Honda City e:HEV production starts; launch early next month

Screengrab from Twitter/@HondaCarIndia

Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) on Tuesday said it has started production of the upcoming electric hybrid version of its popular sedan, City.

The new 'Honda City e:HEV' will be launched early next month. It is being manufactured at the company's manufacturing facility at Tapukara in Rajasthan.

Customers can book the new Honda City e:HEV at dealerships across the country with a booking amount of Rs 21,000 or online through the company's website with an amount of Rs 5,000, HCIL said in a statement.

"The milestone also marks our commitment to bring advanced technologies for Indian customers and the beginning of our electrification journey in India. As a company, we have always been aligned with the government of India's vision of Make in India as well as bringing environmentally friendly technologies," HCIL President & CEO Takuya Tsumura said.

The car's hybrid electric system produces a combined maximum power of 126 PS with fuel economy of 26.5 km/l, the company said.

HCIL further said the new City e:HEV features Honda's unique self-charging and highly efficient two motor e-CVT (electronically controlled continuously variable transmission) hybrid system connected to 1.5-litre petrol engine, intelligent power unit (IPU) with advanced lithium-ion battery.

It offers three driving modes - EV drive, hybrid drive and engine drive, along with regeneration mode during deceleration.

The model will also come with safety features, including collision mitigation braking system (CMBS), adaptive cruise control, road departure mitigation (RDM), lane keeping assist system (LKAS) and auto high-beam, it added.

The company said it is offering 3-year unlimited kilometres warranty as standard while the warranty on lithium-ion battery will be 8-year or 1.6 lakh km (whichever comes first) from the date of car purchase.