A Couple of weeks ago we said Honda City facelift launch has postponed to January 2012, after a formal unveiling at the 2012 Auto Expo show in New Delhi. The delay was accredited to the shortage of components which Honda procures from Thailand, which was hampered because of the floods which disrupted production. However, the Japanese automaker has now advanced the launch of the Honda City facelift to mid-December.
The facelifted City which was launched in Thailand in September, will have increased localisation in India. This will help Honda maintain the current prices and on the same time comes loaded with ample cosmetic changes in the exteriors and the interiors of the car. The Honda City is powered by a 1.5-liter, i-VTEC powerplant which produces 118 PS of power and 146 Nm of torque and the new model will have no changes to the engine.
The alterations in the new City are remarkable with a redesigned grille looking more pronounced than ever before and the headlamps appear more integrated into the grille. The deviation in the bumper design is also more noticeable, especially with the air duct sitting modestly, to change the look of the fascia to a large extent. Slight modifications are paralleled at the rear end of the car as well. The launch of the new Honda City comes at the right time, especially when the outgoing Honda City has garnered an apex sales in the month of September and October after auto major offered an exuberant cash discount of up to Rs 1 lakh in some cities.
The Honda City, which has been enjoying the limelight in the Indian market as the most successful sedan for the last 13 years, is now being challenged by the likes of the Volkswagen Vento, Hyundai Verna, Ford Fiesta and the newly launched Skoda Rapid. So it’s not surprising that Honda is itching to get back in the market and make its next move. We just hope that the next few moves coming from Honda involve the word ‘diesel’, as the current downfall of sales of the City can be attributed to the skyrocketing prices of petrol and the lack a diesel powerplant under the the City’s hood.
The new Honda City launch was slated to take place in the month of November initially, which has been postponed to 2012 January due to the natural calamities in Thailand. The Thailand unit supplies the under body parts and the transmissions for the Honda cars across the world. While the production of the Honda Brio and Honda Jazz is drastically hindered due to the component shortage, the Honda City face-lift launch seems to remain unruffled.
Also see – New Honda City facelift delayed till January 2012
Video TV Commercial of new Honda City facelift –
