2023 Honda City e-HEV: Luxury hybrid sedan launched in Nepal

2023 Honda City e-HEV. Photo: Honda Car India

The hybrid version of the popular sedan from Honda, the Honda City e-HEV has been officially launched in Nepal. Honda City has been one of the popular options in the sedan market of Nepal for the comfort, features and specs it delivers. The sedan from Honda is currently in the fifth generation and has been getting a good response. The 3rd Gen Honda City became quite popular for its reliability and looks.

The Honda City e-HEV shares the same looks as the ICE variant with few major tweaks. The hybrid comes in two variants VCVT and ZXCVT. The ZXCVT is the top variant with more added luxury design elements and safety features.

The hybrid sedan has got quite the attention in the Indian market for the fuel economy it gives. The hybrid options are more expensive than the normal ICE options. But is the hybrid option worth the price?

Let us see what the hybrid sedan delivers in terms of specs.

Specifications of Honda City e-HEV

Design

Exterior

The design of the Honda City e-HEV is slightly modified from the normal ICE City. The front of the hybrid sedan features a new slightly extended front lip and a newly designed grille. The Honda logo has blue accents to notify it is a hybrid sedan. The headlamps on the VCVT are LED with integrated LED DRLs whereas the ZXCVT features full LED headlamps with 9 LED Array (Inline-Shell) and L-shaped LED Guide-type turn signal in the headlamps. Both options have LED foglamps situated just below the headlights.

On the side, the side mirrors have indicators on them along with a lane watch camera which shows the output inside the infotainment screen for blind spot monitoring. The wheels are made up of alloy and give a nice sporty look.

Coming to the rear, the Honda City e-HEV continues the sporty look with Z-shaped wrapped-around LED taillights. The rear also has a diffuser and a carbon fibre-type diffuser making the rear of the sedan look bulky and aggressive.

Interior

The interior of the Honda City e-HEV is luxurious with soft-touch materials and ambient lighting. The major difference in the VCVT and ZXCVT variants can be found in the interior. They both have a modern dashboard with smooth lines and comfy materials. The ZXCVT has some fancy touches like stitching and shiny bits.

Both the variants of the Honda City e-HEV have a leather-wrapped steering wheel with buttons for music and calls. The ZXCVT adds paddle shifters for a sporty feel.

The instrument cluster on the front is different with a full analogue instrument cluster in the VCVT variant and a hybrid digital and analogue instrument cluster in the ZXCVT variant.

The Honda City e-HEV feature an 8-inch infotainment system which supports both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The sedan also has Next-Gen Honda Connect with Telematics Control Unit (TCU) which works with Alexa, and Google Assistant and has smartwatch connectivity. The VCVT option has 4 speakers whereas the ZXCVT option ups the sound experience with 8 speakers. The climate control options are below the infotainment system with buttons and knobs. The centre console of the sedan features a wireless charger, gear shift, storage space and electric parking brake with auto hold brake.

Coming to the seats, the VCVT option has fabric seats with adjustable headrests and lumbar support. The ZXCVT gets leather seats for a more premium feel. The seat adjustment is manual which should have been electric as most cars in the segment already provide it.

The rear is spacious with enough headroom and legroom for a luxurious ride. There is also a centre armrest with cupholders for better comfort. The boot space on the back has a capacity of 410 litres. The ZXCVT option has a sunroof for natural lighting and air.

Performance

The Honda City e-HEV has an Atkinson Cycle engine and electric drive motor. With a 1,498cc engine, it delivers a maximum power of 72 kW at 5,600-6,400 rpm and a torque of 127 Nm at 4,000-5,000 rpm. Being a hybrid it features an electric drive motor, packing 80 kW of power at 3500 rpm and a torque of 253 Nm at 0-3,000 rpm. It has an AC Synchronous electric generation motor, pumping out 70 kW of power. It’s equipped with an Advanced High-Voltage Battery, a lithium-ion powerhouse boasting 172.8V, ensuring smooth transitions between power sources.

When it comes to transmission, the e-CVT (Electrically-coupled Continuously Variable Transmission) with Engine-Linked Clutch keeps things smooth. It features parallel-hybrid, Series-hybrid and Engine Direct-Drive operation (auto-select) power transfer.

The Honda City e-HEV has three driving modes: EV Drive, Hybrid Drive, and Engine Drive. EV Drive, runs quietly on electric power, great for city driving and saving fuel. Hybrid Drive uses both the engine and electric motor, balancing power and efficiency for cruising. Engine Drive lets the engine do the heavy lifting, perfect for highways and optimal fuel use.

The Honda City e-HEV’s suspension features a McPherson Strut with a Coil Spring in the front and a Torsion beam with a Coil Spring in the rear. It’s equipped with an Anti-Roll Bar of Torsion Bar Type and Shock Absorbers are Telescopic Hydraulic Nitrogen Gas-filled, ensuring a smooth ride over bumps.

For braking, it has ventilated disc brakes and solid disc brakes in the rear. Adding to its efficiency is the Regenerative Braking System, giving energy back into the battery through the Electric Servo Brake. The wheels are 16×6 J alloy wheels with a tyre size of 185/55 R16 87H.

Safety and Features

The Honda City e-HEV comes packed with advanced safety features to keep people protected on the road. These include the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), which uses radar and cameras to detect potential collisions and automatically apply brakes to avoid accidents. Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) helps in highway driving by gently correcting steering to keep the car centred within its lane, reducing the risk of unintended lane changes.

The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow maintains a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, adjusting speed for smoother highway cruising, even in stop-and-go traffic. The Lead Car Departure Notification System alerts you when the car ahead starts moving, preventing any delay in reacting to traffic flow. Passive safety features include airbags, ABS with EBD, seatbelt pre-tensioners, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

Features of the Honda City e-HEV are as follows:

• LED headlights with DRLs
• LED taillights
• LED fog lamps
• Alloy wheels
• Rear spoiler and diffuser
• Chrome accents
• Panoramic roof (ZXCVT option)
• Black or two-tone interior
• Soft-touch materials
• Leather seats (ZXCV option)
• 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system (Android Auto & Apple CarPlay)
• Automatic climate control
• Keyless entry & push button start
• Ambient lighting
• Power windows & mirrors
• Multi-function steering wheel
• Dual airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags
• ABS with EBD
• Hill start assist
• Rearview camera & parking sensors
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• 1.5L Atkinson-cycle DOHC i-VTEC engine
• E: HEV hybrid system (3 modes)
• Automatic transmission
• Connected car tech

The Honda City e-HEV is available in six colour options; Obsidian Blue Pearl, Radiant Red Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Golden Brown Metallic, Meteoroid Grey Metallic and Lunar Silver Metallic.

The Honda City e-HEV is available in two options; VCVT which costs Rs 9,040,000 and ZXCVT which costs Rs 9,730,000 in Nepal.