When Honda launched the new City, it was an immediate success because it was more comfortable, efficient and cheaper too. Keen drivers, however, missed the 20-odd bhp the new i-DSI had forsaken. Now the 100bhp City is back — and the smiles should return too.

‘The motor snarls past 5000rpm and you get that familiar shove in the back.’

‘The new city looks less mpv-like and drives with greater agility too’

Just one word is enough to tell you what we thought of the old City VTEC — it rocked. The car mated great performance with efficiency and was reliable as well. And don’t forget that cherry on top — the Honda badge.
The carmaker, however, let go of this ideal combination with the launch of the new City, powered by an efficient but weedy i-DSI motor that made an embarrassingly low 77bhp.
But it’s time, though, to sweep aside all those cribs. Honda is all set to launch the new City, powered by a rip-snorting version of the 1.5 i-DSI motor. Known simply as the VTEC, most of the bits that make up this motor, especially the bottom half, are actually identical to those found on the i-DSI engine.
Displacing 1497cc, the same capacity as the existing City’s mill, this engine also uses the same long-stroke pistons as the i-DSI. What’s all new is the engine’s head. Four valves per cylinder instead of two allow the new engine to breathe deeper, and Honda’s VTEC variable valve timing and lift lets the engineers optimise low and high engine speed performance as well. The increase in power, to the tune of an additional 20bhp from the same capacity, is astonishing.
The 1.5 VTEC is also sold in South East Asian markets and makes a useful 110bhp. But the fuel used there is 95 octane as against the 91 octane available at our fuel stations. So the motor we get here should make around 100bhp. Neat.
Initially, there is nothing spectacular about the performance. Throttle responses are decent and the engine pulls from 1500rpm, but the rate of progress is nothing to write home about. This is especially true if you put your foot down and expect an instant surge of power. And it reminds us of the old VTEC unit, a motor that similarly did not complain if driven at low engine speeds, but, at the same time, would not deliver a rapid increase in pace low down in the powerband. Power delivery only improves at higher engine revolutions, between 3000 and 3500rpm. At this engine speed, a mere tap of the accelerator gets the City galloping quicker.
A glance at the spec sheet holds a clue — this engine makes its peak torque at a high 4800rpm, especially high when you consider that the i-DSI motor’s peak torque comes in at just 2700rpm. Again, a very old VTEC motor trait — its torque peaked at a correspondingly high 4700rpm. And you now begin to sense the greater urgency of the engine, sense the additional torque and power, as the motor hurls you forward through its wide power band. This comes very handy in traffic when you need to overtake slower-moving vehicles.
The new City ZX VTEC now feels light-footed and eager, shrinking gaps in traffic in an effortless manner, something the i-DSI never achieved. Already, this City feels a proper Honda — first at the lights, pole position, a little wheelspin, an alert tachometer and a gratifying surge of power. In comparison, the i-DSI feels like a good diesel.
The top of the VTEC’s power band, the sharp end, is a total delight. The motor snarls past 5000rpm, you get a firm shove from the seatback and the City surges forward towards its redline. Using the top end of the power band, even for short periods, is addictive. The motor loves to be revved but also feels well oiled, smooth and refined at the same time. It also changes the character of the car from good transport to a fun drive.
While this City ZX VTEC cannot spin to 7000-plus rpm like the old car did, keeping the motor blaring and the power flowing is intensely pleasurable.
It’s quick too. Any half-decent stretch allows you to get up close and personal with 160kph, and there is little let-up in the rate of acceleration. Expect acceleration times to 100kph to be in and around the 10-second mark, close to times set by the old City.
Also important, as far as driving pleasure is concerned, is the fact that Honda has recalibrated the otherwise ultra-light Electric Power Steering system. The recalibration improves efficiency and also reduces some power loss.
Now it’s no longer possible to change lanes by blowing hard on the wheel — the steering doesn’t feel as disconnected from the front wheels as before and this improves driving pleasure by miles.
The improved steering, which delivers extra feedback, also makes it possible to be more involved in the driving experience. Turn-in is razor-sharp, body control is good and the stronger four wheel disc brakes allow you to carry a lot of speed into a corner. The additional feel provided by the steering also allows you to push much harder on the exit of a corner. The car feels more planted and less edgy, and still as willing to change direction. But the ABS and Brake Assist system our test car was equipped with won’t make it to India.
While I had expected more power, the improved driving dynamics came as a pleasant surprise, especially if you consider how much better this car is over the City currently sold in India.
Let’s hope we get a similar suspension set-up. Honda will, in all probability, shod the new City ZX VTEC in India with the standard 175/65 R14, now tubeless tyres, but in case any one is interested, the 185/55-R15 we had on our car will make an ideal upgrade. Despite the lower profile of the tyres, the City ZX VTEC rode over bumps much better and the stiff edge to the ride no longer exists. Fewer bumps are felt in the cabin at low speeds and ride quality at higher speeds is seriously impressive.
The car looks different and sports new detailing, but why did Honda go in for a revamp a mere two-odd years after its launch? And this when the City’s looks have grown on Indian customers? The answer to that lies in Thailand, where the City’s looks didn’t find too many takers and also landed the car an unsavoury nickname.
So Honda decided to reduce the visual bulk and make it less MPV-like, with some fresh detailing thrown in as well. To start with, the bonnet is 65mm longer and has a shallower rake. Honda’s designers have also introduced an additional horizontal layer to the front and the rear of the car, in order to reduce that bulkiness which, at times, made it look awkward. An all-new front bumper juts out farther from the body, the pointed chin has disappeared and the large air inlet on the lower part of the bumper is now upturned.
The rear too is less radical, visually less tall and bulky due to a new, more prominent bumper and wider tail-lamps. And yet there is more bootspace — 10 litres of it. While the design seems to have lost a lot of the old car’s originality and much of its nice detailing, Honda has achieved its objective of making the City look more ‘car-like’.
The changes to the interior are not as radical, but the insides of the VTEC feel more plush and that’s thanks to a new, more attractive dual tone interior and electro-luminescent dials. The other changes — a few brushed aluminium garnishes and
an improved stereo, among others — are minor. Comfort, both at the front and the rear, is superb, with rear seat comfort outstanding.
Indian mythology and folklore is filled to the brim with tales of kings, who reclaimed their kingdoms. The VTEC is unlikely to get such a response today, as the game has moved on over the years.
It certainly won’t have the same effect on the market as the original 1.5 did when it was launched back in April 1998.
But the new VTEC motor makes the City, with its recent interior, suspension and steering upgrades, a better all-rounder than the old car ever was. Comfortable, fast and nice to drive with no genuine vices, Honda has given its class-leading entry saloon a new lease of life.
The City has now got back some of its lost character. Honda’s more affordable pricing strategy also means the ZX VTEC at Rs 8.41 lakh, ex-showroom Mumbai, Rs 84,000 more than the popular GXi, is well within reach. And that’s reason enough to celebrate.