Honda Discontinues V Trim of City Hybrid; Plans to Sell Only Top-End ZX Trim in India; Check Details

Key Highlights:

• Honda discontinues City Hybrid V trim due to poor sales, priced 4 lakhs higher than petrol model.
• Despite introducing more affordable V trim, sales remained low for City Hybrid.
• City Hybrid averaged 350 units per month, with 2000 units sold since launch in May 2022.
• City Hybrid boasts 1.5L Atkinson Cycle engine, two electric motors, and impressive 27.13 kmpl fuel efficiency.
• Top-end ZX trim features comprehensive safety enhancements, including lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, and six airbags.

Honda City Hybrid: The City Hybrid is a unique product in the automaker’s portfolio. Even in its segment, it has been always seen as a different offering in the segment. The City Hybrid was the pioneering mass-market model with a strong hybrid setup in India. Until now, the City e: HEV was on offer in two trims- V and ZX, but now the automaker has planned to sell the car in a single ZX trim which is the top-end variant of the sedan. However, the automaker has made no changes in the price of the ZX trim and it still comes with a price tag of Rs. 20.55 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Why Honda Discontinued V Trim of City Hybrid?

One of the major reasons for discontinuing the City Hybrid V trim is the low sales. The City Hybrid costs around 4 lakh more than the regular petrol-powered City. The higher price tag throws it out of the segment and hampers the customer’s affordability also. Honda City Hybrid was one of the slow sellers in the automaker portfolio right from the very launch in May 2022. 

However, taking note of the low sales, Honda introduced a new and more affordable V trim so far which was aimed to attract more buyers towards the product. But it didn’t work for the automaker and the vehicle continued to record lower sales figures. The Hybrid Sedan registered average sales of 350 units per month and from the very introduction, the City e: HEV sales number stood at 2000 units till now. 

Honda City Hybrid: Power and Fuel Economy 

The City Hybrid comes powered by a 1.5 litre, 4-cylinder Atkinson Cycle engine. The powertrain comes equipped with two electric motors, one of which acts as an electric generator and another for propulsion. Talking about fuel efficiency, the hybrid sedan provides a great fuel economy of 27.13 kmpl. The powertrain comes paired with an eCVT gearbox and churns out the maximum power of 126 bhp and a peak torque of 253 Nm. 

Honda City Hybrid: Features 

Talking about the top-end ZX Trim of the hybrid sedan, it comes loaded with safety features which include lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, six airbags, ORVM mounted lane watch cameras, multi-angle rear-view camera and lane-keeping assist. Additionally, the sedan gets a tyre tyre-pressuring monitoring system, Hill-start assist and ISOFIX mounts and now the automaker has also added seatbelt reminders for all five seats. 

CarBike360 Says

In response to dwindling sales, Honda has decided to discontinue the V trim of its City Hybrid in India, leaving only the ZX variant available. Despite efforts to introduce a more affordable option with the V trim, sales remained lacklustre. The City Hybrid, powered by a 1.5-liter Atkinson Cycle engine and dual electric motors, boasts impressive fuel efficiency at 27.13 kmpl. The top-end ZX trim comes with an array of safety features, catering to discerning buyers in the hybrid sedan segment.