Honda enters electric arena with City hybrid

Honda Cars India (HCIL) entered India’s electric segment with the launch of the City e:HEV or a strong hybrid version of its popular sedan. The City hybrid will cost  Rs 19.49 lakh (ex-showroom) and comes at a premium of Rs 446,100 over the top-end, petrol-only City ZX automatic trim, which retails at Rs 15.03 lakh.

Takuya Tsumura, president and CEO, Honda Cars India said, “We embark on our electrification journey in India with the launch of new City e:HEV. The tremendous response received on the unveiling of the model last month reflects the acceptance of the strong hybrid technology in the mainstream segment. The new City e:HEV offers many firsts in the segment, in line with the legacy of the Honda City – setting benchmarks for the industry with each introduction.”

The City e:HEV features Honda’s self-charging two-motor hybrid-electric system mated to the 1.5-litre petrol engine that runs the Atkinson cycle for maximum fuel efficiency. The e-CVT drivetrain minimises transmission losses, and Honda claims a certified fuel efficiency figure of 26.5kpl, with the vehicle functioning across its three driving modes – EV drive, hybrid drive, and engine drive mode.

The two-motor e-CVT setup along with the 1.5-litre petrol engine produce a combined power output of 126hp and 253Nm of peak torque, with the electric power coming in from a lithium-ion battery pack placed in the boot.

ADAS on board
The car is being offered in a sole top-of-the-line ZX trim of the City, and comes feature-packed with comfort, as well as ADAS features under the Honda Sensing camera-based safety suite. The ADAS features will include adaptive cruise control, road departure mitigation, lane-keep assist, collision mitigation braking and auto-high beam, among others. On the inside, the City e:HEV continues to feature an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, as well as a 7-inch TFT instrument cluster that displays information to the driver.

It remains to be seen if the car’s pricing deter buyers from opting for the hybrid. Clearly, Honda will be banking on the reputation of the City which has become synonymous with the Honda brand in the country. The company will hope that this new offering increases the City’s sales volumes, that were pegged at 37,134 units in FY 2022.

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