By T Murrali 

Taking much attention to the details to make the car more Indian, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), has come out with its fifth generation Honda City in India. It was first introduced in India in January 1998. Now in its new avatar, the car that was launched recently, has retained its original authentic shape of the sedan while reinventing itself according to the needs and aspirations of its customers across India. Available in three grades V, VX and ZX, the price of the ASEAN NCAP 5-star rated car ranges from INR 10.9lakh to INR 14.65lakh.

Developed at Honda R&D Centre located in Tochigi, Japan following extensive market surveys in India, ASEAN countries and other markets for people’s driving needs and lifestyles, the new car has been introduced in both petrol and diesel, powered by ‘earth dreams technology’ range of BS-VI compliant powertrains.

The 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC petrol engine with VTC delivers 89 kW (121PS) @6600 rpm 145 Nm@1750 rpm torque, with quicker torque increase at lower engine speed. Mated with 6-speed manual transmission and the new 7-speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) the vehicle offers fuel efficiency of 17.8 kmpl and 18.4 kmpl respectively.

Mated with 6-speed manual transmission the 1.5L i-DTEC diesel variant delivers 73 kW [100 PS] @ 3600 rpm power, 200 Nm @1750 rpm torque and fuel economy of 24.1 kmpl. Application of advanced exhaust gas after-treatment system with NSC (NOx Storage Catalyst) and DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) has been done to meet the challenging target of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission in case of diesel engines.

At the launch programme the Chief Engineer, Large Project Leader, Honda Motor Corporation, Satoru Azumi, said, failure was not an option as there was pressure of 1.3billion Indians in his mind. Honda equals City in India but the new Indian customers needed something more. “We decided that the new City should be able to stand out in traffic. Therefore, the design has to have presence. What we have created is an interior space that make the user feel more space than what is actually there. Innovation at Honda is about doing and creating things that are yet to be.”

The inspiration for the new City is ‘Standing on the edge,’ which is designed to stand out in the crowd. The character line with advanced lighting and sharp edge, presence of tyres, low centre of gravity and sleek cabin motion.

Child’s View

The process that the Honda team followed to design the car began with asking six year old children to draw their vision of a car; to their surprise all of them drew sedans. So the team started with recreating the child’s understanding of a car. For the exterior the team was guided by the concept of ‘Standing on the edge.’ The entire body is shaped with the sharp edge character line right from the front to the rear. The sharp horizontal character line on the sides of the car is inspired by Katana blade (a Japanese sword) designed on the concept of cutting edge light. The profile creates its signature presence during day and night as well.

The technique of using a lower and longer trunk for large size category sedan was applied to make the car look even longer, eventually making the City a fusion sedan. This was the ambition of the team. “I am really competing with six year old kids,” Azumi said.

Conceptualised to carry forward its legacy, deliver supremacy and exceed the previous benchmark by offering a superior value proposition to its customers, the new City has been expanded making it the longest and widest sedan in its segment. The car is 4549 mm in length (109mm more than earlier generation) and 1748 mm in width (53 mm more). The height of the new model stands at 1489 mm and wheelbase of 2600 mm.

For the interiors the design team followed Sokai (evacuation in Japanese parlance) concept that makes the surroundings easy to see while driving. It creates a cabin more open while being secure. The focus was to minimise visual noise so that there is no distraction for the driver. The front-hood invisible length has been reduced by 42 percent, improving visibility further.

For The Saree Clad Women

The graceful way of sitting by a saree clad woman is usually cross-legged. As the folds of the saree around the feet should not get crumbled, the design team created more legroom in the rear. In addition, it adopted a scooped out frame for the front seats to create additional space. This helped in increasing the foot space width by 26mm and 31mm in the forward direction. By adopting a new frame for the front seat, the rear seat legroom and knee clearance were expanded. Besides, it optimised the torso angle. Considering the hot and humid weather conditions in India the seats have been given breathable fabric.

Connected Services

To make it contemporary it takes a huge leap in Connected Car Services with Next Generation of Honda Connect available as a standard offering across all grades along with a 5-year free subscription. It is India’s first connected car with Alexa remote capability and is equipped with next-generation Honda connect with Telematics Control Unit (TCU) standard across all grades. It has over 32 features to provide a sense of safety, security, convenience and peace of mind for customers. By giving voice commands to Alexa, the cloud-based voice service from Amazon, customers can use 10 key features of Honda Connect to monitor and control their car from home. Hence, they can remotely access features such as car AC on/ off, door lock/ unlock, check fuel status, locate the car, and status from the car dashboard, for unparalleled comfort and convenience.

