Good day,
As I sit to write this blog, I am makin’ an attempt to focus on even at the minute points while being as much unbiased & open as I could be:-)
After playing too much with pretty hatchbacks since the advent of Maruti Suzuki in India, I & my parents were lookin’ out for a car in sedan segment this time. Unlike earlier, these days one can find a wide spectrum of sedans starting right from INR sub-400, 000/- to. may be Lamborghini costin’ some few crores. Certainly, choosin’ the right wheels that could justify as well as satisfy the needs, technology, brand, pocket, comforts, after-sales service while also making a perfect balance between them was a challenge. After much of ado, I zeroed in on 10th Anniversary Edition of HONDA CITY ZX EXI.
This review is at a pretty early stage, I am ownin’ the vehicle past 35 days while it has clocked 1300+ KM and first free servicin’ carried out just 6 days back.
What I was lookin’ for?
A reliable brand sedan.
A sound technology petrol variant, since on an average I do not have to drive too much. mixed city/highways. Also I personally prefer a clean fuel(need to care for our environment. One Earth). 1 Diesel emission equates to 4 Petrol emissions.
Should have power steerin’ and all 4 power windows.
Should not make a very big gap in my pocket at the time of purchase as well as later while runnin’ and maintainin’.
Easy to maneuver, ample power(but not a bulky engine), good stylin’.
Should have body colored bumpers, ORVMs and door handles(I do not like black plastics)
After the test drives:
I was finally to choose between Honda City and Ford Fiesta. Whereas Ford 1.4 liter engine proved to be aggressive in lower gear and even in 5th gear and better on the rough roads and speed breakers that have no standard hump and sometimes we are compelled to negotiate at high speeds. Also Fiesta’s AC was very effective, but it lagged in engine technology(4 cylinder 16 valve DOHC), produced some cabin noise, ORVMs & door handles are not body colored, lacks stylin’, on peepin’ under the hood one finds bulky components and then. its American technology that nowhere stands close to Japanese technology and as a matter of fact, even in the US one can only figure out Ford SUVs and not cars.
What made me select Honda City?
Proven Japanese Engineerin’: 1497 CC, 4 cylinder in-line, 8 valve i-DSI engine with programmed fuel injection. i-DSI stands for Dual & Sequential Ignition and is a Honda proprietary technology introduced in May 2001. Albeit based on traditional SOHC(Single Over Head Camshaft) architecture where only 2 valves are allowed per cylinder and a spark plug is used to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the chamber, i-DSI deploys 2 spark plugs per cylinder placed diagonally, one near the inlet valve and other near the outlet valve both fired intelligently at different timings at lower RPM and together at higher RPM thereby leading to optimum burnin’ of fuel/air swirl & nearly zero emissions and more power. So even at a higher RPM or you pumpun’ the throttle when the airflow ergonomics change dramatically leadin’ to semi-burnt fuel to exhaust out, i-DSI is able to minimize this.
Moreover Honda i-DSI is E10(Honda Environment Technology) ready, which means it can run on 10% ethanol blend(greener fuel already bein’ widely used in Latin America).
A truly value for money car: Yes, one has to stretch the budget further leavin’ behind Maruti Esteem, SX4, Tata Indigo, Renault Logan, Chevrolet Aveo, Ford Ikon/Fiesta and Hyundai Accent/Verna, but what one gets is unmatched technology, quality interiors/exteriors and features, workmanship, spacing, drivin’ comforts, environment friendly vehicle. Havin’ said all that I say "One’s Peace of Mind".
Although I am not a kinda person indulged into resales but Honda cars are proved to be lastin’ and offer better resale value as well.
What I got?
Ok. I got a brand new 10th Anniversary edition of Honda City ZX EXI, Heather Mist color. Let me showcase it:-)
OEM came with:
Single DIN CD/MP3/WMA player from Alpine with 4 speakers defused in the upholstery and a black antenna mounted in the centre of the roof.
Not to mention central lockin’, power steerin’, 4 power windows and AC.
Body colored electrical ORVMs and door handles.
Wheel covers.
A standard 12 volt maintenance free battery from Ameron.
MRF tubeless tyres
A tool kit, a spare wheel & a jack, a warning triangle(from Lumax), 2 spare German halogen lamps and a first aid kit.
How do I feel?
Since its just a beginin’ and the vehicle was in its "initial runnin’ in" phase, I have not subjected it to any tough terrains, but am lovin’ drivin’ this amazin’ piece of engineerin’.
Top speed subjected: 70 KMPH in 5th gear.
Pickup/performance: No lack of power felt.
Fuel efficiency: 13 KMPL(mixed highway/city conditions) with all the time AC on.
Fuel used: Indian Oil Extrapremium
Pros
Excellent drivin’ pleasure. Minimal exertion.
Nearly zero cabin noise/vibration.
Effortless power steerin’ and silky smooth manual transmission. Easy maneuverin’.
Enough leg room and boot space.
Fuel efficiency.
Cons
Ground clearance is not too good. I need to make sure to shift into 2nd or sometimes even in 1st before negotiatin’ that elevated hump or that unexpected pothole in the middle of a fine road otherwise get prepared to touch the chassis or the mud flap.
While reversin’, much depends upon your judgment & skills, as the view is not too good although ORVMs offer a fair idea.
OEM tyres provided are MRF make. I do not understand how much did Honda save by not providin’ Bridgestone.
OEM CD/MP3 player from Alpine is a good one but lacks USB/ipod support. so keep burnin’ the MP3 discs and also keep maintainin’ a shabby clutter in the dashboard:(
OEM speakers(4) perform well(a wise magnetless technology) only for my dad & mom as they prefer to hear the music at low decibels. After a volume level of 15/16 the speakers will compel you to stop increasin’ it further and be gentle. ok I too like to hear at lower volumes but not always is that case with we youngsters.
Lastly I want to mention here that after purchasin’, I later noticed when removin’ the poly wrappin’s on the seats(to get the seat covers put on) that the driver’s seat was untidy with greasy stains beneath. No one would indeed bother to check the seats covered with poly wrapper at the time of delivery, thinkin’ that it was always covered before.
Ok, I conclude it here. I will share my experience further in the days to come… till then I say that its “The Power Of Dreams” that have come true.
Thanx.