Honda in India was and is still known majorly for one car model the City. Honda had launched the City which is their Compact Sedan model in 1998 and since then has seen tremendous success with it. The model has chalked out the success path for the Japanese car giant, in turn got a huge fan following for it and helped build brand Honda in India. The Honda City also to its credit is the only 2nd car model (Mercedes-Benz E Class is the 1st) to be selling for 20 years in a row. Currently the City is in its 4th generation and we look back to all it’s generations as they evolved.
The City Timeline
First Generation: 1998-2002
Second Generation: 2002-2008
Third Generation: 2008-2014
Fourth Generation: 2014-2017 & on
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- 1998: Honda got the very 1st City launched in India with 2 engine options – Hyper16 1.3 and 1.5-litre engines. This was also called the Type 1. Styling was simple but looked premium.
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- 1998: Honda gets the City S variant with factory fitted 13-inch alloy wheels and a boot spoiler. You also had an option of leather seats on this one.
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- 2000: First major facelift to the City. Honda got its iconic VTEC engine on this one. Crystal headlights and a different tail lights were added. This was also called as the Type 2. The Year 2002 saw the end of this generation of the City. One of the best looking City even today.
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- 2003: Honda launched the second generation Honda City in India after the 1st gen tasted high success and the model was now very well received. On this one Honda focused on adding a luxurious feel to the car. This car was taller and wider. Design and styling was futuristic for its time. This model was known as the Dolphin.
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- 2005: Honda facelifted the Second generation City to the City ZX badging. Major inclusions were the 1.5-litre VTEC engine that saw a comeback and 14-inch factory fitted alloy wheels.
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- 2007: Honda City celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special anniversary edition with ABS being included and the fully loaded trim getting airbags. 2008 saw the end of this generation of the City.
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- 2008: This year saw the launch of the third Generation City. The design language was sportier and the car looked extremely trendy. Honda included paddle shifters (1st in class) on its automatic versions and ABS with Airbags was also offered as standard safety feature on its entire lineup.
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- 2012: Third generation Honda City facelift was introduced. This facelift made the Honda City look very catchy and one of the best looking City after the 1st gen.
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- 2012: This year saw Honda introduce a CNG ready version of the City going with the trend of those days. Other add on were the touchscreen infotainment system.
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- 2013: This was a important year for Honda as the Fourth generation City got its global premier in Delhi. This generation City came with clean, sharp and sporty styling, also this was one of the biggest and most anticipated premieres for the year.
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- 2014: Honda formally launched the Fourth generation City in India. This was the first City to get a diesel engine the i-DTEC 1.5-litre unit along with the 1.5L i-VTEC petrol. This model saw a host of features coming on the list for the car and also the introduction of the new generation CVT transmission.
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- 2016: This year the Honda City got ISOFIX as standard across all models adding to its safety equipment list.
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- 2017: This year saw the Fourth generation Honda City facelift being launched in India. The City now gets all the latest segment features like LED headlamps and tail lights, sharper styling, trendier alloys, integrated boot spoiler and an all new infotainment system and a host of features added to this update.
The Honda City has stood the test of time with sales for all its generations grown with time. The 1st Generation City sold 59,378 units while the 2nd Generation had 177,742 units to its credit. The 3rd Generation saw a bigger success with 192,939 units gone off the shelf and the 4th Generation that’s currently sold has already got 276,095 units to its credit. Honda City was developed as an Asian model, which became a global brand with presence in 60 countries and has registered cumulative sales of 3.6 million units globally. The Honda City has been a forerunner in Quality, being ranked No.1 in the JD Power Initial Quality Study for 15 times during its presence in the Indian market. This model has seen its all, rival models have come and gone with the City staying planted in its segment and its success ever growing. Here`s Wishing the Honda City a Glorious 20th Birthday!