Jan 17, 2004 01:19 PM
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(Updated Mar 10, 2004 05:38 PM)
3rd edition (added on 9th Mar 2004)
After a lot of research and stretching of our budget, we have bought one finally. We have not been able to drive much so far but our initial impression is that it is not just beautiful and gives a very very smooth and refined driving experience but should also turn in impressive mileage and be low on maintenance as well.
It is definitely the best option in terms of space, mileage, interiors and finish in the 'C' segment and does full justice to its punchline - WHAT A HONDA!!
2nd edition (added on 28th Jan 2004)
We have taken a closer and harder look at the New Honda City GXi and also the Accent Viva / GVS & GLS. Though the Viva is fully loaded in terms of features what goes against it and in favour of the New Honda City GXi is the rear seat comfort.
The rear seat in the Accent is quite narrow in terms of its width and does not provide adequate support to the legs. In addition the leg space also is not enough with the front seats just partially pushed back. In terms of rear seat comfort, even the Santro scores over the Accent and New Honda City is definitely many notches superior.
I am still not clear how the low ground clearance would be able to handle the roughs and bumps on Indian roads and trust the design brains at Honda would definitely have thought about this aspect as well.
I am moving my overall rating for the car a notch up!!
Further research is on...
The New Honda Cityhas a superb futuristic looks and styling. The beige and wooden interiors in the GXI gives it a distinguished look and feel about it. However going beyond the looks, the stark fact is that it is a new car and not a new version of the good old Honda City.
The New City has a SOHC engine that delivers just 77 BHP compared to the 105 BHP powered engine of the old City. We could not test the full power because of city traffic and the low ambient temeperature which precluded us from turning on the a/c.
The ground clearance is a mere 160 mm compared to at least 170 mm that most of the cars on the Indian roads have. Though we did not face a problem during our test drive I am sure that the body would graze the top of the speed breakers so common on Indian roads.
The other USP is a 490 ltr boot space which is probably the largest in its class. But what stuck me that the opening of the boot is so narrow that only suitcases would go in. You don't stand a chance of putting in any oversized airbag into the roomy trunk.
My guess would be that Honda is testing waters with a low powered vehicle suitable for only smooth roads before the launch of another vehicle in the upper 'C' segment or the lower 'D' segment to take on Optra, Octavia, etc. In that case expect price cuts and also a drop in resale value for the New Honda City!!
