City. Slicker

The refreshed Honda City has received some sharp new styling bits, with both the i-VTEC petrol and the e:HEV hybrid models getting touched up, while the former has also been enhanced with Honda Sensing advanced driver assistance systems. We head to Noida to drive them

- Jim Gorde

THE HONDA CITY IS AN extremely popular name in India and one that recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in the country. The City revitalized the sedan segment back in 1998 and the first model is still popular with car enthusiasts to this day; the VTEC model being a major reason for that. It has cultivated an enviable reputation of being the sedan for many. It's tussles then were with the Ford Ikon and Maruti Suzuki Esteem, later the Baleno. Now it has newer rivals, unlike any before them the incoming new Hyundai Verna, Škoda Slavia, and, of course, the Volkswagen Virtus; more formidable in advanced and sporty GT guise. Yes, they have all grown and gained a lot of electronics and assistance systems. Can the new Honda City take on this evolved sedan arena and hold its ground? We were in Greater Noida to try out the new model close to its production home.

The City has received a bold new grille that sets it apart from its predecessor which had its front end dominated by the Honda Insight-like thick chrome strip going across. The new grille has two variations, a standard one with a horizontal profile as well as a sporty one with a diamond-chequered pattern, the latter of which we have here on the City ZX CVT. It looks neat and adds a new layer of attractiveness to the overall styling. There are also some edgy new elements on the front and rear bumpers, including a carbon-fibre diffuser-like finish on the rear one. The new Obsidian Blue paint finish looks sharp and brings out the City's elegant side as much as its sporty one.