[rajneeesh]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

Civic hybrid was available at that price, only
When it comes to hybrids, shouldn't it be a collective effort, from the manufacturer, consumer and the Govt or any other facilitator who has environment in their priority list? Because, these type of fuel, comes with a cost which, if rolled out across parties, would be the most beneficial.

Well I think the govt. can help by giving a tax break on hybrid vehicles and incentives on R&D. In a poor country like ours, I would not like government to subsidize hybrid or any other car technology as some manufacturers have demanded. I would rather that they spent that money on improving public transport.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Varies with dealership, and your relationship with them. I do not think any of the money goes to Honda at this stage.

These days 51,000 seems to be the preferred norm. I paid 1L as advance for my Civic VAT, then have paid Rs.50,000 for the Brio VAT, City AVN Amaze VXAT. The SM was willing to book with zero for the City but I paid the amount, since I did not want the booking 'hijacked' by someone. In the Amaze he suggested 51k but I said 50k as usual. I could have booked the Amaze with Re.1 if I wanted.

Exactly.

My rapport with the guys at Shubh Honda is so good that they wanted to book my 2014 City with Rs. 1, or 11, or 21, whatever I wanted. But I went by procedure and paid the full amount, taking into account a varied number of reasons, most primary being the one sgiitk mentioned above.

Secondly, the dealership dealings are pretty transparent, paperwork is almost perfect and super fast, service is exemplary, and I get 5-star treatment whenever I visit them. Even the A.S.S. guys, who might lack knowledge on critical technical aspects, are very patient and hear me out.

Above all, it's a Honda. If ever there was a case of blind faith, this company makes a strong bid for it.

Originally Posted by StarScream

This strategy will put them way behind the competition like the Vento TSI and even the Ford Fiesta and Eosport ATs because if they retain the engine then they will retain the 5-speed torque converter transmission - and that is not good.

Unless of course in India Honda has decided to give up its petrol leadership position to focus only on diesel with its sole engine like Maruti.

Maybe they will keep the Earth Dreams petrol for the facelift of the 2014 City (due in the next 2-3 years). Or they might surprise one and all by plonking it in this one. Let's wait and see.

One way or another, they are definitely focusing on the diesels right now. They have been pleasantly surprised by the numbers the Amaze is crunching out month after month, and it's a definite that they will be giving priority to diesels for the next 5 years at least, if not more. The Mobilio, Jazz, Jazz-based SUV, next-gen Civic and even the Brio will be getting dieseled in the next few years. Only their new small car (under development right now, poised to be introduced under the Brio, in the A-segment) will have an all-petrol lineup.

Honda has big plans for the i-DTEC. They were not kidding when they said that they were going to take Honda mainstream in India. They are gunning for the #4 spot, if not #3.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Congratulations! That was fast indeed

Thanks, vb my friend!

Originally Posted by vb-san

12.49 lakhs!!! The price points are shifting. Now with D1 segment cars going to the vicinity of 20 lakhs, I can see the segments below moving up a step as well.

Earning capacities are increasing, so prices are going up as well. All the C2-segment top variants are in the vicinity of 12-13 lakhs, so Honda commanding around 14L OTR for their top diesel variant doesn't surprise me. I just hope they throw in all the bells, whistles and goodies they can think of in it, just to make it a VFM proposition at that price point.

But I am keeping my fingers crossed. If 12.49L ends up being the OTR instead of ex-showroom, I bet a huge portion of the enthusiasts will end up extremely happy.

Originally Posted by pdma

Looking at some posts on another thread , the guess is that HONDA would be launching its CRIDER as CITY in India , however nothing sure yet. The dealer's statement that the new CITY will be bigger & wider is moving us all to a step closer to the assumption already in place as mentioned above. Pricing is the key and I hope Honda gets it right to appease all. Cars from HONDA are known to be booked off shelf even before the launch and that is the customer confidence they have gained over the years.

Congratulations !!! on the booking .

It will share design cues with the C-Rider, but the new City will have a personality of it's own. I think the side view and interiors will be largely similar, and the front and rear should be different. Honda is following the C-concept design philosophy for all it's future lineups, so expect a chunk of the 2013 Fit, a portion of the new-gen Civic and a section of the C-Rider, mashed together to form the 2014 City.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

That's some faith! Which one will you go for - Petrol or Diesel ?

Diesel. My running has increased in recent times and I have been using Sylver, our Ritz diesel a lot (Dad is driving Pegasus now). The new one will be a diesel.

And you know what they say - the world runs on faith!

Originally Posted by vsathyap

Slightly off topic - but I guess the dealers are making hay while sun shines!!!

...

Like I said .. Just my opinion!

Like I said earlier, I don't advocate the same myself.

But this is one company (and one car in the market today), for which you can go blindly by faith.

