India-bound Honda City e:HEV hybrid sedan launched: Details here
Japanese automaker Honda has launched its City e:HEV hybrid sedan in Thailand. It is expected to be introduced in India sometime in 2021. As for the highlights, the sedan offers a sporty look as well as an upmarket cabin with safety features like autonomous emergency braking and lane assist. It draws power from Honda's Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid powertrain. Here's our roundup.
Honda City e:HEV: At a glance
The Honda City e:HEV has an eye-catching look, featuring a sloping roofline, a honeycomb mesh grille, a muscular bonnet, a wide air dam, and sleek LED headlights. The sedan is flanked by blacked-out B-pillars, ORVMs, and 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels. On the rear, there is a black boot-lid spoiler, a diffuser, and warp-around LED tail lamps.
How does the cabin look like?
The Honda City e:HEV has a 5-seater cabin, featuring faux leather and suede upholstery with red stitching, push-button start, automatic climate control, and a multifunctional power steering wheel. The sedan houses a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay. For safety, it offers six airbags, autonomous emergency braking, Honda's LaneWatch blind-spot camera, and lane assist.
Power and performance
The City e:HEV is powered by Honda's Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) system. The hybrid powertrain uses a 106.5hp/253Nm electric motor and a 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle DOHC i-VTEC petrol engine that makes 96.65hp/127Nm. Instead of a traditional gearbox, the car comes with a direct drive setup which sends power to the front wheels. Honda claims that the City e:HEV has a fuel efficiency of 27.8km/liter.
What about the pricing?
The Honda City e:HEV hybrid sedan carries a price-figure of THB 8,39,000 (approximately Rs. 20.5 lakh) in Thailand. The premium four-wheeler is expected to grace Indian shores sometime in 2021.
