[rahulsharma2008]

The Tale of the New City

Background:

The Swift Vdi came into my life in Jan-2010 and became my primary ride through the thick and thin of ‘Mumbai ki Bhaad daud bhari’ life. This was the car which had brought a diesel revolution in our country when it was launched way back in 2007. The pull of the turbo, high refinement levels and excellent fuel economy were hallmark of the DDIS engine. The Swift is indeed a trusty companion which held on very well through the 90 odd thousand kilometers that I belted her in all sorts of terrain and traffic. It was this car that brought home my wife on my wedding day and years later my baby home. Memories of nostalgic road trips in this car are plenty. The only negatives which I saw in this car were lack of features and a turbo lag which necessitated more downshifts. Long story short, even after almost 5 years of use and abuse, this car is as tight as a nut and it was next to impossible for me to sell this car. (All credit to Vitesse, Prabhadevi for taking care of the car so well)



The Temptation:

I am officially addicted to TeamBHP and this ensured that I was constantly in touch with the latest in the car industry and what fellow bhpians were buying and driving. Even after trying multiple rehabilitation programs, this addiction was tough to go by! (Btw I am not bad at giving up). It was somewhere in 2013 when TeamBHP confirmed a year end launching of the 4th Generation Honda City and this time with a diesel heart. Honda City has always been India’s favourite sedan and every generation has been an instant hit. The moment I saw the unveiling of the City in December 2013, I knew this would be next car. Post the January launch, every sighting of the New City on Mumbai roads was a stepping stone for my purchase decision.

The bigger question was why “Honda City” and nothing else?

The main attributes that I wanted in my new car were as follows:

• Sedan/SUV
• New model
• Premium Feel
• Good Ride Quality and decent handling
• Best in Class Efficiency (I drive a lot throughout the year)
• Best in Class Drivability (Had enough of the turbo lag in the DDIS Engine)
• Best in Class space (No cramped backseat)
• Best in Class interiors (In line with the times)
• Best in Class features
• Easy to maneuver in tight spaces
• Reliable enough to challenge my current ride i.e. Swift
• Good after sales service
• Preferably an Automatic

Alternatives considered

VW Vento/Rapid: I had a barely 5 thousand kilometer run Skoda Rapid TDI with me for a month before I made this purchase. I have always been a fan of the German twins due to their subtle design and the powerful 1.6L diesel mill. Performance, Ride and Handling of the Rapid was benchmark for me and I enjoyed this engine the most in the segment. The interiors of Vento were indeed good but the exterior was plain similar to the Polo. I was eyeing the soon to be launched Diesel DSG combo but due to following reasons opted out:

1. Vento had been there for a while now and was due for an upgrade
2. Skoda is notorious for poor after sales service in Mumbai and subsequently poorer resale value.
3. Cabin Space although wide but I didn’t like the vertical space in the car. The headroom for the driver is lesser as compared to Swift. It was relatively tough to get out of the car due to the steering touching my thighs (I did try various steering and seat positions in the Rapid)

The Rapid


Hyundai Verna
After being driven in a Hyundai Sonata Diesel Automatic in Singapore, I had become a fan of the smooth Hyundai Diesel engine and decent enough autobox. Once I test drove the Verna Diesel Automatic, I really liked the refinement and it was quite close to the Sonata that I experienced before. The only grouse was catastrophic feeling in the backseat due to the rear window line and wallowy nature of the suspension. I suffer from motion sickness and any boat like characteristic was a no-go for me. Since I had already owned a Hyundai in the past and had a bitter experience with their after sales service, I opted the Korean out and hopped on to other options.

Renault Duster/Nissan Terrano
The ride quality & the K9K Engine what made me think about these two SUVs. I spend close to 3 hours per day in my car and wanted the interiors to be top notch with all the bells and whistles. Both these cars lacked that premium-ness that I was looking for and were too crude for my likes.

Ford Ecosport
The Ecosport appeallead to me in a very good way and it was one of my top contenders for my new car purchase. Unethical practice by the dealer (my friend works at a Ford Dealership) and long waiting periods was what kept me away from Ford purhcase. Besides that the car is too small to be called a proper SUV.

XUV 500
One test drive in the XUV and I was fully convinced that this would be my ideal car for Road Trips and highway commutes. At the same time I was also convinced that it would be really difficult to drive and park this car on South Bombay streets. Lastly the mileage was supposed to be lowest of the cars that I had considered.

