'New City e:HEV' car review: The flagship sedan powers up

The New City e:HEV will be manufactured at Honda’s facility in Tapukara, Rajasthan. To set it apart from the petrol and diesel models that are currently on sale, the City e:HEV gets the new Honda Solid Wing Face, a signature blue H-mark logo, a new claw-type fog light garnish and new diamond cut alloys.

The cabin has been kitted out with a two-tone black and ivory theme, a new 17.7cm high-definition colour TFT multi-information display, and a large 20.3cm advanced touchscreen display. The car also benefits from 37 Honda Connect features that work with smartwatch devices and existing integration of Alexa and OK Google.

Powering the e:HEV is a self-charging and highly efficient two motor e-CVT hybrid system connected to a smooth 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine.

The e:HEV electric-hybrid system uses three driving modes - EV Drive, Hybrid Drive, and Engine Drive, along with Regeneration mode during deceleration. The hybrid electric system produces a combined max power of 126PS and 253Nm of torque while returning a solid efficiency of 26.5 km per litre.

With this, Honda is introducing its advanced intelligent safety technology 'Honda SENSING' for the first time in India. The system uses a high-performance front camera with a far-reaching detection system to scan the road ahead and alert the driver to minimise risk of accidents.

Honda Sensing signature safety features include Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Adaptive Cruise Control, Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), etc.

The City e:HEV is expected to be priced in the Rs 17-20 lakh range