My Pegasus is the 2012 facelift of the present Honda City, and the variant is the Corporate Edition. But there is NO evidence of cost-cutting anywhere. Plastics and interiors are spartan but quality. Each section and panel is screwed tight. Panel gaps are evident but are hardly noticeable in the first glance. Almost 2 years of ownership and not a niggle or rattle anywhere.

One would think that the basest variant of the City would have healthy doses of cost-cutting but no - none evident, none experienced. The Alabaster Silver paint quality is top-notch, the all-black interiors fantastic, and even with my all-component setup (Focals in front, JBLs in rear) rocking the cabin almost all the time (I have no insulation in the doors), there hasn't been a single rattle till now. Touchwood!

Plus, there's not a long time left from the day of booking (yesterday) to the launch (25th Nov). If I get my car in January itself, well and good. Since my dealership is in a Tier-II city, I might most certainly receive it earlier than others (like I got my CE variant in 2012 on a priority basis).

I will be receiving my booking receipt through email on Thursday. The Manager has promised a speedy, priority delivery, and I don't doubt him one bit. He's been a wonderful contact, more like a close friend in recent times.

Originally Posted by blacksport

Knowing that it is a Honda, and the City as a car rarely disappoints, I for one, would not mind spending a few thousands to ensure that I would be one of the first to receive the car.

+1.

Like my friend swiftnfurious said above, it's all a matter of faith. And naturally, faith stems from positive experiences in life. When you feel good about something, your brain won't stop you from doing it.

And in this case, the brain is in conjunction with the heart.

[trtraj]

Originally Posted by irdevanand

Sundaram Honda Chennai has started taking priority bookings for 2014 Honda City. Total 51,000 rupees fully refundable. And the sales guy said already 5 have booked (as of yesterday). I didnt post this because i didn't take it seriously. Now with the date announced probably its safe to book in advance considering the ecosport stories.

Dev

I called up Sundaram honda just before to know the status and a serious shock , No booking is been done so far.

They took my name and mobile number and I have been told that they will contact me when the booking opens.

Please check the authenticity before you transfer money in case you are doing so.

Thanks

[prakhar1998]

City with a diesel engine would definitely create a storm in the market. It will bite into the sales of not just the Verna and EcoSport but maybe the Jetta and Octavia too. When the Petrol top model today is north of 12 lakh on road, I am sure, a fully loaded Diesel City would set you back 14-15 lakh on road. That is however with a manual transmission. If an automatic is introduced for the Diesel, it would sell like hotcakes. That would shoot the price to say 15-16 lakh. Why would I buy a 1.5 when I can get a VW or Skoda 2.0 litre Diesel with a much higher power output for just a few more lakhs. I know some would say the Honda reliability, but the Corolla diesel isn't doing wonders? With a segment which has changed drastically in the past years, figures remain low, leaving cars like ,say Verna. This might surge the demand for the cars in this segment, with people stretching their budget and some spending less on these cars instead of Superbs and Accords.

[nav2111]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

But this is one company (and one car in the market today), for which you can go blindly by faith.

My Pegasus is the 2012 facelift of the present Honda City, and the variant is the Corporate Edition. But there is NO evidence of cost-cutting anywhere. Plastics and interiors are spartan but quality. Each section and panel is screwed tight. Panel gaps are evident but are hardly noticeable in the first glance. Almost 2 years of ownership and not a niggle or rattle anywhere.

One would think that the basest variant of the City would have healthy doses of cost-cutting but no - none evident, none experienced. The Alabaster Silver paint quality is top-notch, the all-black interiors fantastic, and even with my all-component setup (Focals in front, JBLs in rear) rocking the cabin almost all the time (I have no insulation in the doors), there hasn't been a single rattle till now. Touchwood!

Plus, there's not a long time left from the day of booking (yesterday) to the launch (25th Nov). If I get my car in January itself, well and good. Since my dealership is in a Tier-II city, I might most certainly receive it earlier than others (like I got my CE variant in 2012 on a priority basis).

I will be receiving my booking receipt through email on Thursday. The Manager has promised a speedy, priority delivery, and I don't doubt him one bit. He's been a wonderful contact, more like a close friend in recent times.



+1.

Like my friend swiftnfurious said above, it's all a matter of faith. And naturally, faith stems from positive experiences in life. When you feel good about something, your brain won't stop you from doing it.

And in this case, the brain is in conjunction with the heart.

