The Hindu Business Line : Now a plusher, safer City

To coincide withthe 10thanniversary ofHonda'sintroduction of theCity in India, all ofthe variants of theZX now get new,additional comfortand safety features.

The Honda City has held on to the No. 1 slot in the midsize sedan segment for years. The car has been a great draw amongst buyers because of its intrinsic value, practicality, reliability and resale value compared to competing sedans n the segment.

While earlier introductions by the competition didn't quite affect the sales of the City that much, the launch of the Suzuki SX4 has had a noticeable impact on the Honda car's market performance. A makeover for the City was being planned, but after the SX4 it possibly also made the refurbishment even more inevitable.

Honda has now timed the introduction of the reworked version of the City ZX sedan to coincide with the 10th Anniversary of the car's introduction in India. All of the variants of the City ZX get new, additional features that will boost interior appeal and safety standards.

A few new features have been added to each of the variants of the City, including the base EXi. The prices of the City variants have also been marginally increased and repositioned. While ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and airbags have been introduced with the V-TEC variant at a new price point, both the safety features are, however, not being offered even as options in the lower priced, lower trim variants.

The top-end variant of the 10th Anniversary edition Honda City ZX V-TEC now comes loaded with a host of safety and luxury features, such as a G-Con body, ABS, SRS Airbags and plush leather interiors.

NEW FEATURES

Following are the details of the new features in each of the variants of the 10th Anniversary Edition of the City ZX.

EXi onwards: MP3, CD, AM/FM, stereo with four speakers; new key design, new design steering, accessory socket, central door lock switch, thicker chrome rings and white rear lens.

GXi onwards: Front fog lamps, side step garnish, two keyless entry remote transmitters, new design combimeter and new 1-Din MP3, CD, AM/FM Stereo with four speakers.

VTEC onwards: Superior 2-Din MP3 CD AM/ FM Stereo with four speakers; premium dark woody panel, trunk spoiler as standard dealer fitment. Leather seat upholstery, ABS , Dual SRS airbags for driver and front passenger are part of standard fitment in the new variant.

VTEC will also be available without leather upholstery, ABS and dual SRS Airbags. In the 10th Anniversary Edition, the City has also been introduced with two new colours - carbon bronze pearl and heather mist.

Honda has also announced that all its cars in India are also now E-10 ready (10 per cent ethanol blended with gasoline), which the Government is considering to implement nationwide in the near future. Honda has now timed the introduction of the reworked version of the City ZX sedan.

S. M