The 4th Generation Honda City:
I have always been a fan of the Honda City right from my teenage when one of my professors from Mahesh Tutorials used to own it. The Vtec madness, low slung cabin, and aerodynamic design were all etched in my mind. I had the feeling that the 3rd Generation City had hit the ceiling as far as product optimization was concerned. Apart from a Diesel mill and modern day features there wasn’t much wrong with the car. I had decided at the back of my head that if I have to ever buy one for myself it would be the 4th generation. When the 4th Generation city was around the corner and not a single test mule was caught, the expectations grew exponentially as every new generation City before was a revolutionary upgrade by Honda. The build up to the launch day was immense as it can be seen in this thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...er-2013-a.html

25th November 2013
The unveiling day was a bit disappointment for me like many others as I was expecting atleast a VGT under the hood and a bit more in on the design front. I don’t remember seeing unveiling of any other car in India with such interest and fanfare. What followed next was a desire to see the car in flesh and then decide for myself.

GTO’s Review & Launch
I would term GTO’s Offical Review of Honda City as “Best in Class”. No other media house or individual across the Asia (may be world), has reported such a detailed and in-depth review of the City. I went through hundreds of links, multiple video reviews and many magazines only to find GTO’s review the most comprehensive form of virually test driving the car! The initial reviews by Neel911, Ravenavi, Vsrivatsa, //M, Shreyans_Jain, Tejas08 were indeed very positive and they helped me cement the decision of my new car purchase. Once I had the thumbs up from the Team BHP community, I proceeded to the Honda showroom.

Test Drive
I had test driven all three engine and gearbox combinations at Apex Honda, Sion and Arya Honda, Prabhadevi and the experience at both the dealers was right up there with the best. Only grouse being the test drive for the CVT variant was not available at Arya and the one available at Apex was usually not available.

CVT I-Vtec:
With 4 well-built people on board, the CVT variant felt a bit under stress while accelerating and didn’t feel as involving as the Vento TSI DSG. Also the early mileage figures in city were not great and with the amount of driving that I did, it didn’t make economic sense to go for the CVT.

MT I-Vtec:
The torque delivery at lower revs has been boosted significantly in this updated engine which makes stop and go traffic easy to cope with. The power delivery was linear and acceleration figures are very close to class benchmark for this variant. Although this version was the cheapest to own, the running costs were still on the higher side as compared to the Diesel. After being used to Diesel economy, it becomes difficult to migrate to a Petrol car (unless it’s a Octavia 1.8TSI DSG!)

MT I-Dtec:
The I-Dtec Engine is the benchmark when it comes to easy drivabilityand astronomical fuel economy. The gearbox felt very precise and the clutch was light enough for day to day travel. It highly suited my style of relaxed driving and was peppy enough for the town. The acceleration too didn’t disappoint and the engine refinement was as good as my Swift Vdi.

Of all the cars tested, I found the ride of City I-Dtec comfortable enough for Mumbai roads and the handling sharp enough for those weekend stints at the Ghats. It ticked most of the attributes that I was looking for in my new car (as stated earlier). Since I was already driving more and more year after year with my swift, going for the diesel made sense. After one month of evaluating the three engine and gearbox combinations financially and logically, it was unanimously decided by my family and friends to go for the Diesel engine.

Booking Experience @ Arya Honda, Prabhadevi – 5th June 2014
Arya Honda was preferred over Apex Honda especially since the guys at the former were more proactive and they quoted me 5 grand lower for the Honda Assure Insurance. I was specifically inclined towards the VX variant due to presence of sunroof and true keyless entry, waiting period for which was mentioned as 16-20 weeks. I was mentally prepared to wait that much since anyways my Swift was going strong and October-November would have been ideal considering the festivals and onset of winter. Mr. Somindra Hazari was responsible for my booking process and made sure that the whole procedure was clearly explained to me even before I put down the booking amount. He clearly outlined documentation and allotment process and assisted me in making my booking process as smooth as possible. I had booked the VXMT Diesel in Golden Brown Colour and was promised a delivery as soon as possible, the deadline being 20 weeks.

20th June 2014:
I was busy attending my cousin’s wedding ceremony when I missed a call from Mr. Hazari, the guy at Arya Honda. Upon calling him back, I was in for a pleasant surprise when he told me that they will be getting a few cars soon albeit not in the colour I had selected and can be made available to me in a few days’ time. He also advised me to make my purchase before the 10th of July owing to the Union Budget and likelihood of excise duty going up.

