Honda City Hybrid vs Rivals: Fuel Efficiency Compared

Modified On Apr 15, 2022 10:03 AM By Rohit for Honda City Hybrid 2022-2023

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The hybrid version of Honda’s compact sedan has a segment-best claimed mileage figure of 26.5kmpl. We pit it against its rivals

Honda has taken the covers off the India-spec City Hybrid. It is set to become the most affordable self charging hybrid available in the country as the Toyota Camry is the next car to offer the same at Rs 43.45 lakh (ex-showroom). The greener sedan has the best ARAI-rated efficiency figure now in its segment (26.5kmpl).

Since the City Hybrid gets a petrol unit paired with an e-CVT transmission setup, we have only considered the petrol-automatic combination of its rivals.

Let’s take a look:

	Honda City Hybrid	Honda City	Maruti Ciaz (mild-hybrid)	Hyundai Verna	Skoda Slavia
Engine	1.5-litre	1.5-litre	1.5-litre	1-litre turbo-petrol/ 1.5-litre	1-litre turbo-petrol/ 1.5-litre turbo-petrol
Power (combined)	126PS	121PS	105PS	115PS	115PS/ 150PS
Torque	253Nm	145Nm	138Nm	144Nm	178Nm/ 250Nm
Transmission	e-CVT	CVT	4-speed AT	7-speed DCT/ CVT	6-speed AT/ 7-speed DCT
Average ARAI-certified FE	26.5kmpl	18.4kmpl	20.04kmpl	19.2kmpl/ 18.45kmpl	18.07kmpl/ 18.72kmpl

From the above table, it’s pretty clear that the new City Hybrid will be the segment leader when it comes to fuel efficiency. Not only that, it even outbeats the claimed mileage of the standard City’s diesel variants (24.1kmpl) and the diesel-powered Hyundai Verna too (25kmpl- 6-speed MT and 21.3kmpl- 6-speed AT).

Apart from the City Hybrid, it’s only the Maruti Ciaz that gets some kind of electrification in this segment. Unlike Maruti, which has equipped the Ciaz with a small electrical component (starter generator motor) to its combustion engine powertrain, Honda has provided the City Hybrid with two electric motors. The major difference in this case is that while Maruti’s electrified setup merely assists in improving the sedan’s efficiency, the self-charging hybrid tech enables the Honda sedan to be driven in pure EV mode as well.

Another difference between the two sedans is that Maruti doesn’t offer any drive modes as such on the Ciaz but the City Hybrid comes with three: EV mode, Hybrid mode, and Engine mode. The EV mode comes into play when the sedan is being driven at low speeds in city conditions where it runs only on electric power. It switches on the engine power at higher speeds whenever needed. Its batteries are charged using regenerative braking or engine power.

Bookings for the hybrid version of the City are now underway with its launch slated for May. We expect Honda to price it at around Rs 18.5 lakh (ex-showroom). It will rival the likes of the Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus.