2017 Honda City facelift may debut in India with hybrid engine

It is no secret that Honda Car India is working to launch a facelifted version of its best seller, City. The new City is expected to enter the market in early 2017.  Emerging reports indicate, apart from the 1.5-litre petrol and diesel power trains, the new City may also get a hybrid powertrain for India.

A report in MotorOctane claims Honda Car India is actively considering hybrid engine for India. Honda already sells City hybrid in Japan under the brand name Grace. The Grace hybrid is powered by a 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 108bhp working in tandem with an electric motor that produces 28bhp that draws power from a built-in lithium-ion battery. The hybrid system is mated to even-speed dual clutch transmission. Honda Grace hybrid returns fuel efficiency of 34.8kmpl.

With such a fuel efficiency figure, new Honda City will be a headache to its arch rival Maruti Suzuki Ciaz in India. The City Hybrid will be around Rs 2 lakh pricier than its regular version. With the car eligible for subsidy under central government's FAME scheme that promotes electric and hybrid vehicles, Honda will be able to price is aggressively.

The new City is expected to feature a design shift in line with the Honda Greiz sedan sold in China. Greiz is based on the current generation of the City sedan and features slightly tweaked styling. The facelift version in the works has been codenamed 2GC. The thick horizontal slat grille that is a part of the new design language of Honda will be left untouched in the facelift, though it may get a dark colour treatment. The grille and the newly-designed headlamps will have a more integrated layout. The front and rear bumpers will be tweaked while the rear of the facelift is expected to sport C-shaped tail lamps.

The interior of the new City will get new touchscreen, automatic climate control system, audio and hands free telephone controls, paddle shift, cruise control, electric sunroof and a sat-nav system. On the safety front, the facelift is expected to feature ABS with EBD, rear parking sensor, anti-theft alarm, child safety locks, and front and side impact beams.