Fuel prices are soaring high and someone seriously had to take the responsibility to pull the end customers out of this trouble. Thankfully, this time, it is the carmaker trying to fix the problem but again, the Japanese brand is going to enjoy some pros and the most exciting one is definitely a first-mover advantage in this segment as they are finally gearing up for the launch of the all-new Honda City eHEV tomorrow.
Readers might be wondering how the upcoming sedan is fuel efficient while being powerful enough at the same time. Well, the powertrain on the City eHEV is slightly complex but if you want to understand it, take a look at the details down below.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Honda City eHEV will make its debut in India tomorrow.
- Will be featuring a petrol engine with hybrid technology.
- Honda is also coming up with ADAS on this new model.
Honda City eHEV
Strong hybrid is the need of the hour and Honda has been able to detect that need. In flesh, the new City eHEV remains almost similar to the standard model but there are some changes that are significant while acting as a differentiator.
Starting with the powertrain, it does get a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine like before but this unit now uses the Atkinson cycle. In simple words, the updated engine is low in power to return higher fuel efficiency and is very common in hybrid vehicles to extract the best out of them. Worried if the new City is underpowered? Well, you don’t have to as the electric setup is fair enough to compensate.
When started, Honda City eHEV uses a pure electric mode and the engine does remain shut at this point. As soon the speed increases, the engine starts providing power to the electric motor and then, this power is channelled to the wheels. It is only when you push the sedan beyond a certain speed limit that the engine directly powers the wheel. This way, we can say that the engine is usually acting as a generator for the electric setup. Surprisingly, there’s a single gearbox with a fixed ratio that senses the requirement and returns the desired output. The claimed fuel efficiency as per the ARAI stands at 26.5kmpl making it a preferred choice when compared to the standard model.
On the outside, some minor changes have been made but the cabin is very similar to the standard model in terms of design. The Japanese brand has even worked on the safety part. As a result, City eHEV will be getting ADAS as standard.
Bookings for the same can be done against a token amount of Rs.21,000 by visiting the nearest dealership. Although, Honda has confirmed that people can also visit their website to place an order. The price of the City eHEV has not been revealed yet. However, the hybrid sedan will make its public debut tomorrow with a price announcement scheduled on the same day.