Next-gen Honda City to arrive in 2020

MANILA: According to Yoichiro Ueno, the managing director of Honda Cars India, the wait for the next-gen Honda City might not be ending any time soon, and potential buyers may have to wait for two more years.

The B-segment sedan market is now growing rapidly and the key manufacturers are periodically updating their cars in the segment. Suzuki has the facelifted Ciaz and the all-new Dzire, Toyota has the Vios and the Volkswagen has already introduced its Santana. Honda, however, has not introduced any facelift of the crowd's favorite Honda City in the recent years. Recently, Ueno told one of the media houses that they are expecting to introduce the next generation model of the City sometime in 2020.

The ongoing model of the City is now 4 years old as it was introduced way back in 2014. Including the Japan-only hatchbacks from the 80's, it is now in the sixth-generation, while the international model is in its fourth generation. The vehicle is equipped with a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine, which comes mated with a 5-speed manual transmission system. On the other hand, the diesel variant is powered by a 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine, coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission.

There are not many details available about the upcoming model as of now. However, the rumors suggest that a hybrid version might be offered, and it might be the same car sold as Honda Grace in the Japanese market. Moreover, a diesel and a gas engine variant will also be offered.

It is expected that the next-gen City will share some of the designing elements from the manufacturer's high-end player, Civic. The newer version of Jazz/Fit is also being rumored to be introduced at the beginning of the new decade.