Honda City - Now With More Armor
September 12, 2007 – 4:57 pm by Ashish Jha
Ten years. Yes it has been ten years since the ‘City’ moniker was introduced by Honda. And to commemorate the life-span thus far, the Japanese major has introduced an all-new variant of the City replete with offerings that were becoming the need of the day for Honda if it had to survive the rat-race that the C-segment cars are now in!
The Maruti SX4 created a stir when launched and was an immediate cause of worry for the Honda City ZX. The Mahindra Renault Logan was also eating into the segment and has held firm to the tag of the best selling sedan. Being a runaway success, the SX4 forced Honda to do some thinking. The all-new variant of the Honda City ZX would be yours starting Rs 6.8lakh and you can take home the top of the line version for Rs 8.65 lakh, both being ex-showroom prices in Delhi.
Indians are becoming increasingly aware of the safety features and this has pushed the manufacturers to offer better equipment levels in their offerings. The Honda City had been a top seller for Honda but with the introduction of more cars in the C-segment, the sales were dwindling down the ladder. Cars like Fiesta and the Aveo started the trend of ABS etc. and now Maruti has entered the battlefield with the SX4, and has been winning the war, with ease.
Armoured with ABS and airbags, the SX4 thrashed the City left, right and center. Not to give up so easily, the Honda City has risen again. And how! The City too sees the addition of tech terms like ABS and airbags in its spec sheet now. But ony in the VTEC form. The EXi variant of the Honda City will offer features like MP3 sound system with four speakers, a redesigned steering wheel along with the usual suspects like central locking etc.
The GXi will now also sport front fog lamps and keyless entry remote while the VTEC will get a 2-Din MP3 player, fake-wood finish inside, a spoiler to add to the looks and safety features like anti-lock braking system and airbags for front occupants.
After long it came, but came it finally did. And we hope it shakes the market the Honda City did when it was introduced. We wish the Honda City all the luck.
More on the Honda City:
6 Responses to “Honda City - Now With More Armor”
Really? Your post makes it sound like Honda had actually tackled the competition from SX4. Reality is: SX4 ZXi comes with ABS and Airbags and 100 BHP at 8 lacs on road. And Honda has nothing in its package to even come close to that steel of a deal.
According to the latest release, the lowest priced city model that costs 8 odd lacs on road comes with no ABS, no airbags and a puny 77BHP engine. Honda matches SX4 ZXi in specs only with the new VTEC (100 BHP, airbags and abs) but it is a whopping 10 lacs on road. At that price, you could go for a much better Mitsubishi Cedia. Or pay something more and go for Corolla/Magnum. I guess their latest strategy actually went horribly wrong - they should’ve released abs and airbags with Exi and Gxi models, without increasing the already steep prices.
By Govar on Sep 12, 2007
I remember reading a reaction by a honda spokesman some time back in a auto magazine in response to SX4 launch.The spokesperson denied that there were plans to upgrade the city with airbags and ABS.He almost rebuked the author of the article. Now that they have done it,this denial by Honda was,anyways,in very bad taste,down right rude and very-2 cocky.Honda city is already overpriced by more than a lac of rupees and to add insult to injury it has upgraded only the top end model.Creating a niche market is fine but being rude and cocky……Is any one at Honda listening??
By pp singh on Sep 18, 2007
it is good to hear the Honda City News. but unpleasant incident for Honda to hear the below news.
when i enquired 3 months before regarding the above CITY armours, no Honda dealers knows about those in Chennai and i dropped the idea of buying Honda City and taken Corolla, considering the affordability. I wonder how the information flow between Honda dealers leads to change the people’s mind(like me) and losing its market share in turn.
Hope Honda would not have minded if it lost one car which was meant for me. i never even like to waste my time to contact Chennai Honda Dealers to enquire about it again.
In addition, to bring down its price???? with all armours as in SX4 to capture its market share!!!. Well, it has to compete with Jetta too…!!!?. Hope all reaches the ears of Honda.
By ChanderPT on Oct 17, 2007
The big problem in Honda is ground clearance, that too in Bangalore roads/bumps when u drive, your heart brakes everytime the car is touching the ground and making sound, hope Honda will do something for this in the next version.
I meant ground clearance.
Offcource not improving roads
//Raghavendra Ganiga
By Raghavendra Ganiga on Nov 13, 2007
lt me tell u guys it dsnt matter if sx4 have more power and it is low priced than honda city, truth is honda city is a statues symbol.believe it or not
sx4(just a big car from outside,interiors are ok and have a same interior space like honda).an about the vtec version of honda city sx4 stands no where.and new city of 2008 will b coming in mid of this year its a power packed and luxury mean machine whose interiors resemble civic.and witha power of 115bhp capable of going 215 km/hr.
try compare wid ur sx4.
and by the way i have both the cars sx4 zxi and honda city gxi.
honda is much better than sx4.
By amit on Feb 3, 2008
Now I drive Zx2006 and I want to see newZx improving in it shape.It should has more technology of security like entry engine,digital guage and system in car especially using bluetooth with telephone in car.Saving energy is one thing important to buy car in this day. So If it can use NGV together with other energy will be more choice for working people to buy it. Could you do that for me?Please.
By Som No.5036110 on May 15, 2008