2014 Honda City in Mumbai: First Drive - Engine and Performance

The New 2014 Honda City is finally here and we get under its skin to find out if it can regain its benchmark status once again

Everyone has been eagerly waiting for Honda to plonk their diesel engines into the City for ages and finally, Honda have heard the pleas of the consumer and done just that! The 1.5 Litre turbocharged i-Dtec engine, identical to that found in the Honda Amaze makes 100PS of peak power at 3600Rpm and 200Nm of peak torque at 1750Rpm. Although we presumed Honda to have bumped up the power on the Honda City, the figures have stayed exactly the same as the powertrain in the Amaze. What has changed between the two cars though is the fact that the Buy Honda All New City Car in Mumbai does not have a top speed limiter which gives it a claimed top speed of 195Kmph. The engine is matched to an excellent 6-speed manual transmission which feels effortless and precise. 

 

The 2014 Honda City diesel managed to achieve a record setting fuel efficiency figure of 26.0Kmpl in ARAI tests which makes it the most fuel efficient car in its class. This boost in fuel economy is due to several improvements in the cooling system of the 2014 Honda City which includes a quicker warm-up circuit while under cold start circumstances that maximizes the mechanical efficiency of the engine. There are also several changes in the construction of the engine like the piston wall surface which features an asymmetrical pattern for greater oil retention that reduces the overall friction between the piston and the cylinder walls. The use of a special 5W-30 oil which is made specifically for the 1.5 Litre i-Dtec engine also helps in increasing the overall mechanical efficiency thereby improving both power output and fuel economy.

The diesel engine equipped Honda City feels extremely nimble to drive while managing to sip minimal amounts of fuel. There is almost no noticeable turbo lag at slower speeds or at higher highway cruising speeds if one is in the right gear. The 6-speed gearbox too feels extremely well synced with the diesel motor with no clutch judder or harshness to report. The gearshift itself feels extremely precise although the tiny gearknob does take some time getting used to.

On the other hand, the bread-and-butter of the Honda City in Mumbai, the 1.5 i-Vtec engine, that has been tuned specifically for the Indian driving cycle feels a little rough when pushed to the limit. The 1.5 Litre petrol engine makes 119Ps of peak power at 6600Rpm, which is one more than the last generation and 145Nm of peak torque at 4600Rpm. It is best to drive this engine under 5000Rpm though as it does start to get highly uncomfortable after that. The i-Vtec engine is mated to a 5-speed Manual gearbox or a CVT, both of which offer immense driving pleasure. In fact, the CVT proved to be more fuel efficient as compared to the manual achieving a test figure of 18.0Kmpl as compared to the manual’s 17.9Kmpl under ARAI test conditions. Some of the technological advancements in the new Honda City’s petrol engine include a resin based intake manifold that reduces the engine’s weight, an exhaust gas recirculation systems that is placed after the catalytic convertor and a new oil-retention coating on the pistons and thrust bearings. The gearbox too has been reworked from the previous generation with a reduction of gear ratios of about 5-11% which in turn helps in fuel economy.

Know About Honda All New City Dealer in Mumbai, Contact us at:

Borivali 3S

(SALES, SERVICE, SPARE)

Solitaire Honda (Krish Cars Pvt Ltd)

C/O Shakti Industrial & Commercial Centre,

Shakti Insulated Wires, Rajendra Nagar.

Dattapada Road,

Borivali(E), 400 066

Mumbai, India

Sales : (+91) 22 6738 5555

Sales Fax : (+91) 22 6738 5500

Service : (+91) 22 6738 5588

Service Fax : (+91) 22 6738 5577

USED CARS : (+91) 9870977006

Landline : (+91) 22 6738 5555

E-mail: info@solitairehonda.com