Honda City e:HEV has been launched in the country. The feature-laden hybrid sedan from Honda is the first vehicle in its segment to get Advance Drive Assistance System (ADAS). It has been dubbed Honda Sensing and will be limited to the top-spec ZX variant. Honda City e:HEV is also available in Thailand and shares most of its underpinnings.
The newly launched Honda City e:HEV will be limited to its top-spec ZX variant. Pricing for the new hybrid vehicle will be announced at its launch sometime in May. It will be built at Honda’s plant in Greater Noida and complies with the Make in India programme. Honda is offering a 3-year unlimited kilometres warranty. Pre-bookings have already begun.
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Under the hood, the new hybrid vehicle gets a 1.5-litre Atkinson Cycle petrol engine coupled with a self-charging dual-motor electric hybrid system. The petrol engine develops 93hp and 127Nm of torque while the electric motors develop around 107hp and 253Nm of peak torque. Combined, the Honda City e:HEV gets a power output of 124hp. All this is mated to Honda’s eCVT gearbox and returns a claimed fuel efficiency of 26.5kmpl.
There are three Drive Modes — EV, Hybrid, Engine. Up to 40kmph, the City e:HEV can be driven completely on the EV Drive Mode, while the Hybrid Drive Mode is activated between 40-80kmph. Engine Drive Mode comes into effect above 80kmph, or what Honda calls highway driving in India. All of these modes can be selected automatically.
Inside, Honda has given the City e:HEV a new colourway with a Black and Ivory two-tone scheme with its trim getting a wooden finish. The handbrake lever has been replaced with an e-brake switch that gets Auto Brake Hold assist. It gets the same 8-inch infotainment screen as the regular Honda City and has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and WebLink for smartphone connectivity.
As mentioned, Honda City e:HEV also gets a first-in-segment Honda Sensing feature, which is Honda’s terminology for ADAS. With a wide-angle camera placed in the front, Honda Sensing is said to mitigate or prevent accidents using the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS). Alongside, Honda also provides Adaptive Cruise Control, Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), and Auto High-Beam.
Along with support for Amazon Alexa and Google Home, Honda City e:HEV owners can control their car with iOS and Android smartwatches. You can now control 37 Honda Connect features using the compatible wearable.
[Featured Image Credit: Honda]
Satvik Khare