The fifth generation Honda City arrived in 2019 and the model remains a hot seller in the segment and the for the automaker. But the new City is nearly three years old now and will soon be in need of a facelift. Well, it now seems Honda is preparing well in advance for the same and a new test mule was recently spotted in Thailand promising subtle upgrades. The Thai market gets the City first globally, and it only makes sense the model will be launched there first. That said, we expect it to arrive in India soon after.
The Honda City facelift is expected to bring tweaks to the exterior and interior design. A revised grille, front and rear bumpers, new fog lamps and air intake design are some of the changes likely. We also expect changes to the tail light design for a fresh new look. On the inside, expect to see a new touchscreen infotainment system and more features over the current version.
Power will come from the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine as well as the petrol-hybrid engine options. Some markets also get the turbo petrol engine but that’s likely to be skipped for India with the facelift as well. That said, the Cty facelift is most likely to skip the diesel engine entirely and the same could be soon discontinued from the current line-up as early as April 2023. Honda has already stopped taking orders for its diesel cars as it prepares the transition towards BS6 Phase 2 emission norms.
The Honda City remains the brand’s halo product in India and has kept the automaker’s name alive amidst a low and aged portfolio. That said, the Japanese automaker is finally shifting focus towards SUVs and is currently developing a compact SUV for India. The model is expected to debut next year, while the new-generation WR-V launched in Indonesia could also make its way here in the future. Honda will discontinue models like the Jazz, WR-V and fourth-generation CIty in the coming months.
