Honda City 5th-gen vs 4th-gen: Which Sedan To Buy?

Does the new one offer enough features to justify its premium or is the old-guard good enough? Let’s find out

The prices of the fifth-generation Honda City have now been announced with the variant-wise feature list. It will compete not only with rivals like the Hyundai Verna and Toyota Yaris, but also with the fourth-gen City which will remain on sale alongside. But which generation Honda City offers better value? Let’s find out:

Dimensions

The Honda City has grown in size with the new design for its generational update. It is longer and wider than before while the wheelbase has remained the same. The new City’s more premium looks make it lower than before. It also loses 4 litres of boot capacity but that’s not much of a difference in terms of real-life usage.

Engines

The fifth-gen Honda City gets a choice of petrol and diesel engines while the previous-gen City will now only be offered with a petrol engine. Here’s how the engine specifications for the two City models compare:

The new Honda City’s petrol engine has 2PS more power but the torque figure remains unchanged. It also gets a new 6-speed manual over the 5-speed manual transmission offered in the fourth-gen City. The new petrol engine also claims an extra 0.4kmpl of mileage. Both fourth-gen and new-gen City petrol engines get the option of a 7-step CVT automatic with paddle shifters, but the new one has an improved unit.

Honda is offering the diesel engine only on the fifth-gen City with the same performance as the old BS4 diesel engine and has skipped the automatic option again.

all prices, ex-showroom Delhi

Since the older model is a petrol-only offering, we’re only comparing the petrol variants of the new City. In terms of retail pricing, all the variants of the new City are within the Rs 50,000 range of comparison with the corresponding variants of the fourth-gen model. Honda has ditched the entry-level SV variant for the new City. The diesel variants of the fifth-gen City are priced between Rs 12.4 lakh and Rs 14.65 lakh.

Related: Honda City Vs Rivals: What Do The Prices Say?

Also, the fourth-gen Honda City is available with various discounts that make it a lot cheaper than the new-gen model but we will be using the retail price for our comparison.

Variants Comparison

Honda City V 5th-gen vs 4th-gen

Common Features

Safety: Dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seat anchorage, rear parking sensors, day/night inside rearview mirror, rear windshield defogger, front seatbelts reminder, high speed alert, multi-view rear parking camera, brake assist.

Exterior: Halogen headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights (DRLs), LED turn indicators on ORVMs, shark fin antenna, 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps.

Comfort: Auto AC with rear vents, engine start-stop button, smart key with keyless remote, auto door lock/unlock, cruise control, power-adjustable and folding outside rearview mirrors (ORVMs), height-adjustable driver’s seat, tilt-adjustable steering, front centre armrest with storage, rear foldout armrest with cupholders, accessory charging ports front and rear, paddle shifters (CVT only).

Infotainment: Touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, 4 speakers, Bluetooth connectivity, voice command, steering-mounted controls, LCD multi-information display and two USB ports.

What 5th-gen City V offers over 4th-gen City V: Front side airbags (total four), vehicle stability assist, traction control, agile handling assist, hill start assist, follow-me-home headlamps, LED taillamps, tyre deflation warning system, 3-point seatbelts and headrests for all three rear occupants, remote engine start (CVT only), telescopic steering adjustment, Honda Connect with telematics, Alexa remote functions, bigger 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, ambient light for centre console.

What 4th-gen City V offers over 5th-gen City V: 4 tweeters (total 8-speaker audio)

Verdict: Buy the new City V

The new-gen City gets a lot more features, especially in terms of safety. Its premium is easily justifiable over the list price of the fourth-gen City.

Honda City VX 5th-gen vs 4th-gen

Common Features (over previous variants)

Exterior: 16-inch alloy wheels, LED combination tail lamps.

Comfort: Sunroof, telescopic steering adjustment, auto-dimming IRVM, rear reading lamps

Audio: Total 8 speakers

What 5th-gen City VX offers over 4th-gen City VX: Auto headlamp controls, front side and side curtain airbags (total 6), walk away auto locking distance, front seat back pockets with smartphone sub-pockets, semi-digital instrument cluster with a 7.0-inch colour screen, Honda Connect with telematics, Alexa remote functions, bigger 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, ambient light for centre console, vehicle stability assist, traction control, agile handling assist, hill start assist, follow-me-home headlamps, tyre deflation warning system, 3-point seatbelts and headrests for all three rear occupants, remote engine start (CVT only) and remote opening of windows and sunroof.

What 4th-gen City VX offers over 5th-gen City VX: Nothing

Verdict: Buy the new City VX

The new-gen City VX adds a hefty premium over the fourth-gen City VX. In exchange, it gets a lot more features, especially in terms of safety. Once again, the fifth-gen City is the one we’d pick. Even if we consider the savings of over Rs 1 lakh on the older model from the cash discount and the exchange bonus, the 2020 City VX is worth the premium.

Honda City ZX 5th-gen vs 4th-gen

Common Features (over previous variants)

Safety: Front side and side curtain airbags.

Exterior: LED headlamps, LED front fog lamps.

Comfort: Leatherette upholstery, soft touchpads on dashboard, automatic headlight control, auto folding ORVMs, front seat back pockets, LED rear reading lamps, power windows with pinch guard, headlight auto off (timer).

What 5th-gen City ZX offers over 4th-gen City ZX: LaneWatch assist (camera under the left ORVM that can be used to check blindspot while changing lanes), advanced 9-unit array LED headlamps, rear sunshade, ambient lighting in the front footwell, soft padding for various touchpoints and armrests in the cabin, walk away auto locking distance, front seat back pockets with smartphone sub-pockets, semi-digital instrument cluster with a 7.0-inch colour screen, Honda Connect with telematics, Alexa remote functions, bigger 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, ambient light for centre console, vehicle stability assist, traction control, agile handling assist, hill start assist, follow-me-home headlamps, tyre deflation warning system, 3-point seatbelts and headrests for all three rear occupants, remote engine start (CVT only).

What 4th-gen City ZX offers over 5th-gen City ZX: Nothing

Verdict: Buy the new City ZX

While the top variant of the fourth-gen City catches up to the new model in some aspects, it cannot compete with the barrage of additional features it offers. At list price, the premium of the 2020 City is easily justifiable. For the new tech and added safety features, we’d pick the new-gen City ZX.

However, with discounts of up to Rs 1.6 lakh on the previous-gen model, the latest technology available in the 2020 City ZX may not be worth the extra cash for you.

Read More on : Honda City 2017-2020 on road price