[Sids85]

A long review post

Hello Folks,

Its been 3 months since we brought home the Honda City eHEV. This version of the City is the Strong Hybrid and comes only in the top end ZX variant. As we almost complete 5000 km mileage, I thought would share our experience about the car.



Buying decision:
We owned a Jeep Compass Petrol AT 80th Anniversary Edition. The car was a beast but was a heavy drinker (for no fault of its own; A heavy body coupled with a 160hp engine and automatic transmission). The mileage hovered around 7-8kmpl thanks to a city under perennial construction, dug up across its length and breadth. For our home to office running of approximately 60kms per day, it was just not viable. I had put out a post on the same. Finally we sold it off, albeit with a lot of heartbreak.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/suvs-...-let-go-2.html (My Jeep Compass Petrol AT is a fuel guzzler - Should I let it go?)

Cars Considered:

1. We were basically looking for a Diesel considering our daily running to replace the Jeep and the main contender was the Kia Seltos Diesel X Line. We even had booked the car but having taken more than one test drive, we were just not impressed with its ride quality which was hard and harsh to our liking. We cancelled it.
   
2. The 2nd option was the VW Virtus (a Stunner but a petrol). The main consideration point for a petrol VW was the Active Cylinder Deactivation which might have aided the overall mileage but in terms of features, it missed out on lot of basics (VW guys - please upgrade the reversing camera quality and its feed on the ICE. Its such a shame on a 21+ lakhs worth car).

The Hunt ending with the Honda eHEV:
During many a discussion, my brother asked me to check out the Honda City Hybrid. We had checked out the Toyota/Maruti strong hybrids but the quality of materials and their overall build was a complete turn off. The Honda was not even in our consideration by a long way. We had very little hopes of liking it but we took a chance. And it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Test drives and final shortlisting:

We put out our interest on the Honda India Website for the City Hybrid. We got connected to the 3 authorized dealers within Mumbai viz Regent, Hallmark and Arya. Regent and Hallmark didn't have any Hybrid TD vehicles. Arya did and they provided the TD at our residence.

What we liked:
1. Mileage: getting 25-28 kmpl out of the box. A range of 370 km on a Rs. 1500 fill. That's a killer.
2. A very comfortable and planted ride. The car nervousness even while taking the corners with some speed. The center of gravity is enhanced by the heavy battery pack.
3. Doesn't feel under powered at all. A healthy combined output of 120 hp and 250 nm of torque. It is very nimble and agile for its size. Can cut into gaps quickly.
4. How quiet is the engine. There is a mild hum when it turns on but hardly any clattering or shaking unlike a regular ICE.
5. The cabin is well put out, ergonomically with No panel gaps. There is a place for everything and everything is in its place.
6. Soft touch materials used at the right touch points. Would have been good if the dash would have come as soft touch too but it is what it is.
7. Crisp and informative driver display with good detailing. No over the top graphics or unwanted info.
8. The effortlessness with which it switches from ICE to EV and back is mind blowing. The moment it gets on a downhill road, its on complete EV mode. The moment its on a straight highway with no undulation, its in complete EV mode even at speeds of 100-120 kmph.
9. No compromises on safety. 6 Airbags, 3 point seatbelts for all occupants. A non-intrusive camera based ADAS.
10. Spacious: 5 healthy adults can be accompanied in complete comfort with acres of knee room.

What we didn't like (and I still don't):
1. The rear camera and the lane watch camera quality is literally VGA stuff. Even the door cam in my house is better than this. Its poor for a car that costs above 21+ lakhs.
2. The rear cam also doesn't come with dynamic guidelines.
3. Misses out on ventilated seats. No adjustable headrests for rear occupants.
4. The sound quality (4 speakers and 4 twitters) is pretty average for this price point.
5. The boot is a little compromised because of the battery but it still comes with good enough space to accommodate 2 big trolleys in it.
6. The car is under tired (185/55 R16) which adds to the complication of low GC.

Final buying decision:
After a satisfying TD, we contacted Arya Honda, Prabhadevi to get the pricing and the availability of the Pearl White Color. It was December 2024 but they started behaving weirdly. They had a Metallic Grey, Silver and a Red in their stockyard, colors we didn't want to opt for. We asked for the availability of the white color but they were non committal and were not even confirming the waiting period for it. I additionally asked for the VIN of the Silver and the Red City which Arya provided. The Silver manufacturing was May 2024 and the Red was August 2024. We didn't proceed further because we didn't want an unsold old stock. In the meantime, Regent Honda, Kalyan contacted us to get a feedback. We gave them the details and they were very prompt in their response. The Sales Manager of Regent gave us a better pricing than Arya Honda, along with throwing some added goodies and confirmed that a White car will be made available in 7 days if we made the booking immediately. We finally went ahead with the booking with Regent Honda, Kalyan.

