Honda debuted a 6-speed manual transmission for its petrol engine with their recently launched BR-V. The Japanese carmaker is expected to install the same gearbox in its popular City now. The C-segment sedan comes with the 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol unit that is currently mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
The BR-V's 6-speed gearbox gives the vehicle better cruising ability, as the engine spins around lazily at a low rpm. The addition of the sixth cog to the City will give it better fuel economy as well. Notably, all rivals of the Honda, such as the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, the Hyundai Verna 4S, the Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Rapid - all get 5-speed manual gearboxes paired with their respective petrol engines.
The i-VTEC petrol engine that does duty under the hood of the City develops 119PS of power and 145Nm of torque. The 1.5-litre unit is currently available paired with either a CVT automatic or a 5-speed manual gearbox. ARAI-certified fuel efficiency is rated at 18kmpl for the automatic and 17.8kmpl for the manual. With the new gearbox, we expect the mileage to get a slight bump. As of now, it is the Maruti Ciaz that rules the roost when it comes to efficiency, delivering a cool 20.73kmpl. The Maruti and the Honda have been battling it out for the top spot in the segment, and, both are extremely reliable workhorses. In fact, both cars featured in our Top 5 sedans under Rs 10 lakh list.
There's no clear time frame as to when Honda will launch the updated City. We expect it to be launched around the festive season. It also likely that Honda will refresh the City by adding a few visual tweaks and equipment; it has remained virtually unchanged since its launch in 2014.
Source: CarDekho.com
