The Old Honda City Will Be Available Alongside The New One

The new fifth-generation model will be available in lesser number of variants than the older model

Update: Honda has launched the fifth-gen City in India with prices beginning from Rs 10.90 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). You can read more about it here.

Honda has revealed that the old Honda City -- that is the fourth-gen model -- will continue to sell alongside its latest iteration. The new fifth-gen City looks a definite upgrade over the fourth-gen model and is bound to be more expensive too. However, Honda’s move to keep the older City on the shelves too means that you can have the ‘City’ moniker without having to spend that much extra. There are, however, a few things you will have to keep in mind.

For starters, the older City is available only with a petrol engine. And it is not exactly the same powertrain that is there in the new City. The latter offers slightly more power, better fuel efficiency, and employs slightly different tech inside the engine block along with improved transmissions.

Petrol Engine Comparison

The 1.5-litre petrol engine gets a slight tech upgrade (going SOHC - single- to DOHC - double overhead camshaft) and makes an additional 2PS of power. The petrol’s manual transmission is now a 6-speed unit while the 7-step CVT has been updated for better usability. The new one is also exclusively available with the 1.5-litre diesel that makes 100PS and 200Nm and comes mated to a 6-speed manual. 

Related: 2020 Honda City vs Rivals: Boot Comparison

The new City is longer and wider but the older car offers marginally better headroom in the front and marginally more boot space. The table below states the exact differences in their dimensions.

The older City will be available in more variants than its new iteration. Buyers looking at the old car will have the option to choose between SV, V, VX and ZX variants whereas those looking to bring the new City home will only be able to choose between the V, VX and ZX variants. The current fourth-generation City is priced between Rs 9.91 lakh and Rs 14.31 lakh (ex-showroom India). The new gen model is expected to cost between Rs 11 lakh and Rs 16 lakh.

Also Read: Honda City 2020 Won’t Get Diesel Automatic: Here’s Why

Honda has not yet revealed the exact reason for keeping the 4th-gen City on sale alongside the new variant but there could be a number of reasons. For starters, when the outgoing model is popular, manufacturers try to keep that good run going. Case in point is the Hyundai Grand i10 alongside the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios. Secondly, Honda could target fleet operators to an extent with the older City. And lastly, the manufacturer could just be looking to clear its inventory and could take the car off the shelves once that happens.

Whatever the reason maybe, the good news here is that there is still time to get your hands on a City without having to pay the added cost.

Read More on : City on road price