Delivery:
We booked the car from Regent Honda, Kalyan in December 2024 and took the delivery in January 2025.

Some key photos and highlights:

1. Illuminated buttons and all 4 powered windows:


2. Under hood insulation:


3. Good underbody protection provided:





4. Faux diffuser at the rear, the exhaust pipe is well hidden from plain view:


5. Fuel lid:


6. Rear seat comes with an air ingress vent to keep the battery cool



7. The lane watch camera on the left. Not the best in quality though




8. You can turn on/off the lane watch camera by clicking on this switch:


9. The gear selector and wireless charging with EPB and Auto Hold:


10. Boot space - A little compromised due to the battery:


11. Honda Hybrid Logo (in Blue) and eHEV variant badging:



12. Honda Sensing Camera based ADAS:


13. Engine Bay layout:


14. Auto Headlamps and Wiper stalks:



Conclusion:
In the sea of SUVs of different shapes and sizes, the sedans are a shrinking tribe without a doubt. However, VW Virtus, Skoda Slavia, Honda City ICE, Hyundai Verna and heck even the outdated Maruti Ciaz is still holding fort against its onslaught. Considering the strong success of the Hybrid SUVs (Hyryder/Grand Vitara) and even MPVs (Toyota Hycross) in India, its baffling that Honda is having this underrated and undermarketed genius of a car lying in its armory with no one to bat for it. It will take more than SUV to Sedan converts like me to bring it out and give its rightful place under the sun. Honda really needs to realize its folly of not marketing this little gem and in turn probably many enthusiasts are not even becoming aware, what a winner of a machine the eHEV really is. I hope and pray that this post spreads some awareness about this beauty.

[yedukrishnan199]

Congratulations on the Honda City eHEV, it is one of the better implementations of the Hybrid system and much better than the one on the Hyryder and Grand Vitara. Due to the initial price, many people didn't consider it, but it is a gem of a car with great mileage, too. Earlier, there used to be a V Hybrid variant as well but it was discontinued owing to poor demand.

Honda, however, still has plans for the Hybrid, with the Elevate Hybrid seen testing abroad, but despite the same, an India launch seems unlikely as Honda Cars India has ruled out an Elevate Hybrid launch instead focusing on the Elevate EV to be launched in 2026.

Honda surely missed the plot with Hybrid despite it having a first mover advantage with the first mass market hybrid model in India with the City eHEV. It should have followed it up with the Elevate Hybrid as well, but it seems Honda has other plans.

[carhead]

Originally Posted by yedukrishnan199

Congratulations on the Honda City eHEV, it is one of the better implementations of the Hybrid system and much better than the one on the Hyryder and Grand Vitara. Due to the initial price, many people didn't consider it, but it is a gem of a car with great mileage, too. Earlier, there used to be a V Hybrid variant as well but it was discontinued owing to poor demand.

Honda, however, still has plans for the Hybrid, with the Elevate Hybrid seen testing abroad, but despite the same, an India launch seems unlikely as Honda Cars India has ruled out an Elevate Hybrid launch instead focusing on the Elevate EV to be launched in 2026.

Honda surely missed the plot with Hybrid despite it having a first mover advantage with the first mass market hybrid model in India with the City eHEV. It should have followed it up with the Elevate Hybrid as well, but it seems Honda has other plans.

Totally agree! They should launch a facelift with Hybrid, Ventilated seats, 360 camera. I guess panoramic moonroof may affect structural stability.

Also Honda should sponsor G/BNCAP test and go aggressive.

Few questions:

1. With discounts wouldn't City eHV be at par with HyRyder/Grand Vitara
2. Can you please elaborate on the better implementation of Honda City vs Toyota HyRyder
3. Can you share link on Elevate Hybrid caught testing abroad-very interesting.

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by carhead

Totally agree! They should launch a facelift with Hybrid, Ventilated seats, 360 camera. I guess panoramic moonroof may affect structural stability.

Also Honda should sponsor G/BNCAP test and go aggressive.