The new City comes with full LED headlamps with 9-LED array inline shell, integrated LED DRL, L-shaped LED turn signal and distinct Z- shape 3D wrap-around LED tail lamps with uniform edge light. It also has a one-touch electric sunroof, R-16 diamond-cut alloy wheels and shark fin antenna. In addition to the stylish exterior, its interiors are based on ‘Man Maximum Machine Minimum’ philosophy as it has enhanced knee room and legroom, rear-seat shoulder room, an ergonomically designed cockpit, multiple storage spaces and 506 litres of truck capacity.  

Safety 

To enhance safety the new car has been designed with Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body for self-protection while mitigating damage to other vehicles in the event of a collision. It offers a host of active and passive advanced safety features like six airbags system, ABS with EBD and brake assist, vehicle stability assist with agile handling assist, hill start assist, Honda lane watch camera, multi-angle rear camera, emergency stop signal, tyre pressure monitoring system, ISOFIX compatible rear side seats with lower anchorages & top tether, and immobilizer with anti-theft alarm.  

For the convenience of the users the car is equipped with an advanced smart key system with the walk-away auto-lock feature, remote engine start (in CVT) and keyless window remote operation, fully automatic climate control with max cool, click feel AC dials with red-blue elimination, rear AC vents with charging ports, driver seat height adjuster, LED map and rear reading lamps.

The ergonomically designed and thoughtfully laid instrument panel sports the 20.3 cm advanced touchscreen display audio which connects with Apple Car Play and Android Auto opening new ways of staying social and digital on the drive. The other features include 17.7cm HD full-color TFT meter with multi-function driver information interface with G-meter, digital speed and cruise control display, weblink smart connectivity, eight-speakers premium surround sound system, ambient lighting and LED interior lamps, steering-mounted paddle shifters for CVT.

Gaku Nakanishi, President & CEO, Honda Cars India, said, “Honda City has been our key pillar of business for more than 22 years, being one of the longest-running nameplates in the Indian automotive history. With cumulative sales of more than four million units worldwide, it has provided joy to almost eight lakh customers in India and many more aspiring to own the model. Each generation of the City has raised the bar on design, technology, quality, driving pleasure, comfort & safety, and has come with several industry firsts or segment-first features.” 

Rajesh Goel, Sr Vice President & Director, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India, said, “City customers have always been very discerning and want a car that is a class above the rest. Hence multiple ‘industry-first’ and ‘best in segment features’ for Styling, Connectivity, Safety and Convenience have been offered as standard from the entry V variant of the All-New City, setting a new benchmark for the segment.”

The new City is available five colour options - radiant red metallic, platinum white pearl, modern steel metallic, lunar silver metallic and golden brown metallic. It comes with three years of unlimited kilometres warranty as a standard benefit to the customer. Additionally, customers can opt for an extended warranty for an additional two years unlimited/limited kilometres for extra peace of mind. The car offers a low cost of maintenance with a service interval of one year/ 10,000km whichever is earlier.  

The fifth-generation car also offers a wide array of accessory choices to customers with wireless charger (with smartphone holder), front parking sensor with switch, legroom lamp, trunk spoiler with LED, front & rear bumper protector, Side airbag compatible seat cover, Door visor with chrome among many others. (MT)

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Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced that bookings for the Hyundai Venue have exceeded 100,000 units. To mark this milestone, the company has introduced the HX8 Diesel Automatic (AT) variant, priced at INR 1.36 million.

The new variant is powered by a 1.5L CRDi diesel engine is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. This addition expands the Venue line-up, providing a diesel torque-on-demand option with an automatic gearbox for the compact SUV segment.

The HX8 variant includes several updates to the vehicle's interior, safety and mechanical systems. Notable mechanical additions include rear disc brakes and an electric parking brake with an auto-hold function.

The technical and convenience suite includes – paddle shifters, drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport) and traction control modes (Sand, Mud, Snow). The cabin also gets front row ventilated seats, 4-way electric driver seat adjustment and ambient lighting. Over-the-Air (OTA) vehicle updates and Hyundai Bluelink connected car systems.

On the inside, it features a dual-tone leatherette seats featuring Venue branding.

The introduction of the diesel automatic transmission targets customers seeking fuel efficiency combined with the convenience of an automated gear shift. The Venue competes in the compact SUV category, supported by Hyundai’s existing sales and service network across India.

