2023 Honda City Facelift Review: India's Fav Sedan Still Best In The Business?

A quick spin in the 2023 Honda City Facelift revealed more about the car's refreshed avatar, and here are some excerpts from the drive.

Honda City nameplate is 25 years old in the Indian market, and the country’s most-loved c-segment sedan is celebrating its golden jubilee now. How? With a mid-cycle refresh that is not just limited to styling. Of course, the upcoming RDE norms are also a reason for this update. Honda City has been ruling the roost, and it also tends to lead the sales chart for the Japanese brand. Therefore, it was a rather crucial move for Honda to keep the City fresh and loaded with features. All of it in the hope to make it stand stronger against its rivals. But what’s in it? The update. Does it justify its slightly increased price tag now? Read on to find out.

The 5th-gen Honda City, when launched in the year 2020, received appreciation. Masses showed love for its styling. The three-box silhouette was very prominent, and it still is. It looked like a sedan and not an eggshell. A rather proportionate stance in all ways. Now, the appeal is amplified. The facelifted City dons a reworked nose. Thanks to a new mesh pattern for the grille, a slimmer chrome ribbon, a new bumper, revised fog lamp housings, and an edgier lower lip, helping it with crispier styling.

In addition to the existing colour palette, the Obsidian Blue Pearl paint scheme is now added to the list. No doubt, it adds a youthful character to the City facelift. There are no changes around the sides, and it isn’t to be complained about. There’s no point fixing what’s not broken. The silhouette looks classy with its 3-box stance.

Around the rear, the City gets a reworked bumper with a splitter-like element around the chin. It breaks the visual bulk, accentuating the City’s appeal in its facelift avatar. Let’s not forget the lip spoiler, which certainly makes it look wide and sporty. The City boasts an imposing road presence with aggression in its design and beefy dimensions. It tapes at 4,541 mm in length, 1,748 mm in width, and 1,489 mm in height.

2023 Honda City Facelift Review: Interior

The 5th-gen Honda City has a wheelbase of 2,600 millimetres. It clears air out about a thing - cabin space, which is in abundance. Honda hasn’t made any alterations in this regard, preserving the sedan’s strong arm. Furthermore, the City remains comfortable with its cushy and practical seats. Honda has updated the interior to ensure that mid-cycle update gets prominent changes on the inside.

The Honda City now gets new carbon-fibre trim on the dashboard of the hybrid variants. On the other hand, NA petrol trims continue with faux wood veneer. The feature list in the City has grown longer with the inclusion of a wireless phone charger. To further keep things untangled, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay are onboarded, along with increased connected car features.

An improved rear parking camera and ambient lighting make their way to the City, lending a fresh appeal on the inside. However, existing elements like the 8-inch touchscreen continue to do their duty. Of course, the glare under sunlight due to its positioning is an issue. The part-digital part-analogue instrument console is crisp, and this setup is legible even in broad daylight scenarios.

Coming down to the Honda Sensing safety suite, it brings ADAS tech to the petrol trims of the City. The new V trim and SV trim for petrol and hybrid model, respectively, are now introduced. On the whole, the City is now a more feature-packed and safe package on the inside. In fact, it is now the cheapest ADAS-equipped car in India. Furthermore, it comes equipped with rain-sensing wipers and a PM2.5 air filter. These changes are relatively small in terms of visual aspects but make the cabin a lot more convenient and a safe place to be in.

2023 Honda City Facelift Review: Performance

For starters, the City facelift makes the sedan ready for upcoming RDE norms. Resultantly, the oil burner is out of the list. There are only two powertrain choices on offer on the City facelift - 1.5L NA petrol and a strong-hybrid with a 1.5L Atkinson cycle engine. The NA petrol motor pushes out a rated output of 121 PS/145 Nm, while the strong-hybrid architecture produces 126 PS/253 Nm.

The strong-hybrid version drives seamlessly as it transitions from EV mode to Petrol mode and back. Also, the power plant comes with an eCVT, making the driving experience rather smooth. The setup is frugal too. Thus evolving as a perfect replacement for the oil burner and a potential upgrade for last-gen City diesel owners. Talking of refinement, there are no complaints in this regard whatsoever.

The 1.5L NA petrol motor has been my all-time favourite in its category. It is a cracker of an engine. The refinement it offers is of the highest order. Moreover, the power delivery is linear. But it has a strong top-end surge with a high redline mark - at 6,600 clicks. The mid-range and low-end are progressive too. There are two transmission choices - CVT for those who need a relaxed ride and a 6-speed manual for those who are hungry for performance. Also, the motor is now E20 flex-fuel ready.

Coming down to dynamics, the suspension is supple but ready to keep the car in place when going fast around curves. The steering is responsive too, and the brakes work well. Further keeping things in check are safety aids like lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, lead car departure warning, and more. Yes, the City is a fun package! The modern-day active safety net reinforces the driving experience to make it a joyous event for the driver.

2023 Honda City Facelift Review: In Summation

The efforts made to make the 2023 Honda City facelift a sensible, safe, and distinctive proposition are loud and clear. The sedan certainly looks charming from all angles. There is enough tech on board to keep everyone happy and safe. Engine choices deliver a new-age experience with diesel kept at a distance and a strong-hybrid power plant made more accessible. With a starting price of Rs 11.49 lakh (ex-showroom), the cheapest trim with ADAS will set you back by Rs 12.37 lakh (ex-showroom). The entry point to the hybrid variants, however, is now brought down to Rs 18.89 lakh (ex-showroom). That said, the pricing feels a tad bit steep, but it isn’t a deal breaker in any way. Thus, the City manages to be a sweet yet potent offering in the C-segment sedan business.