25th June 2014:
Mr. Somindra had given me 3 colour options to choose from i.e. White, Silver and Black. It was my birthday on this day and I had made up mind to finalize the car today itself. Having owned a white and a silver car earlier, I decided to go ahead with the black. I am also of the opinion that the 4th Gen Honda City looks better in darker shades. I opted for the carpet Honda Mats (as seen in GTO’s review) and the illuminated door plates. Once the remaining amount was processed and paid in full, I was promised delivery within a week.

The most painful wait:
Its when you wait after a wait! Three weeks went by and there was no sign of my City! Apparently the dealer goofed up somewhere and I was lost in between my eager friends and family and the dealer trying to get it Asap. After a few escalations and phone calls, the issue was sorted out and I was assured delivery within a few days with all formalities done. The reason for the delay was cunningly blamed on logistics! I was like what the hell! I can even track my pizza online, cant you guys keep track of a 1 Ton car! I bet somebody buying a Nano would have had a better experience than this. With repeated assurances of Mr. Somindra Hazari and his team leader Mr. Krishna Karande, I settled down and waited another week for the car. When decoded the VIN number, I was shocked to see an April manufactured car being allotted to me in July (that too a car which is not readily available off the shelf). Both Mr. Somindra and Mr. Krishna did not have a satisfactory answer which is when I looked upon the VIN thread on TeamBHP http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying...cture-vin.html Having read that its fine get a 3 month old manufactured car, I settled in and hoped of no further delays.
At the same time my collegue too had similarly harrowing experience from the same dealer but from a different location (Arya, Bhandup). He had booked Golden Brown V MT Petrol 3 months back and the delivery day for him didn’t seem anywhere close. He had to fire stern mails from the higher ups from his company to get things sorted and voila even his car was delivered on the same day as mine!

Delivery Day- 18th July 2014
As I reached the showroom, the car was getting polished and readied for delivery. The accessories were already fitted and everything looked spic and span. The overall process was quite smooth and uneventful. They had forgotten to put the hooks for the carpet mats which was soon addressed the moment I highlighted.

After all the documentation work was over, Mr. Somindra gave me a complimentary membership of Club Torque where I can rent out a supercar for a day and relish my dream of driving one without owning one. Apparently the membership fees for the same is around Rs. 3 lakh which is waived off for select Arya customers.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super-...ing-one-4.html

THE GREATER DRIVE

Engine & Gearbox:
The i-DTEC engine is on path to become the next ‘National Engine of India’ considering the way Honda India is firing all guns. It has got all the right mixture of ingredients and properties to achieve that. The moment you crank the Engine, you realize how much Honda has improved the Engine and Insulation levels of the City. Gone is the Diesel like clatter which was seen in the earlier batches of the City. This shows that the car maker is proactive and is ready to make necessary changes as per customer feedback. With 80kmph on the speedo, cruise control set on and rpm needle hovering around 1500 rpm mark, the refinement levels are petrol like. The Engine stays muted for most part of day to day driving except when you try to floor the throttle and drive it like an i-VTEC engine. I do miss the turbo kick of the DDIS Engine but what I am rewarded is with excellent drivability and peppy nature throughout the rev band. The gearbox is precise and a joy to operate due to short throws. There is a clear clunk which you can hear once you slot any gear and that provides a very good feedback. I would rate the gearbox best in the segment. One problem that I faced was due to lack of gear indicator, I often found myself confused as to which gear was I currently in. Since the car has 6 gears, it takes time getting used to the same. A gear indicator like the one seen in the German Twins would have been ideal. One thing that I did notice was the amount of shifting I am doing in this car is much much lesser than the Swift. The second and third gears are ideal for city driving and the car pulls cleanly from close to zero speeds in the second and from around 20kmph in the third.

Ride & Handling:
Honda has rightly called it the Greater Drive and it indeed is a pleasure to pilot this car around city and highway both alike. The ride quality goes up with speed and remains flat at triple digit speeds. The chassis is enjoyable at high speeds and quite chuckable too. Both the Rapid/Vento and rapid have a tendency to show slight wavy movement (similar to what we experience in Volvo buses) whereas the City just rides on flat. Low speed ride although better than my old Swift is a bit stiff if compared with the Rapid or Vento. Where the older Generation City had a tendency to lose grip on not so challenging corners, this car does about its duty silently and confidently. I attacked a S Bend with more than average speed and it came out well without a hint of nervousness. Remember that I am used to a Swift and have also driven the Rapid quite a lot and hence the comparison. The balance of Ride and handling of the New City is better than the Swift but not better than the Rapid.