Tarun Garg, Managing Director & CEO, Hyundai Motor India, said, “We are delighted that the new Hyundai Venue has crossed 100,000 bookings, reaffirming the strong trust Indian customers place in our brand. This milestone reflects the growing aspiration for smart, connected and feature-rich mobility solutions that enhance everyday driving. The introduction of the new HX8 Diesel Automatic variant further strengthens the Venue lineup, offering customers the perfect blend of diesel efficiency, torque-rich performance and effortless convenience. It underscores our commitment to providing meaningful choices backed by advanced technology and superior value. At Hyundai, we remain focused on delivering future-ready products that resonate with evolving customer expectations and drive the next phase of mobility in India.”

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German luxury car brand Audi has commenced bookings for the new Audi SQ8 SUV, which is set to be launched on 17 March 2026 in India, for an initial amount of INR 500,000.

The SQ8 occupies a position within Audi’s Q range, featuring mechanical and performance upgrades over the standard Q8. It is powered by a 4.0-litre V8 TFSI engine, which produces 373 kW and 770 Nm of torque, enabling a claimed zero to 100 kmph in 4.1 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 kmph.

It features Quattro System – permanent all-wheel drive with a self-locking centre differential. Adaptive air suspension sport as standard and all-wheel steering to assist with low-speed manoeuvrability and high-speed stability.

Audi India has indicated that the SQ8 will be available in limited numbers. This launch follows the existing Q8 family line-up in the Indian market, targeting customers in the performance SUV segment.

Balbir Singh Dhillon, Brand Director, Audi India, said, “The Audi SQ8 represents the ideal meeting point between everyday luxury and uncompromising sporty performance. Its formidable engine and distinctive S character make it a remarkably complete SUV. The enthusiasm we have seen for our Audi Q8 family in India gives us great confidence that the new Audi SQ8 will resonate strongly with our customers who seek more than a conventional luxury SUV. We are delighted to open bookings and encourage performance enthusiasts to secure their Audi SQ8 early, as availability will be limited.”

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Skoda Auto India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has inaugurated its first dealership in Shillong, marking the brand's entry into the state of Meghalaya. The Sales, Service and Spares (3S) facility has been launched in partnership with SSB Automobiles (La i Jong Skoda) to expand the company's footprint in the North-East region.

The facility, located in Laitkor Rngi, includes a 3,000 sqft showroom with a four-car display and a 7,250 sqft service centre equipped with three bays. The site follows the ‘Modern Solid’ design philosophy used by the manufacturer globally.

The inauguration is part of a broader strategy that has seen Skoda’s network grow from 120 touchpoints in 2021 to more than 325 across 184 cities. The Shillong outlet will provide access to the manufacturer’s full portfolio, including the Kylaq, Kushaq, Slavia and Kodiaq models.

Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said, “With the inauguration of our first-ever Customer Touchpoint in Shillong, we are delighted to bring Skoda Auto closer to customers in Meghalaya. The North-East is an emerging and promising market for us, and expanding our network footprint here reflects our commitment to making the Skoda brand more accessible across India. Following our biggest-ever year in India in 2025, strengthening our network remains a key focus. This newly inaugurated facility will provide customers access to our full product portfolio, including the Kylaq, Kushaq, Slavia and Kodiaq, along with the premium ownership experience and service standards that define the brand.”

Rakesh Kumar Singh, Dealer Principal, SSB Automobiles, added, “We are proud to partner with Skoda Auto India and bring the brand’s product range and services to Meghalaya for the very first time, starting with our new facility in Shillong. This new 3S facility has been designed to deliver a premium and seamless customer experience, right from sales to service. We are confident that customers in the region will greatly value the combination of Skoda Auto’s product excellence and our customer-first approach.”

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German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz India has expanded the line-up for its upcoming CLA Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) with the addition of the CLA 200 ‘Standard Range’ variant. The new model will sit alongside the previously announced CLA 250+ ‘Long Range’ in the Indian market.

The CLA 200 ‘Standard Range’ provides a claimed range of 542 km. It features ‘Progressive Line’ styling, which includes comfort seats, a multifunction sports leather steering wheel, and two interior trim options. Mercedes-Benz confirmed that equipment levels and technology will remain consistent across both the CLA 200 and CLA 250+ variants.

Bookings for both variants of the CLA BEV have opened today with a payment of INR 150,000. Customers who pre-book the vehicle will receive a complimentary wall box charger, including installation.

The company aims to begin deliveries of CLA 250+ by end-April and CLA 200 in June respectively.

While the technology suite is standard across the range, the variants cater to different customer preferences for range and design. The CLA 200 focuses on the 'Progressive Line' aesthetic, while the CLA 250+ serves as the higher-range option. The introduction of the 'Standard Range' follows customer feedback requesting a secondary battery option for the BEV model.

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