Back in November 2019, when the world wasn’t in a collective state of bother, Honda launched the all-new City in Thailand. And now, the Indian arm of the Japanese carmaker has revealed its version. Don’t strain your eyes for differences. They aren’t many. Perhaps this will help – The India-spec City looks like a hybrid between the standard and the RS versions from the neighbouring country. Design cues which support that claim include the headlamps and alloy wheels from the RS, and the shiny chrome trims from the standard City. The images shared are probably for the range-topper. Expect Honda to offer different wheels and headlamps for versions lower down the trim tree.

In terms of dimensions, the new City rides on the same-sized wheelbase as before. However, it has grown in length and width which, on paper, should mean that there will be more space for both living and non-living things. But at 506 litres, the boot space has gone down by four litres. Honda does say that the new City offers “Best-in-class knee room & legroom”. As for the features outside the cabin, the City will pack LED-powered headlamps, DRLs and taillamps and dual-tone 16-inch alloy wheels.

As suspected, the India-spec City gets a dual-tone interior theme and not the all-black kind the sedan gets in Thailand. The beige-and-black atmosphere helps accentuate senses of space and, to some extent, luxury. In addition to wrapping stuff with leather, Honda has also given the new City an enhanced list of features. That includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7.0-inch coloured MID between the analogue dials, automatic climate control, electric sunroof, auto headlamps and wipers, walk-away locking mechanism and ambient lighting.

The new City also packs Honda Connect with Telematics Control Unit. It ropes in more than thirty connected features such as auto crash notification, emergency assistance, stolen vehicle tracking and geo-fence alerts. If you’re searching for something new, the City also comes with Alexa remote capability. That means one can interact with the car from nearly anywhere.

Honda has also done well on the safety front. The fifth-gen City packs gizmos like six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, three-point seatbelts for all seats, Hill Start Assist and Vehicle Stability Assist with Agile Handling Assist. That last one comes from the Civic. Courtesy of those features along with a platform which uses more ultra high tensile steel, the City scored an impressive five-star safety rating in ASEAN NCAP crash test.

Time for some numbers now. As expected, the new Honda City will be available in both petrol and diesel guises. Petrol fans will have to work with a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated mill that produces 119bhp/145Nm (just 1bhp more than before). Mated with a 6-speed manual transmission, it can return up to 17.8kmpl. However, that claimed number goes up to 18.4kmph with the 7-step CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Those who want diesel power in their life will have to settle for a 1.5-litre turbocharged motor. It pumps out 98bhp/200Nm (no change) and will be available with a 6-speed manual gearbox only.

So, there you have it. Bookings for the new Honda City should commence soon. Expect it cost on par or more than the competition. Speaking of which, the City will renew the rivalry with the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Toyota Yaris, Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Rapid. Are you impressed with the new City?