10 Reasons to buy the 2014 Honda City Diesel

Fresh Design

Yes, the new 2014 Honda City may not be a revolutionary change as compared to the last generation car but it still looks pretty stunning from most angles. The crisp Japanese Honda face is complemented well with the very European rear end. The new 2014 Honda City Diesel is a well-proportioned car in general with a well-defined form and some very distinctive styling features.

I-DTEC engine 

Honda has traditionally been known for its high and free revving petrol engine but it new generation of 1.5-Litre i-DTEC engine made for countries like India are equally at par with any sub-1.5-Litre engine like Fiat’s 1.3-Litre Multijet or Hyundai’s 1.4-Litre CRDe. With 100PS and 200NM of peak power and torque on tap, the new Honda City Diesel provides a perfect blend of power and economy. While the engine in the new 2014 Honda City Diesel is the same unit that one finds in the Honda Amaze, Honda has derestricted the Honda City to increase the top speed to a claimed 195Kmph. The i-DTEC engine in the 2014 Honda City Diesel also obtained a fuel economy score of 26Kmpl in ARAI tests making it one of the most fuel efficent cars in the country.

Interior Space

The old Honda City was never short on rear space in terms of both knee room and shoulder room but the new 2014 Honda City Diesels promises even more. With oodles of space in the rear due to the slightly longer wheelbase and extremely well crafted seats, the new Honda City is certainly one of the most comfortable cars in its class. The ample amount of rear legroom is also due to rear backrests of the front seats scooped out in a way that allows the rear passengers to enjoy maximum knee movement. It is not only the rear passengers that get all the advantage though, as the front seats too are spacious and extremely comfortable.

Also read 2014 Honda City: First Drive 

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Funky Interiors

Honda has always brought about a revolution of sort with its funky interiors that always seem to have a touch of masala added to them. The 2014 Honda City is no exception. With a lovely glossy black or piano black finish dominating most of the dashboard and complementing the beige on the seats and door panels, the 2014 Honda City’s insides are a nice place to be. The higher models of the Honda City Diesel get the touchscreen climate control panel, which in our opinion is one of the coolest things (pun intended) in the Honda city. The integrated 5-inch infotainment display too is quite cool and is extremely easy to use. 

Refinement 

While the Honda City Diesel, equipped with the 1.5 Litre i-DTEC engine makes about 100PS, but that’s not the best part about this engine. Although the Honda City Diesel demonstrates the usual diesel clatter while in a cold start scenario, the engine in general does seem to be quieter than the most other cars that are similarly priced. One of the biggest reasons why the 2014 Honda City Diesel appears to be quieter is the sheer amount of sound deadening material that Honda has used around the engine bay. The Honda City Diesel also is much quieter on the inside due to heavy insulation used on areas like the firewall. In terms of vibrations too, the i-DTEC engine is mounted on shock absorbent engine mountings that let minimal vibrations get through to the monocoque construction of the Honda City Diesel.

Gearbox

As is the case with the Hyundai Verna, the 2014 Honda City Diesel’s i-DTEC engine gets mated to a new 6-Speed gearbox. The Honda City family has always been known for slick gearboxes with their petrol engines, but to replicate the same short throw magic in a brand new gearbox that has been mated to a diesel engine is no small task. Honda though has successfully managed to make this new 6-speed gearbox an absolute joy to use. With a light clutch with no apparent clutch judder adding to the ease of use that Honda in general pride themselves on. The 2014 Honda City Diesel is one of those cars you can spend 12-15 hours driving and not feel completely drained at the end of the day.

Also read 2014 Honda City: First Drive 

Ground Clearance 

The old generation Honda Citys were notorious for having very low ground clearances. This time around though, Honda has addressed the issue by raising the 2014 Honda City’s overall ground clearance by about 17mm. This increase has been obtained by redisigning the floor panel of the car to ensure minimal projections and a rerouted exhaust system that does not bottom out when the car traverses over a speed bump or a section of bad road.

Handling

The 2014 Honda City Diesel may not handle as well as a Fiat Linea but it is certainly no slouch. With its well-balanced chassis, low kerb weight and an overall feel that urges the driver to use the car’s potential grip, the Honda City Diesel certainly feels fun to drive. Although the car does have tiny 175 section tyres and small 15-inch wheels, the Honda City does not lack in grip unless really pushed hard. As you can clearly see from the picture, the 2014 Honda City loves to be thrown around corners and is a very easy car to drive hard.

Ride comfort

A common misconception amongst the masses is that is a car handles well, it tends to be slightly uncomfortable. Although that can be the case with a few sporty saloons that cost 6-7 times more than the City, the 2014 Honda City Diesel seems to have been given a very good blend of ride and handling by the boffins at the Honda Research and Development centre. Although a lot of Honda Citys are self-driven cars, most people who buy one will also be spending a lot of time in the backseat. The Honda City Diesel’s suspension makes sure that the amount of bumps that seep though are minimal and even the harsh ones get filtered out without rearranging the passenger’s spinal cord.

Value for money

With competition like the Hyundai Verna, the Volkswagen Vento, the Skoda Rapid and the Suzuki SX4 amongst a few other, the 2014 Honda City Diesel will not have an easy run in the Indian automotive sector like the ones it enjoyed a decade ago. The new Honda City Diesel though does offer a staggering amount of value to the typical Indian buyer whose primary concern remains fuel economy. With the Honda City Diesel churning out a class-topping fuel efficiency figure of 26Kmpl in ARAI tests, and prices for the base model variants likely to be in the Rs 9-10 Lakh segment, the 2014 Honda City is certainly a value for money buy. 

Also Read 2014 Honda City: First Drive