Honda City

The City goes upmarket with the addition of a new top-end ZX variant.

- Mark Narakaden

Honda’s premium brand sheen has waned over the years and it no longer holds the special place it once had in the hearts of Indian car buyers. The Japanese automaker’s strategy of focusing on volumes with products, like the Brio, Mobilio and BR-V, based on a low-cost platform diluted its image and the lack of focus in up market segments didn’t help either.

But this time around, in order to regain some of its premium mojo back, Honda has played its trump card – the City. The new facelift is loaded with tech and features, and a new top-end variant, ZX diesel that’s priced at a hefty Rs 13.56 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). So is this City as good as its price suggests? Can it help restore the Honda brand to its former self? We took it to the roads to find out.