2014 Honda City Bookings Soar in India; Likely to Have Waiting Period up to 2 Months

The all-new fourth generation Honda City is set to launch in India on 7 January. The car, which saw a global unveiling in the country in November, has already seemed to become the auto aficionados' favourite, as reports suggest the pre-booking of the City sedan has acquired a sizeable number.

According to Auto Car India, the demand for the City - both diesel and petrol - are high in the domestic market and, at this pace, the car is expected to command a waiting period of up to two months. As per the report, dealers are accepting the booking with an advance payment of 51,000, which is refundable in case of cancellation of the booking.

"People are booking the car on the blind faith they have in Honda. We are anticipating a deluge of orders once the car is launched," a dealer told ACI.

2014 Honda City is one of the most desirable cars in the Indian auto market. Though the City has been on the road for quite some time, this is the first time it is offering a diesel engine option. It is assumed that the diesel engine will draw more crowd than expected in the domestic market.

Honda City, What We Know

The all new City follows Honda's new design philosophy - "EXCITING DESIGN!!!" - and is based on the 2014 Jazz/Fit.

The petrol version of the City sedan packs a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine which generates a maximum output of 119 PS @ 6600 rpm and 145 Nm torque @ 4600 rpm. The diesel variant comes equipped with 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine, which powers Honda's triumphant Amaze. It is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and pumps in 100 PS power @ 3600 rpm and 200 Nm torque @ 1750 rpm.

The diesel variant of Honda City is touted as the country's most fuel efficient car, as the car offers a fabulous 26kmpl mileage. The petrol model will come in two variants: 5-speed manual and automatic. The petrol model will also be offered with a CVT automatic gearbox.

The buzz around is that the City will come in five trims: E, S, SV, V and VX and all five variants of the City diesel will pack safety features like ABS, EBD and a driver airbag as standard, and the SV, V and VX trims will support touchscreen controls for the air-con system.