New Honda City diesel to be launched in India on January 7, 2014

Team OD Updated: December 27, 2013, 04:20 PM IST

The all-new Honda City will be launched on January 7, 2014. The 2014 Honda City will come with three variants - petrol, CVT petrol and a highly anticipated diesel. We have driven and tested the all-new Honda City and you can read our report here. The bookings, but pricing and other details will be announced at the launch.

The most significant bit of news here, of course, remains that for the first time, the City will come with a diesel engine. It's the same all aluminium 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine seen in the Amaze that is good for 100PS@3600rpm power and 200Nm@1750rpm max torque. The engine is mated to a new 6-speed manual transmission with optimised gear ratios. In terms of performance, the car hits 100kmph in 12.8 seconds. Unlike the Amaze that's limited to 140kmph, the City diesel maxes out at 163kmph, however compared to competition, the top speed is still much lower.

The new 'Exciting-H' design language debuts in India with the Honda city.

Once launched, the City diesel, if ARAI figures are to be believed, will be the most economical car in the country with a claimed fuel efficiency of 26kmpl.

The Honda City is by far Honda's most successful nameplate in India. It was appreciated by enthusiasts in its first and second iterations in the country; in its third form, it balanced performance and fuel economy so beautifully that it also got the general buying public hooked.

In the last version - the model that has just been discontinued - not only did it record the highest sales for the brand in India, with its modern looks, a plush and pleasing cabin and mechanical prowess that was right up there with the best in its class, it won nearly all comparison tests it participated in. You can read all about the history of the City in India here.