We reported earlier that Honda will launch the new City hybrid in the Indian market by mid-2022. In fact, recent reports suggest that the new City hybrid is nearly production ready and could be launched in Q2, 2022. Before introducing in India, Honda has showcased the new City hybrid sedan at the ongoing Bankok International Motor Show.
The new Honda City Hybrid comes with RS badging, which refers to Road Sailing. This means something like it drives smoothly like a boat sails. The RS badging can be seen at the front grille and at the tailgate. The new City Hybrid was originally planned to launch during festive season 2021; however, the launch was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christened as Honda City e:HEV, the new Honda City Hybrid comes with the brand’s strong hybrid system called the i-MMD (intelligent multi-mode drive) eHEV hybrid powertrain. It features a 1.5-litre petrol engine coupled to two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery. The petrol engine is good for 98PS and 127Nm, while he combined power and torque stands at 109PS and 253Nm respectively. The City Hybrid can run at low speeds purely on electric mode. It is only offered in a single CVT automatic gearbox.
The electric generator and electric motor are combined together and attached to the end of the engine. The engine turns the generator, and also powers the electric motor, which in turn spins the wheels and sends electricity to the lithium ion battery in the boot. It is around 110kg heavier than the regular model, while the boot space is reduced by 90-litres to 410-litres. It comes with rear disc brakes as well as an electric parking brake.
The 2022 Honda City hybrid offers three drive modes – Pure EV, Hybrid and petrol-only. The sedan also gets regenerative braking system, which is common with electric cars. The Thai-spec model is claimed to return 27.78kmpl of mileage. It is expected that the India-spec model will also return close to 27kmpl mileage; however, the real-world mileage could be around 20kmpl.
The new Honda City e:HEV RS looks largely identical to the regular model; however, it gets sportier design elements and blacked-out cabin. The sedan also features Honda Sensing technology with active and passive safety features. The safety features include adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane departure warning system, lane-keeping assist and collision braking system.
India Launch & Prices
The new Honda City hybrid is most likely to arrive in the second quarter of 2022, around May-June. It will be positioned above the existing City, which is priced between Rs 11.23 lakh and Rs 15.18 lakh. Expect the new City hybrid cost around Rs 17 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
Source – Gaadify