Steering & Braking:
The steering is beautifully crafted and covered in high quality black colour leather. It feels good to hold and even better to use it in tight parking spaces. The EPS really helps to make parking this car easy and this contributes heavily in making this car a breeze to drive in the City. At highway speeds, I found the feedback to be acceptable. The steering mounted controls make the overall experience of the car special. The buttons exude quality and provide good feedback on every press. Even the paddle like telephone buttons has recessed groves in them to place our fingers. The braking is spot on with good bite and ABS kicking in late. The rear disc brakes are not really missed on this vehicle. I am sure with wider rubber, the braking distance can further be improved.

Build Quality:
I would say that the car is build like a typical Japanese car. Light and Efficient. The panel gaps are consistent in my car and I dont see any rough edges on my car. Doors shut with a precision and all the other mechanicals are working just as they should be. The boot lid feels light whereas the bonnet is relatively on the heavier side (as compared to swift). Those who are complaining about the boot lining should also note that at my height of 5 Feet 7inches, the underside of boot lid is hardly visible at open position. It only when i look from a lower angle do i spot the naked boot lid. Practically speaking its not that bad since you cant see the underside of the lid in normal circumstances. My car being black also helps perhaps. The interiors seem well put together and there are no squeaks to report. I am happy with the overall build quality of the car.

Ergonomics:
All the controls fall into place and are easy to operate. The exception being the steering adjust lever which is placed a couple of inches too low. I would have preferred the fuel cap release button on the dash or near the boot release lever. I found myself opening the bonnet than the fuel cap since both the buttons are placed next to each other. The drivers footwell is designed well and I could rest my left leg on the dummy dead pedal. A real dead pedal would have been ideal.

Gizmos & Features:
This car is a feature lover's delight. It has got all the bells and whistles of a modern day car and then some more! The most admired features of this car are Keyless entry and Sunroof. The bluetooth telephony experience is top class and the person at the other end cant even make out if he is heard on cars speakers. Touchscreen AC panel does take your eyes off the road but nonetheless looks very premium and neat. The rear AC vents blow enough air to keep the rear passengers cool. Overall AC has been a chiller in this July monsoon weather. Seldom need to operate it at full blow. Cruise control is a highly underrated feature in India. It takes away the stress from highway driving.

Efficiency:
The car is a sipper and feels like it is on a strict diet. No matter how hard you drive her, the efficiency hardly goes below 15kmpl and returns a constant 22kmpl in my daily home to office commute. For those who want to know which part of Mumbai, I reside at Mulund and my office is based at Worli. The commute consists of 40% highway and 60% city run. Over the same stretch my Swift Vdi used to return me a constant mileage of 18kmpl over the period of last 54 months. Outside the city, the car's efficiency figures remind me of an Ad in which Amitabh Bachchan is "Taakat ka Bhoot" and pushes the school boy's cycle. I had never imagined that a car so big could be more efficient than my two wheeled machine. Yet to test the car on Mumbai-Pune Expressway. I am sure it will cross 30kmpl with ease. The best figure as of now stands at 28.6kmpl (All figures as per MID).

Highpoints

• Futuristic Cabin reminds me of the Civic. One look and every soul that sat in the car was "WOW"
• Blue Dials with Blue illuminated scuff plates look super cool on a black car
• Interior lights are of amber colour. Looks really good once the sun sets down
• Front seats are comfortable and provide ample under thigh support
• Rear space is humongous! Feels supremely comfortable to be chauffeured around.
• Rear seat headrests are better than my pillows at home
• Rear Ac vents are more powerful than the ones seen on Rapid/Vento
• Flat floor a big plus. Rapid/Vento are 4 seaters whereas City is a proper 5 seater
• Enormous Boot is mighty useful for those airport runs and weekend getaways.
• Honda Carpet mats looks premium and cover 90% of the carpet underneath. Apparently they have been easy to clean as well.
• Rear view camera has successfully replaced rear parking sensors from my life
• Alloy wheel design grows on you with time
• Black colour looks amazing when clean and is a sure attention grabber
• Keyless Entry is a very cool and useful feature to have
• Leather quality used by Honda is at par with the best. Also the finishing is remarkable all around.
• Brownie Points for the sunroof. Kids love it. I love it for the fact that it makes the already so bright cabin even brighter.