In our experience Honda did not live up to the promise. We recently (Sept '13) bought the City S-AT. Since the car was in stock with the dealership we got to test drive it first. Just after a short test drive both, the wife and me, were happy to have found the one. On the day of the delivery during our final PDI I notice paint overspray on the right b-pillar, OVRM and the wipers. On further inspection we found the same on the inside also. As per the VIN the car is a September 2013 make and this was happening on the 18th; 10 days after we first saw the car. Ruled out re-painting/accidental damage as the cause. As usual the SA and everybody else there were/acted clueless. For some reason this didn't seem to bother us too much so after pointing out the problem to the managers/service staff and taking it in writing we went ahead with the delivery.

Then a month later during the first service one of the guys cleaning my car quietly pointed out to me that dashboard was losing paint in both corners and on the left where the door meets the dash. This is a month old car! Again the service head casually told me that they will repaint it during the next service. It was this laid back attitude that bothered me more so when Honda called for feedback I told them this entire story. Then the QA dept of the dealership called I again repeated the entire story. There has been no other communication since.

The point here is that maybe, just maybe, running beyond full capacity has affected Honda's ability to meet its own quality standards (at least in my case).

Also, I want to thank the entire Honda City community here for helping me bring home this new member to our family. We are still looking for a name.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by prakhar1998

City with a diesel engine would definitely create a storm in the market.

It surely will, no doubt in it IF they price it right.

Originally Posted by prakhar1998

Why would I buy a 1.5 when I can get a VW or Skoda 2.0 litre Diesel with a much higher power output for just a few more lakhs.

Reliability, peace of mind, Good A.S.S are not available in VW and Skoda after paying few extra lakhs!

Originally Posted by prakhar1998

I know some would say the Honda reliability, but the Corolla diesel isn't doing wonders?

Corolla may not be doing well due to that low power rated D-4D engine. Put that 2.5L D-4D engine that does duty in the Innova and then I will see whether the sales figure shoot up or no!

The other problem with the Corolla is the price. Too high and so less features.

My dad and I are both looking for cars to replace our present garage.

I drive a Ritz VDi - I am fixed on the Swift ZDi.

Dad drive an SX4 VXI. He looking at the Renault Fluence, VW Jetta, Skoda Octavia, Toyota Corolla. Leaving the rest, about Corolla the problem he feels is price v/s features. The mid-variant diesel car is bare, no HU but the doors are inbuilt with 4 speakers, no mud flaps, no remote/central locking, no carpets and with all this the OTR in Hyderabad is 15.76 L. I mean give me a break! it sounds silly but that is truth so he has kept the corolla on hold and waiting for the Maruti YL1!

Anurag.

[vinayakdshenoy]

Gents,

Which features would you like to see in the 2014 Honda City?

Personally, I'd like to see the current gen Honda City (Sunroof/AVN)+
- Disc brakes all around
- Sleeker design (though unlikely... Ahh, but the first generation Honda City had the most beautiful design!) instead of the bulky rears the last two generations carried (though the Honda City has an elegant bulky rear)
- Rear AC vents
- Tilt + Telescopic Steering
- Sunroof (retain this in the top variant + provide AVN; not one or the other like today!)
- Broader wheel options (in the high-end variant)
- An all featured AT top variant!
- Rear-view camera on the rear-view mirror (This is such a cool "first" from Hyundai, and which is now available in the Eco-Sport too! So convenient!!) + parking sensors
- ESP, Hill-hold Assist (Even the Polo now comes with it!)
- Same awesome Power-To-Weight ratio (if not better! )
- All this for not more than 15Lakhs OTR!

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by vinayakdshenoy

Gents,

What are the features that you would like to see in the 2014 Honda City?

Same awesome Power-To-Weight ratio (if not better!)
- All this for not more than 15Lakhs OTR!

I like the PWT ratio point. Price must not be more than 12L OTR

Anurag Shenoy.

[nik_kapur]

Originally Posted by prakhar1998

City with a diesel engine would definitely create a storm in the market. It will bite into the sales of not just the Verna and EcoSport but maybe the Jetta and Octavia too. When the Petrol top model today is north of 12 lakh on road, I am sure, a fully loaded Diesel City would set you back 14-15 lakh on road. That is however with a manual transmission. If an automatic is introduced for the Diesel, it would sell like hotcakes. That would shoot the price to say 15-16 lakh. Why would I buy a 1.5 when I can get a VW or Skoda 2.0 litre Diesel with a much higher power output for just a few more lakhs. I know some would say the Honda reliability, but the Corolla diesel isn't doing wonders? With a segment which has changed drastically in the past years, figures remain low, leaving cars like ,say Verna. This might surge the demand for the cars in this segment, with people stretching their budget and some spending less on these cars instead of Superbs and Accords.

Sir how can you assume that prices will be 15-16L? Thats ridiculous for a city. i mean a Civic was cheaper. Please understand that they will not price their car higher than the segment leader 'The Verna' and that is basic business sense. Even if they want to make some money on the diesel, they cannot price it beyond competition.

