Twenty years on, the Honda City is still a city favourite

Honda City began its innings in India in 1998, and now in its fourth generation avatar, has remained one of the longest running nameplates in the Indian automotive history. India is the largest and most important market for Honda City accounting for over 25% of the car’s current worldwide sales. The car continues to be an aspirational brand for many and enjoys huge brand loyalty amongst its customers.

As Yoichiro Ueno, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd says, “Each generation of Honda City has offered a new design, latest automotive technology and new-age infotainment experiences...”.

Honda City, the story unfolds

1998       First Introduction of Honda City in India; First Honda model to be sold in                       India

                Two engine options – 1.3L and 1.5L in Petrol

2000       VTEC engine introduced in Honda City

2001       No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study

2003       Second generation of Honda City launched in India

                Engine – 1.5L i-DSI. Introduction of CVT variant – a first on an Indian car

2005       Launch of City ZX with new looks and new 1.5L VTEC engine

                2007       10th anniversary edition of City with ABS launched

                2008       Third Generation of Honda City launched in India

                Engine – 1.5L i-VTEC introduced

Safety equipment – ABS and Airbags as standard offering

2011       First in Segment Sunroof introduced in new Honda City

                2012       CNG ready version of Honda City introduced

                Touch screen AVN introduced

2013       World Premiere of 4th Generation of Honda City in India

                2014       Launch of 4th Gen City in India – Most successful Honda City ever

                Engine options – 1.5L i-VTEC petrol and 1.5L i-DTEC diesel

                First time introduction of Diesel engine in Honda City

                Introduction of new generation CVT offering more fuel economy than                            manual variant

2016       Safety equipment like ISO FIX introduced in Honda City

2017       New Honda City launched           

                Achieves cumulative sales of 7 lakh Honda City in India

Generation-wise sales of Honda City in India

Cumulative sales in India since launch     7 lakhs                                                  Fuel Type

1st Generation City (1998 – 2003)             59,378                                                   Petrol

2nd Generation City (2003 – 2008)            177,742                                 Petrol

3rd Generation City (2008 – 2013)             192,939                                 Petrol

4th Generation City (2014 – till Nov 2017) and counting  276,095 Petrol/Diesel

Honda City was developed as an Asian model, which became a global brand with presence in 60 countries and has registered cumulative sales of 3.6Mn units globally. The Honda City has been a leader in Quality, being ranked No.1 in the JD Power Initial Quality Study for 15 times during its presence in the Indian market. Product quality, matched by excellent after-sales service at the dealerships, has generated strong positive word of mouth for Honda.