New Honda City spied in production form ahead of global debut

- New spy shots reveal the fascia of the car

- Will debut in Thailand in November 2019

- Likely to be offered with Honda’s i-MMD mild-hybrid system

The fifth-generation Honda City was recently spied testing in Thailand in its production form. The new City is slated to make its global debut in the latter half of the next month in Thailand, followed by a launch in other ASEAN markets. On the other hand, the new Honda City is expected to be launched in India by mid-2020.

The new spy shots reveal the fascia of the City, which seems to have been inspired by the Honda Civic. By the looks of it, the new-gen Honda City will feature sleek LED headlamps, a swooping bonnet and a mesh radiator grille with a wide chrome bar that connects the headlights. In profile, it will get a coupe-ish roofline and multi-spoke alloys. The rear will be dominated by new split-LED taillights and a revised bumper.

The 2020 Honda City is likely to be underpinned by a new platform, which should make it longer and wider than the current model. This should also result in increased cabin space, especially for the rear seat passengers. The interior of the new City, like its exteriors, will be all-new. It is expected to get a new dashboard design and comfier seats. What we can confirm though, is that it will get headrests for all three passengers at the rear.

Under the hood, the ASEAN-spec Honda City is expected to get a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged iVTEC petrol motor that is likely to make 120bhp. Additionally, it will also get a 1.5-litre four-cylinder iVTEC petrol engine, which will be coupled to a compact i-MMD mild-hybrid motor. While the former is unlikely to be offered in the India-spec model, the latter should make its way into the Indian variant. The local version will also get a BS-VI compliant 1.5-litre diesel engine.

The new City's mild-hybrid version will help it compete with the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, which is equipped with the dual-battery SHVS tech. Besides the Ciaz, the new Honda City will also rival the Hyundai Verna and the upcoming mid-size sedans from Skoda and Volkswagen.

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