[karty_83]

Originally Posted by nik_kapur

Sir how can you assume that prices will be 15-16L? Please understand that they will not price their car higher than the segment leader 'The Verna' and that is basic business sense. Even if they want to make some money on the diesel, they cannot price it beyond competition.

Pricing the new City at around 15 to 16 lacs would just kill the product.
Having said that, i expect Honda to position the respective variants of the City at a slight premium over Verna. Verna might be the segment leader, but Honda being Honda might price it higher considering the fact that they are launching a new gen of a successful car.

[trtraj]

Originally Posted by karty_83

Pricing the new City at around 15 to 16 lacs would just kill the product.
.

+1 for the above mentioned thought. Had it would be me hearing 16 lacs on road for a city diesel i would buy a octavia with little more money.

However, I am waiting for pricing and would book one tomorrow in spite of standing in the long queue for EcoSport

[skyfire2892]

Originally Posted by vinayakdshenoy

Gents,


- Rear-view camera on the rear-view mirror (This is such a cool "first" from Hyundai, and which is now available in the Eco-Sport too! So convenient!!) + parking sensors

Current Honda City(higher models) comes with camera+sensor display on IRVM. So next gen should carry the same.
The dealer fitments are also the same. I have one in my Amaze.

[deetjohn]

The 1.5L i-DTEC with VGT will do nicely for the City. Better if Honda launch the car with the 1.6L i-DTEC which already has the VGT. But the latter will command a higher excise duty.

And its amazing how we don't even have a spy photograph of the new City when the launch is so near. Guess it will just be unveiled in Nov '13. Maybe the actual launch is sometime in 2014.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Corolla may not be doing well due to that low power rated D-4D engine. Put that 2.5L D-4D engine that does duty in the Innova and then I will see whether the sales figure shoot up or no!

The 2.5L D-4D will not suit the Corolla at all. Its very heavy, crude and not that powerful to suit a sedan. I think Toyota should bring the 2L from their AD engine family for the new Corolla. It makes around 126 BHP and 310 Nm at 1600 rpm. Will be lovely in the Corolla.

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

IThe other problem with the Corolla is the price. Too high and so less features.

Dad drive an SX4 VXI. He looking at the Renault Fluence, VW Jetta, Skoda Octavia, Toyota Corolla. Leaving the rest, about Corolla the problem he feels is price v/s features. The mid-variant diesel car is bare, no HU but the doors are inbuilt with 4 speakers, no mud flaps, no remote/central locking, no carpets and with all this the OTR in Hyderabad is 15.76 L. I mean give me a break! it sounds silly but that is truth so he has kept the corolla on hold and waiting for the Maruti YL1!

Anurag.

I agree, the Corolla is a tremendously underwhelming product, especially when compared to the Elantra -your dad should check that out, by the way.

Originally Posted by vinayakdshenoy

Gents,

Which features would you like to see in the 2014 Honda City?

Personally, I'd like to see, ANHC (Sunroof/AVN)+
- Disc brakes all around
- Sleeker design (though unlikely... Ahh, but the first generation Honda City had the most beautiful design!) instead of the bulky rears the last two generations carried (though the ANHC has an elegant bulky rear)
- Rear AC vents
- Tilt + Telescopic Steering
- Sunroof (retain this in the top variant + provide AVN; not one or the other like today!)
- Broader wheel options (in the high-end variant)
- An all featured AT top variant!
- Rear-view camera on the rear-view mirror (This is such a cool "first" from Hyundai, and which is now available in the Eco-Sport too! So convenient!!) + parking sensors
- ESP, Hill-hold Assist (Even the Polo now comes with it!)
- Same awesome Power-To-Weight ratio (if not better! )
- All this for not more than 15Lakhs OTR!

The sunroof, all around disc brakes and rear AC vents aren't deal breakers for me but what I'd like to see are the new 1.5l petrol engine with the new CVT AT transmission, ESP, hill hold, rear parking sensors and HID headlights, at least for the low beam. The car, fully loaded, can't cross 13.5 lakhs on road, or customers will consider options in the next segment. And I'm being generous with that price when you consider the Vento TSI with a powertrain that is as modern as it can get for a petrol engine is priced at about 11.5-12 lakhs on road.

[aravind.anand]

Ok, the city I reside in has decent Road tax levels and the Honda City V Manual with all goodies was being sold for 10.8L OTR, so the new one can be priced at 11.2-11.5 OTR for the same variant, provided -

- The car gets Auto Climate Controls ! Come on, cars from a segment below now have this!
- 195 Section tyres! 175 Section on the current car is criminal, considering its top speed of 190 kmph!
- Better quality interiors - I am not asking for soft touch dashboard, but no hollow plastic dashboard as in the current gen please.
- More power, the current car is powerful, but more is always welcome