Few questions:

1. With discounts wouldn't City eHV be at par with HyRyder/Grand Vitara
2. Can you please elaborate on the better implementation of Honda City vs Toyota HyRyder
3. Can you share link on Elevate Hybrid caught testing abroad-very interesting.

The City eHEV is priced at 23.50 lakhs or so OTR in Delhi with offers ranging from 90k to 1.5 lakh depending on the dealer, whereas for the Grand Vitara Hybrid prices start 21.18 lakhs OTR and end at 22.95 lakhs OTR with offers of over 1.50 lakhs and 5 year extended warranty, same goes for the Hyryder with prices starting a bit lower as lower variant available with Hybrid which comes to 19.24 lakhs OTR going all the way to 23 lakhs OTR, with offers of over 1.50 lakhs as well.

So these are definitely cheaper than the City eHEV and offer the SUV profile which is much sought after, therefore selling better than the City eHEV.

The City eHEV features a 1.5L Atkinson Cycle 4-cylinder i-VTEC petrol engine paired with dual electric motors. One motor acts as a generator, while the other drives the wheels with a 172.8 V lithium-ion battery with a combined power output of 126 PS and with a torque of 127 Nm from the engine and 253 Nm from the electric motor.

Whereas the Hyryder and Grand Vitara come with 1.5L TNGA 3-cylinder petrol engine paired with a single electric motor in the strong hybrid variant. it gets a slightly larger 177.6V lithium-ion battery with a combined power output of 116 PS, with a torque of 122 Nm from the engine and 144 Nm from the electric motor.

The City eHEV offers a more powerful, torquey and smooth drive with its 4-cylinder engine as against the Hyryder/Grand Vitara which has less power and torque, and whenever the petrol engine kicks in to charge the battery or assist in driving, it can become noticeably loud, especially during hard acceleration or at higher RPMs so it isn't as smooth as the City eHEV/

Moreover features, NVH, Safety suite, and Build quality are better in the City eHEV too. To add to that he dual-motor hybrid system in the City eHEV is more advanced, allowing for smoother transitions between EV, Hybrid, and Engine Drive modes.

So you really get what you pay for with the City eHEV as against the Full option City, same goes with the full option Strong Hybrid and Mild Hybrids in the Grand Vitara/Hyryder, and the premium is what you pay for the technology.

Here is the link for the Elevate Hybrid testing in Brazil: https://www.rushlane.com/2025-honda-...-12507874.html

https://www.cartoq.com/car-news/hond...-india-launch/

[sushanthys]

Hi.
I had taken a test drive of the Honda City eHEV before buying an MG ZS EV. I was impressed with the car.It had good power, great economy and was easy to drive.It was under tyred and the horn was not what you would expect.But the one thing which really turned me off was its popularity( I dont remember seeing a single Honda Hybrid on the streets before or after that, in the last 2 years). Didnt want to opt for it till it became a bit popular. Before I bought a 2nd EV, I again enquired with them about the hybrid. They were very lukewarm about the car and were hardly interested in a test drive.
I had gone to Sri Lanka in December 2024.Hybrids are popular in Sri Lanka. We saw many Honda City hybrids there( It is called Honda Grace there).The driver who took us around said that Honda had the best Hybrid cars in the island(There were many Toyota & Suzuki hybrids on the streets as well). He had owned a Honda Hybrid and was presently driving a Toyota and was of the opinion that Honda was way ahead of Toyota as far as hybrid technology was concerned.
It is so sad to see Honda India in its present state.Would like to see them back at their best.

[Arun_S]

Originally Posted by sushanthys

Hi.
I had gone to Sri Lanka in December 2024.Hybrids are popular in Sri Lanka. We saw many Honda City hybrids there( It is called Honda Grace there).The driver who took us around said that Honda had the best Hybrid cars in the island(There were many Toyota & Suzuki hybrids on the streets as well). He had owned a Honda Hybrid and was presently driving a Toyota and was of the opinion that Honda was way ahead of Toyota as far as hybrid technology was concerned.

I concur on this, last year, when we visited Srilanka were using Honda Mobilo Hybrid. The driver in the entire trip of 10 days visited Petrol Pump only once. As the average speed is less he managed with just the electric motor.
I was eager to buy City Hybrid, but since my running is less left it and brought petrol City instead.

