Honda City: 20 years of the iconic sedan in India

Continuation of the same vehicle for over two decades is quite an achievement, especially in India. Honda City recently completed 20 years in India, a feat only a few could survive in the highly competitive Indian market. The Indian market caters to around 25% of City sales worldwide, making it a crucial market for the vehicle. The Honda City in its modern form has become a cult brand, and we bring you all the four generations that made the City moniker so popular in India.

1998: First generation Honda City

Often called OHC or Original Honda City in India, it was first introduced in 1998 in the Indian market. Honda launched the 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre engines with the model. Even though the car attracted a lot of customers initially, it became a true enthusiasts vehicle after Honda introduced the VTEC powered model in 2000. There are many first generation Honda City vehicles that can be seen in pristine condition in many enthusiast’s garages. The first generation City was replaced with a new one in 2003.

2003: Second generation Honda City

The second generation of Honda City was launched with a new modern design, and it replaced the boxy first generation City from the market. The arrow shape of the vehicle was referred as ‘Dolphin’ among the car enthusiasts. It was a big change over the boxy, sleek looking first generation Honda City and took time for the people to accept it properly. The car was powered by a 1.5-litre engine that churned out 77 Bhp of maximum power. Honda also offered a CVT variant with the introduction of the car.

In 2005, Honda launched the City ZX, which had the same engine but it produced a maximum of 99 Bhp – 132 Nm. Honda launched the 10th Anniversary Edition based on the same generation of the City in 2007. The vehicle was replaced in 2008.

2008: Third generation Honda City

The third generation of Honda City offered a lot of welcome changes. The car shed its curvacious image with an intimidating one. It came with a new multiple slat grilles and larger headlamps. The third generation City became a lot sleeker too. The drastic design changes were welcomed by the market. Honda also made the ABS and airbags as standard in the Honda City with this generation. Honda also introduced the sunroof with this generation, and it became the first car to offer the sunroof in this segment. It was replaced with the current generation City in 2014.

2014: Fourth generation Honda City

This is the fourth generation of the Honda City that is currently available in the market. The current generation of the City saw the most number of changes over the years and also the introduction of the diesel engine. The car was launched in January 2014 with 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine options. With the facelift launch, the City received full-LED headlamp and a larger, full-touchscreen infotainment system. The City continued to be one of the best selling vehicles in the segment in India.

Honda is planning to launch the new City in 2019 in India, and with the popularity of the vehicle growing with each passing day, the 2019 update should be a thorough one.