Honda has launched the mid-life update of the current generation Honda City in Thailand for a price tag starting from 5.5 lakh Baht (approx. Rs 10.6 lakh). The 2017 Honda City gets a slew of changes on the outside to make it look aggressive and modern.
The front fascia has been completely redone and the front bumper now gets the three-part treatment in line with the new bumper design on the recently updated Amaze and the Brio. The air-dam gets a horizontal slat and is blacked out. The front grille now gets the thick mesh and flows into the tweaked headlamps. The LED DRLs standout now with the headlamps turned on. The profile is the same thanks to the same body shell but the alloy design is new and might make it to India as well. The rear bumper also gets a sharper look.
The new shade of blue reminds you of the cobalt blue on the Type 2 Honda City, the first generation of the City launched in India. On the inside, though, you could throw a spot-the-difference challenge and have a good laugh. The dashboard is now all-black with silver accents but the tacky gloss-black plaque holding the 6.8-inch touchscreen continues with its presence. The equipment list will be largely unchanged with sunroof, adjustable steering, electrically foldable mirrors, split and folding rear seat and rear parking sensors continuing with their presence.
When it comes to India, the City will continue with its existing engine and gearbox options. The 1.5-litre petrol i-Vtec that churns out 115bhp of power works well with the five-speed manual and the CVT automatic gearbox options. The frugal 1.5-litre i-Dtec engine develops 100bhp of power and comes mated to a six-speed manual transmission. ABS and dual front airbags should be standard with the facelift keeping in mind the safety regulations that are soon going to be enforced.
The 2017 Honda City has already been spotted in India while shooting a TV commercial which means the launch is just around the corner. We can expect a slight price hike with the tags starting from about Rs 8.5 lakh for the base petrol all the way to about Rs 13 lakh for the top-spec diesel.