remote. Will this Hi-tech car be able to draw your attention? Read on!

Finally, the new Honda City is here and while you can buy one from next month onwards, the question is should you? Well, the City is easily the most recognizable car in Honda's range and pretty much the backbone for the Japanese car-maker. So the timing could not have been right now as Honda India needs a new car plus with no compact SUV, all hopes are pinned on the City for success. At a time when Indians love SUVs, will they buy the new generation City? Let us find out.

First impressions are positive as the new City looks stunning. It looks longer because it is and plus it's wider too. It actually now looks more like a Civic sized car and bigger than rivals. No surprise then it is the longest car in its class. The new City does look grown-up and more attractive. The best bit is those headlamps that make the car. They are LEDs and are made up of 9 LEDs arranged plus there are integrated LED DRLs. We think they look great and give the car a premium experience while the thick chrome grille at the front further ups its presence.

Compared to the current City the side view is longer and you will see new 16 inch wheels (the pattern is cool looking too). The extended length makes it look more like a proper 'big' sedan now and that would be a hit with the buyers for sure. You will notice it looks lower now and sleeker compared to the current City and that is because Honda has lowered its height a bit. So as a result it looks more purposeful now plus it looks closer to the Civic rather than the current City.

The rear is more subdued but is smoother compared to the current City again. The rear bumper is plain in design when compared to the front but the LED tail-lamps are slimmer and flow wide which, when seen from the rear gives the car a wider stance. It looks much sportier from the rear and less jacked up like the current City especially since the new 2020 City is wider. Back to the tail-lamps and there is a lot more detailing and it looks much more premium again as Honda has tried that on purpose.

Inside again Honda has changed things and for the better. The design and ethos of the cabin are simpler while quality has taken a jump which is important. There is leather and a wood finish while the dual-tone look goes well- bringing an airy look to the cabin. You will also notice physical buttons for climate control unlike the last one which had touch controls and that was difficult to use, especially when driving. Overall the interior is less fussy than the current City and one of the cleanest designed interiors in its class.

The instrument cluster for example is simpler in design but packs in all of the information required. It is quite hi-tech especially since there is a 17.7 cm High Definition Full Color TFT Meter which gives you a whole lot of info like a G-meter and other things. The G meter is something you see on most sporty and much more expensive cars so this is something which stands out for sure. We like both the design and execution with the relevant information played out well and easy to look/read.

As always there is an 8inch touchscreen with smartphone connectivity. The touchscreen is reasonably slick and the menus are well laid out while it is larger than the current Honda City with more packed in. Other than that you also get the usual features like an electric sunroof, auto headlamps, ambient lighting, rear sunshade, etc while the lanewatch tech brings in a camera on the ORVM which projects the left side image on the screen when using the indicator- useful when driving in traffic!

But as is the norm the City is also now a 'connected car'. In-fact after the new Hyundai Verna, the new City is the second car to have this feature. Plus it is also the first car to get an Alexa remote. You don't actually get an Alexa speaker but it is via your smartphone. You get 32 features including opening the trunk remotely, starting your car, and more. In terms of safety, the new City gets 6 airbags, vehicle stability assists, hill start assist, tire pressure monitoring system, rear camera, emergency stop signal, lane watch (discussed above) plus it is an ASEAN N-CAP 5-star rating car.

Finally, let's drive and we had the petrol CVT for us on the test. This variant is mostly going to be the City to go for and something which would be the most popular we suspect since automatics are popular while sedan buyers prefer its convenience more. It is a new 1.5l petrol BS6 engine with 121 bhp and 145Nm. There is a 6-speed manual and a CVT which we have here. As an everyday car, there is little to complain here. The engine is smooth and quieter plus the CVT does its job well in traffic. When compared to the petrol engine in the current City and in the competition, the new City is the smoothest motor.

The City has a calm cabin and we think now it is better insulated than the current City. There is less noise and petrol just works smoothly. For city commuters, it rides very well and is easy to drive too. However, if you drive it fast then the CVT automatically gets a bit noisy, thus you get the feeling this is not a sporty sedan but a calm and comfortable cruiser. We suspect the petrol manual would be the more fun to drive option as the CVT indeed gets noisy when pushed hard but you do get paddle shifters on the CVT which is welcome. Efficiency is high teens for both the CVT and manual petrol.

The current City has a fan-following due to space and it is loved by customers who get driven around. Honda for this new generation model worked on enhancing that and you would love being chauffeured around in the new City more now as it is the most spacious car plus the most comfortable in its class. There is a lot of space inside and the ride is pretty sorted. There is plenty of space to stretch your legs-even if you are tall plus due to the width, it is more than capable to fit three passengers. You get the idea- the new City is for being driven around with comfort and focus on luxury/ease of driving.

While we expect prices to increase, we think there should be a marginal one since more than sedans, the new City will go up against midsize SUVs in trying to woo customer's wallets. In many ways, the new City is not a radical change but builds on the strengths of the current City and makes it a more competent package now. There is more luxury and features while it remains spacious and comfortable. It may not be a driver's choice but for space, comfort, and premiumness, the new City is hard to beat.