Next-gen Honda City diesel may get CVT option

According to a media report, Honda may never offer a CVT option on the current City. That said, the next-gen City, which is due to be launched in 2020 is likely to get a diesel CVT variant. 

Earlier, Honda had revealed the 2nd-gen Amaze compact sedan with a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine paired with a CVT, which lead to speculations about the City getting a similar drivetrain. However, it has been reported that engineering a CVT into the diesel variant of the current City may not be feasible given the volumes sold. Honda does plan to offer a CVT option on more models in the future and that includes the next-gen City. But for now, the carmaker is concentrating on upgrading its 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine to make it BS-VI compliant. 

The Honda City is currently offered with a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that makes 99 BHP @ 3,600 rpm and 200 Nm of torque @ 1,750 rpm and comes paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The City is also offered with a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine which produces 118 BHP @ 6,600 rpm and 145 Nm @ 4,600 rpm. The petrol engine is available with a choice of a CVT and 5-speed manual gearbox.

Segment rivals Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento and Skoda Rapid do get automatic transmission options on their respective diesel variants. The Verna comes with a 6-speed automatic, while the Vento and Rapid get a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. Like Honda, Maruti too doesn't offer an automatic option on the Ciaz diesel.

Source: Autocar India