[Invstamith]

Congratulations on your buy Sid85. I’ve been using the City eHev for 2 years now clocking over 58,000km, and can say for sure that it’s the best in its class. Consistently getting a FE of 23kmpl for All types of roads and highways. I think, a Strong hybrid is the most sensible buy in today’s world of developing BEV tech and dying Diesels!

[NinerWhiskey]

Originally Posted by Sids85

Its been 3 months since we brought home the Honda City eHEV. I thought would share our experience about the car.
...
3. Misses out on ventilated seats. No adjustable headrests for rear occupants.
...
6. The car is under tired (185/55 R16) which adds to the complication of low GC.

...

We booked the car from Regent Honda, Kalyan in December 2024 and took the delivery in January 2025.

Wishing you many happy miles with your elegant sedan. Looking forward for many more ownership reviews soon!

I wish Honda would focus on the aspects below.

Rear Headrests: I'm not able to comprehend why the E:hev doesn't have adjustable rear headrests while the 4th gen ZX variant offers it. I thought it was supposed to get better gen after gen. Anyways, If present, would it interfere with the air ingress vent housing or battery? Curious!

Tires: Ultra skinny, Cost saving measure by Honda. We all know. Very bad.

Company management: Several if not most City owners complain of NVH levels, skinny tire size, rattles (appears to be fixed on 5th gen) and Rusting prone places. The company doesn't seem to understand that these are issues that can be fixed easily with no major redesigns, but these contribute to the points of the negative aspect of the car. No buyer would want to hear this upfront. I own the 4th Gen city and Honda still hasn't addressed the Petrol cap area rusting issue. Same bonding adhesive and no plastic trims or rubber moulding to prevent rain water ingress and storage. They need to understand customer feedback.


This is an excellent car with great potential, however Honda's marketing reach seems to be really poor, thus the lack of information among consumers. Will finish off saying that this is the most elegant looking car in today's time while all others make futuristic concept car designs with no character. If I were to buy a car in today's time, this would be it. The perfect car.

[Sids85]

Originally Posted by NinerWhiskey

Wishing you many happy miles with your elegant sedan. Looking forward for many more ownership reviews soon!

I wish Honda would focus on the aspects below.

Rear Headrests: I'm not able to comprehend why the E:hev doesn't have adjustable rear headrests while the 4th gen ZX variant offers it. I thought it was supposed to get better gen after gen. Anyways, If present, would it interfere with the air ingress vent housing or battery? Curious!

Tires: Ultra skinny, Cost saving measure by Honda. We all know. Very bad.

Company management: Several if not most City owners complain of NVH levels, skinny tire size, rattles (appears to be fixed on 5th gen) and Rusting prone places. The company doesn't seem to understand that these are issues that can be fixed easily with no major redesigns, but these contribute to the points of the negative aspect of the car. No buyer would want to hear this upfront. I own the 4th Gen city and Honda still hasn't addressed the Petrol cap area rusting issue. Same bonding adhesive and no plastic trims or rubber moulding to prevent rain water ingress and storage. They need to understand customer feedback.


This is an excellent car with great potential, however Honda's marketing reach seems to be really poor, thus the lack of information among consumers. Will finish off saying that this is the most elegant looking car in today's time while all others make futuristic concept car designs with no character. If I were to buy a car in today's time, this would be it. The perfect car.

Thank you so much. It is definitely an elegant looking car. Nothing over the top from any design angle.

Adjustable headrest should not cause any issues whatsoever, even in terms of rear visibility. The battery cooling vents are anyways situated to the right rear of the seats.

The tires definitely need an upgrade. Will target after completing around 30k kms.Until then I will stick with the stock tyre.

NVH levels ain't that bad. The car itself is very quiet. Hardly any humming noise comes inside even when the motor turns on.

Honda marketing is literally left to gods will. Don't know what is the KPI Honda follows before giving a raise to their marketing team or Chief Marketing Officer.

Honda probably has the worst marketing team after Stellantis in India. That says something.

[Sids85]

Originally Posted by Invstamith

Congratulations on your buy Sid85. I’ve been using the City eHev for 2 years now clocking over 58,000km, and can say for sure that it’s the best in its class. Consistently getting a FE of 23kmpl for All types of roads and highways. I think, a Strong hybrid is the most sensible buy in today’s world of developing BEV tech and dying Diesels!

Hybrids make the most sense now, not just in terms of FE but overall running cost itself considering the low maintenance. Nothing against pure EVs. But without reliable fast chargers being available in good numbers, we are looking at people crowding charging stations, a situation that we see in every other CNG pumps.