Low Points

• After driving in heavy rain over the weekend, I spotted misting/fogging in both the headlamps as well as the foglamps. Did not panic since already saw this in a couple of other Honda Citys on our forum. Reported it to the guys at Honda immediately and they said that they will get it rectified at first service.
• Boot doesnot open (security check at malls) with the lever next to the driver’s door. It doesnt even open with remote unless the car is shut off. Probably there is some problem with the boot release lever. Plan to get it rectified at the first service.
• The Powered mirrors dont operate until the Ignition is in 'ON' mode which makes it cumbersome to do in case you forget to close them before switching off the engine.
• Power windows cant be operated in Ignition OFF (car unlocked) mode like in Rapid and Vento.
• Height adjustable seat belts are sorely missed.
• Cooled glovebox will be missed in summer season.
• I would have preferred the push button start on the RHS than the current position since it is more reachable to kids and chances of moving car getting switched off by a naughty kid are quite high.
• Apparently due to some reason, the noise of rain hitting my car appears to be louder on my City as compared to Swift. I can literally feel the rain all over the car whereas in Swift and even the Rapid it used to be muted affair. (No it not just around the sunroof but all across the vehicle and windscreen)

Tyre Upgrade
I had given it a very good thought whether to go for an upgrade or not. Even discussed in the Tyre upgrade thread. Heart said yes whereas mind said no owing to warranty issues. In the end sense prevailed and I decided to let the tyres be and guess what I am more than happy with the OEM Bridgestones B250's. The ride is decent enough for me and coming from a thrashy Swift Vdi it feels good. The grip levels in the city are quite good and I dont really feel the need now for an upgrade. I may upgrade later in future when the current ones wear off.


The Perfect Family Sedan

Here we go...

A new day, a new sunrise and new blessing!
(thats me and Mr. Somindra Hazari, we are holding a dummy key which can hardly be seen)


Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.


वक्रतुंड महाकाय कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभ।
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा॥


Too many people go through life waiting for things to happen instead of making them happen!


I have got the key to your heart


The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter.
Black colour lifts the chrome look really well.


Dont look back, unless its a good view.
One of most sexy looking backs of recent times


A Brand is more than a logo. Its an Experience.
The scuff plates are covered by protective sticker.


Enter with a Happy Heart
Love that shade of beige that Honda uses. Blacked out places at the right places except the floor.


Happiness is.... a comfy sofa!
I find excuses to skip the sofa at my home and lay down on this.


You are WOW!
That's my wife and my son in the car


You give the kind of feeling people write novels about.
The same feeling when I saw the Civic for the first time


The power of Dreams
The horn is located a bit far from my thumbs


The sun shining in all glory on the Honda logo
The blue dials dont look that bright under the sun


I dream my painting and then paint my dream.
Installed those screwless number plates. Note that the background colour for those plates is silver and not white.


Dont let anyone dull your sparkle!
Chrome on black looks smashing


You are my Sunshine


You are my Rain
Noise level comes down drastically when you shut the blind.


All at the flick of a button
High quality switch for the Sunroof whereas not so great quality switch for the door lamps. The lamps lighten up upon pressing the glass surface.


Ambition is a dream with an i-DTECH Engine


The most frugal Engine of India
Neatly designed Engine bay. Notice the turbo charger behind the coolant reservoir


OEM Amaron powering the electricals
Neatly done wiring and along with proper large size cover for the anode


Long Life Coolant good for 5 years.
I wonder why cant they make an engine oil with same technology


You keep me cool
The finish of the screen is matte and does not get scratched as easily as the black audio panel


Outside Rear view mirror controls
I wish if they could work with Ignition OFF


Chrome plated door open levers feel good to touch.
The doors lock and unlock all by themselves.


When words fail, Music Speaks.
Wish this was a touch screen and wish if it could be controlled completely from the steering mounted controls.


The three dials with all the tell-tale lights
Easy to read and sure attention grabber




Continued on next page>>>

The On-Off Switch
I dont think I can go back to old school way of using a key in the ignition slot.


This car comes equipped with RFID Tag
I wonder how useful will this be in our country


OEM Bridgestone B250's are performing well enough


City's Efficiency in the City


And on the Highway


Credits: Special Thanks to Mr. Somindra and Mr. Krishna for being so helpful and addressing my queries so well over the last 1.5 months. Many thanks to TeamBHP Community for helping me to make such a well informed decision and allowing me share this on such a crucial platform.

