Long, long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...
Back in 2000, Honda introduced the Indian car market to the concept of a VTEC engine in the form of (Old) Honda City, and jumped its way into the hearts of all car racing enthusiasts in town. The car had heavenly pickup, excellent handling and could cut corners like a ballerina. I fell in love with the car and hoped to buy one eventually when I could afford it.
Forward to 2003, Honda launched a new version of the City, with a new iDSI engine and a completely new design. The shape/styling was radical to say the least (at least for indians), and though the market was divided 50-50 over its looks, one could say the looks were more than contemporary. The interiors were on a class of their own, making its rivals look as dingy as an 800. And the space was cavernous.
However, Honda decided to water down the power output to a paltry 77 bhp. Which was a big blow to all the driving enthusiasts like me. They compensated on some part by giving it decent low-end torque and this combined with a sharp turning radius and light steering, made it very easy to drive around in the city without hassles.
Fast-forward to 2005, Honda finally decided to lend an ear to our kind and gave back the VTEC that we had missed so sorely.
The emperors new clothes ...
The first change has been made to the rather controversial shape of the NHC. The front has been elongated by around 3 inches and risen by an inch. This gives the front a more sedan like look instead of the steeply sloping pointed bonnet. The enlarged grill has been borrowed from elder brother accord and gives a more smart and bold appearance to the car unlike its earlier timid grill.
The space liberated under the bonnet has been put to good use with a new engine cooling system. Hopefully, this should give slightly better performance.
The back has also been elongated by half an inch and lowered by the same amount. This means a slightly better rear view. However, the stylish new tail lights, borrowed from the BMW 3 series give a really trendy and cool look to the back and make the otherwise thick back appear much more slimmer.
Honda certainly seem to have roped in some fashion designers for counsel. With just a few minor changes in the apparel, they seem to have made a not so great-looking duckling look like a beautiful swan.
Overall, the City ZX looks much much more contemporary than any of its competitors and exudes a sort of youthful exuberance that attracts the young at heart.
Ten, nine, eight, seven ....
Remember to do the countdown before you floor the pedal. Cause this baby is gonna shoot off like a rocket the moment you ask for it.
The moment you start the ignition, the engine starts with a soft hum, which steadily grows to a slightly muffled roar as the revs hit the 6300 rpm limit. Not exactly the mighty roar of its ancestor, but enough to send that tingle down your spine. And before you know it, the car is already breaking the speed limit. Not that you come to notice it, cause its so smooth and stable on the inside.
The low end torque is decent (same as the iDSI version), and that makes for excellent drivability in the city, though dont expect it to leap when you tap the accelerator. You need to floor it properly to get the extra 8 valves in the VTEC flowing smoothly.
This dual mode of the engine makes for both easy driving in stop and go city traffic, and for the high-end ''power on demand'' when you want it (and when the road permits - hehe)
Born to be wild ....
The earlier NHC had a trademark ultra-light steering which gave a sort of flimsy feeling to the driver by not providing enough feedback. This has been corrected in the ZX version and now the steering feels much more sporty while being smooth as silk.
While the handling at low speeds is quite stable and firm, the ride at higher speeds is seriously impressive, and not for once will you feel that the car is not in your control. And the disc brakes both at the rear and front inspire you to cut those corners much sharper and with a lot more speed than before.
A league of its own ...
The City ZX sports an entirely re-vamped suspension, and its presence is immediately felt as soon as you take it out on Indian roads.
Gone the the ultra-soft suspension which used to touch nadir as soon as you faced a reasonably sized pothole. This one now glides smoothly over all such potholes, giving a solid, form control at the drivers hands.
The rear-seat comfort is unmatched in its class, with loads of space & legroom even with 6 footers in the front and back.
The interiors are far far ahead of the competition, though beige interiors can be tricky to keep clean. The feeling you get is of having stepped inside a premium luxury sedan. The only thing missing is the leather on the seats, which can be had for little extra cost.
The VTEC also sports a Alpine 2-din cd + cassette player which gives as good, if not better, sound than Sony or Pioneer systems.
There are two kinds of car-owners, chico: those that pay once, and those that keep on paying ....
In terms of fuel-efficiency, the VTEC driven in normal city traffic operates only in the 8-valve mode and should be as fuel-efficient as its IDSI counterpart - around 13-14 kmpl.
However, once the top 8 valves open, they are gonna gulp down more fuel, but not enough to burst a outlet in you pocket. In fact, quite far from it, it should give around 12kmpl in this mode.
Expect a mileage of 12-14 for this one, which is on par with most small cars.
Honda is a name renowned for their build-quality and the reliability of their engines. There is hardly if any maintenance, and even there, the cost of spares and labour is far cheaper than its american counterparts, almost at par with koreans.
So, once you buy a Honda, you pay only once. And not every year....
Uh-oh! Houston, we have a problem ...
Hmmm, areas of improvement - nitpicking actually :)
Lack of ABS and airbags even as an option. C'mon, Honda, show some concern for the safety of you Indian customers.
No leather on the seats - spoils an otherwise perfect interior.
High bonnet : restricts view for short drivers - seat height adjust notwithstanding
Door handles : Grip type with some chrome on them to give that uber-cool look.
No foldable rear-seats : 500 litres of boot space is good, but increasing it to 1000 by folding the rear seats would make it even better.
Lord of the Mid-sizers
In the current premium mid-sizer segment, in terms of overall ride, performance, comfort, interiors, running and maintenance costs, there is no other worthy of taking on the Honda City VTEC. It is the undisputed King of its class.
And like all good things, it comes at a cost which is much higher than its counterparts - but once you buy it, you will never regret spending those extra bucks for the entire lifetime.
Its a Honda. Its a V-TEC. Dare I say more :)
