Single Biggest Reason To Buy Honda City Hybrid Over Other Affordable Strong Hybrid SUVs
Honda has launched the latest-generation City in India with prices starting at Rs 11.99 lakh, ex-showroom. The City is the only product in its segment to offer a strong hybrid powertrain. Called the City e:HEV, the hybrid City now commands a price of Rs 20.99 lakh, which is in fact, a lakh more than what the pre-facelift used to cost. In India, it competes with affordable strong hybrid SUV models like the Toyota Hyryder. The single biggest reason to buy the City e:HEV over these hybrid SUV rivals is its engine. The City’s powertrain has a four-cylinder petrol engine at its centre while the hybrid SUVs get three-cylinder units. Let’s discuss how and why this matters.
Let’s start by listing out the rivals. For roughly the same price as a City hybrid, you can buy the strong hybrid versions of the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Maruti Suzuki Victoris. The Duster hybrid, expected to be out around Diwali this year, is also likely to have a comparable price tag. In the near future, several other strong hybrid SUVs are likely to be released. For now, the City faces competition from the Toyota and Maruti Suzuki SUVs.
The powertrain is what makes the difference here. The Victoris, Grand Vitara and the Urban Cruiser Hyryder come with the same strong hybrid setup. It uses a 1.5L, naturally aspirated petrol engine mated to a strong hybrid setup. The petrol engine in this case, is a three-cylinder unit that runs on Atkinson cycle. Atkinson cycle puts a strong focus on fuel efficiency and is commonly used on hybrid engines.
Since these SUVs have a three-cylinder engine (developed by Toyota), they exhibit related traits as well. These are particularly noticeable in their refinement levels and power delivery. This engine often runs out of breath at higher RPMs- especially on highway sprints and in other such scenarios.
Now, take the case of the City e:HEV. It has a strong hybrid powertrain that uses a 1.5L Atkinson cycle naturally aspirated petrol engine. This, however, is a four-cylinder unit. This means it feels much smoother and more refined than the strong hybrid powertrains of Toyota and Maruti Suzuki SUVs. The delivery in this case, is linear.
More importantly, the top end packs enough punch. It doesn’t run out of breath as you go up the rev line. It comes with a dual-motor DHT transmission. Overall, the City e:HEV feels smooth and refined to drive, and delivers performance without any lag. The engine feels smooth even at high speeds.
So overall, if you want a smoother, powerful strong hybrid vehicle that excels with its fuel efficiency (claimed to return 27.26 kpl), the City e:HEV is the one to go for. The extra cylinder does make a big difference.
Changes on the facelifted City e:HEV mostly mirror those on the regular City facelift. It gets notable styling changes- a new front fascia, new alloy wheels, and a revised rear end. Inside, the hybrid sedan’s facelift gets a larger touchscreen, ventilated and powered front seats, 360-degree camera and more. The rest of the feature list remains the same as before.