May our tribe grow!

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by rahulsharma2008

The Tale of the New City

May our tribe grow!

Congrats on your latest acquisition rahulsharma2008.

Black is still my 'All-time Favourite' colour for a car, but I get extremely worked up if my Car is dirty or dented. Being in India, both are quite easy & inevitable.

Nevertheless, the 'I-Dtech Tribe' really seems to be growing and how. One of my close pals picked up one few weeks back and in the same shade.
We both felt that the Alloys & Tires were the biggest drawbacks or blemishes on an otherwise class leading machine.

Drive safe and wish you many more safe journeys.

[arup.misra]

Congrats Rahul...Nice and crisp review.

Black certainly looks nice but it'll be hard work maintaining the shine. A word of advise - give your car cleaner a microfiber cloth to clean your car.

Good luck and drive safe!!! Welcome to the tribe

[rahulsharma2008]

Originally Posted by arup.misra

Congrats Rahul...Nice and crisp review.

Black certainly looks nice but it'll be hard work maintaining the shine. A word of advise - give your car cleaner a microfiber cloth to clean your car.

Good luck and drive safe!!! Welcome to the tribe

Thanks Arup. Already handed the car cleaner a Jopasu Micro Fibre cloth ! Have planned to visit 3M once in 6 months.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Alive2Drive]

Congrats on the new ride RahulSharma2008 ! Very comprehensively written !

I think this is a fantastic ride. I have booked a White City I-Dtec VX- MT for myself on my wife's birthday earlier this month and am eagerly waiting for the car (waiting impatiently).

Did your sales rep warn you about the warranty void in case of tyre upsize ? I am going to get an upgrade done first thing when I get the car.

[Shreyans_Jain]

The initial reviews by Neel911, Ravenavi, Vsrivatsa, //M, Shreyans_Jain, Tejas08 were indeed very positive and they helped me cement the decision of my new car purchase. Once I had the thumbs up from the Team BHP community, I proceeded to the Honda showroom.

Good to know you found my feedback useful.

Honda Carpet mats looks premium and cover 90% of the carpet underneath. Apparently they have been easy to clean as well.

They are a slush magnet and a pain to maintain during monsoons. I've invested in black PU mats which are put on top of the carpets. Will recommend the same.

After driving in heavy rain over the weekend, I spotted misting/fogging in both the headlamps as well as the foglamps.

I've driven my car in knee deep water a fair bit. No such issues.

Boot does not open (security check at malls) with the lever next to the driver’s door. It doesnt even open with remote unless the car is shut off. Probably there is some problem with the boot release lever. Plan to get it rectified at the first service.

No such issue on my car, which is a V model. Boot opening is manual, by the lever next to the driver seat, and it works irrespective of the engine being on or off or the car being locked or unlocked. Pull the lever and the boot opens. Simple.

• Height adjustable seat belts are sorely missed.

• Cooled glovebox will be missed in summer season.

Badly missed, especially the cooled glovebox. Even the central storage bin under the armrest is not cooled.

Apparently due to some reason, the noise of rain hitting my car appears to be louder on my City as compared to Swift. I can literally feel the rain all over the car whereas in Swift and even the Rapid it used to be muted affair.

Agreed. Raindrops sound unusually loud inside the car. Ditto with my Jazz. My Scorpio's cabin in comparison remains a significantly quieter during rains.

[/quote]

[anilagdr]

Congratulations on your new ride RahulSharma2008. The review is quite comprehensive and written with great passion.

I would advice you to get all the defects rectified urgently. Honda cars are showing quality issues right from launch. Hoping they would address these and retain the name they have earned in the Indian market.

[CountMe91]

Congrats on your new ride. The City in black looks absolutely stunning. Although I feel you will be having a tough time maintaining the car, given that you are shifting from a white color. The revamped interiors looks tad better than the 3rd generation city. Although I feel the exterior design of the 3rd generation was better as compared to the current [completely my opinion]. The integration of diesel engine in the City was simply a no-brainer from Honda particularly with the City Petrol being ruling this segment from ages.

Sorry if I might have missed but how much did you sell the Swift Vdi for?

[sumeethaldankar]

Congrats on the car.The FE numbers are mind boggling.I heard that the Nano gives petrol gives around 30KMPL on the highway. With a 28 KMPL number you would have a very low running cost per km.

