Honda City Diesel long-term review; 1 month & 1,850 km done

It’s been a month since we have been driving the Honda City diesel that is currently with us for a duration of three months. Whenever we review a new car, we hardly get to spend a few hours, let along a few days with it. This also doesn’t allow us to understand the car better or divulge into finer details or discover hidden gems. With over 1800km done in the first 30 days, here is my first proper long-term review of the City.

I have primarily been using the City diesel for my long office commutes, 75km to be precise, to and fro. Thanks to Delhi’s ever improving infrastructure, in spite of commuting in rush hour (not peak), the City diesel has been averaging a consistent 21-23kmpl, as per the display. This is about 5% off the actual figure that I achieve via the tankful to tankful basis. The tall 6th gear does come handy at over 65-70km/h and needless to say, the continuous hike in fuel prices has not been of a concern to me. Yet.

Model: Honda City ZX (diesel)
Odo reading at arrival: 16,359 km
Current odo reading: 18,219 km
Date of arrival: 9th August 2018

Next is the engine : while it has been criticised a lot by both journalists and critics alike for its vocal nature, I don’t find a reason to complain. A diesel engine isn’t supposed to be silent and yes, noise filters into the cabin but with the air-con running and music playing, the City’s i-DTEC doesn’t bother you at all. What bothers me is the gear shift quality : it’s notchy and hard, as much as that all other segment rivals fare better in this deal. But all this takes a back seat when you get the low-end torque to play with in moving traffic.

I am a tall and well-built person and I want my car(s) to be spacious and comfortable and this includes the seats – very important. Thankfully, the City scores top marks in this department. Ditto for acres of space at the back! Talking of which, the floor area at the back raises upwards, making long journeys very comfortable for passengers.

Honda is known to make clever cars and the City reflects that. From multiple charging outlets up front and the back, to the cruise control that doesn’t deactivate when you are shifting gears. This is supremely usable when you want to shift down or up a gear as per road conditions while the cruise control is active. As per my understanding, not all cars offer this function wherein the cruise control does not cut-off the moment you push the clutch lever. Likewise, the smart keyless entry works like a charm – you simply walk up and pull the handle. No need to press the black sensor. The back camera also gets multiple viewing modes, namely, normal, top down and wide and this indeed is helpful when you are in a tight spot. Simple solutions to make your daily commutes better and safer!

My dad has a Ciaz diesel as his daily runabout and yes, a friendly comparison will come up soon during the next update after a month. So watch this space for more!