- The Thai-spec Honda City is likely to be revealed in the fourth quarter of this year, according to reports.
- Might be powered by a new downsized three-cylinder 1.0-litre turbo-petrol V-TEC.
- Indian debut is likely to happen in 2020.
Honda City is ready to enter into a new generation and, according to recent reports, it might be happening sooner than we expected. According to the media in Thailand, the seventh-generation City is expected to debut in the fourth quarter of 2019. The sedan will sport a new design language along with a new downsized petrol motor.
The Honda City is the most successful sedan in the Thai market. So the new-gen sedan might debut there before anywhere else. The design of the new City will take its cues from the bigger Accord and Insight, but nothing is confirmed at the moment. The cabin is rumoured to be a step up over the current one with added features but won’t carry a drastic change. The current platform of the City will be tweaked in the new generation to accommodate the newer set of engines.
The new engine under consideration here is a brand new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol. This downsized V-TEC engine will sit alongside the new-generation 1.5-litre petrol-hybrid i-MMD motor. The 998cc three-pot motor will have 12 valves, 10:1 compression ratio, 200Nm of max torque, and will be mated to a six-speed manual or CVT transmission. Meanwhile, the bigger L15 1,498cc petrol-hybrid will have 16 valves, PGM-FI injectors, and will be mated to two electric motors. There is no word on the diesel engine. And whether any of these two motors will make their way to India remains to be seen.
But we can safely assume that the new-gen City will only land on our shores by 2020. This will be the fifth-generation City in India.