Wish you thousands of happy miles on your machine.

[harry10]

Congrats!
Nice write up. Black looks fabulous. You are getting really good FE numbers. Welcome to the club

[vsrivatsa]

Congratulations!
Glad that my thread was of assistance. No doubt you have made a choice that will keep you smiling for a long time to come. I just crossed the 7,500 kms mark today and very happy with the decision of going with the i-DTEC. Wishing you many miles of safe driving

[rahulsharma2008]

Originally Posted by anilagdr

I would advice you to get all the defects rectified urgently. Honda cars are showing quality issues right from launch. Hoping they would address these and retain the name they have earned in the Indian market.

1000 kms are expected to up on the odo by next week. Will surely get these things rectified at first service. I hope that Honda pulls up its socks and gets their act right in the Indian Market.

Originally Posted by CountMe91

Congrats on your new ride. The City in black looks absolutely stunning. Although I feel you will be having a tough time maintaining the car, given that you are shifting from a white color. The revamped interiors looks tad better than the 3rd generation city. Although I feel the exterior design of the 3rd generation was better as compared to the current [completely my opinion]. The integration of diesel engine in the City was simply a no-brainer from Honda particularly with the City Petrol being ruling this segment from ages.

Sorry if I might have missed but how much did you sell the Swift Vdi for?

Thank you so much. Yes black is a stunner for the new City and it indeed demands some care. Having owned a Labrador since last 8 years and nurtured a baby, I am sure I can take this responsibilty. I am mentally prepared for the care.

I havent sold off my Swift yet as it is a special car to me and going strong even after 90k kms on the odo.

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Congrats on the car.The FE numbers are mind boggling.I heard that the Nano gives petrol gives around 30KMPL on the highway. With a 28 KMPL number you would have a very low running cost per km.

Wish you thousands of happy miles on your machine.

Yes even I find it hard to believe my efficiency numbers! In comparison my Thunderbird 500 consumes more than this and that too Petrol!

Many thanks for your wishes

Originally Posted by harry10

Congrats!
Nice write up. Black looks fabulous. You are getting really good FE numbers. Welcome to the club

Thank you Harry! I am happy that many of you fellow Bhpians have liked the colour and my write up as well.

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Congratulations!
Glad that my thread was of assistance. No doubt you have made a choice that will keep you smiling for a long time to come. I just crossed the 7,500 kms mark today and very happy with the decision of going with the i-DTEC. Wishing you many miles of safe driving

Yes indeed! I was glued on to your thread ever since it was Live on TeamBHP. Also followed your updates on tyre change in the tyre upgrade thread. I must say reviews and reports like these make a whole world of a difference in purchase decisions.

Credit to all the Ownership Reports and Official Ownership report. Cheers!

[rahulsharma2008]

Originally Posted by Alive2Drive

Did your sales rep warn you about the warranty void in case of tyre upsize ? I am going to get an upgrade done first thing when I get the car.

The sales Representative wasnt sure about voiding the warranty in case of tyre upsize and did not give a clear answer. I too didnt follow up later and just hoped that I get Michelins with my car.

The OEM Bridgestones are not bad at all I request you to try them thoroughly before upgrading. My advice would be dont upgrade unless you frequent highways.

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Congrats on your latest acquisition rahulsharma2008.

Black is still my 'All-time Favourite' colour for a car, but I get extremely worked up if my Car is dirty or dented. Being in India, both are quite easy & inevitable.

Nevertheless, the 'I-Dtech Tribe' really seems to be growing and how. One of my close pals picked up one few weeks back and in the same shade.
We both felt that the Alloys & Tires were the biggest drawbacks or blemishes on an otherwise class leading machine.

Drive safe and wish you many more safe journeys.

Many thanks and yes may our i-DTEC tribe grow! Black is indeed special. No wonder it is the most talked about aspect in this thread

As I said earlier, the tyres are not as bad as mentioned by so many on TeamBHP. Yes agree on the alloy front though. I saw someone with a black SV City who had upgraded to multispoke Alloys of the 3rd Gen City. Man those alloys looked atleast three times better than the current ones.

[rahulsharma2008]

Fogging/Misting of Headlamps from the corners as seen below
The RHS Lamp shows more misting than the one on LHS


Herculean Mileage figure on the Expressway
Cruise control set at 60kmph, AC off and Sunroof on Vent mode


Highway Mileage
Couldnt have asked for more!