"India is among the top three global markets in focus for Honda," says Takashi Nakajima, President & CEO, Honda Cars India at the Honda City Facelift Launch event. Nakajima said that India continues to gain importance with each passing year. Showcasing the company's long-term commitment, Honda plans to introduce strategic models in the country starting 2028, including a B-SUV as part of its portfolio expansion.
In the current fiscal year, the company will roll out six new models, with two being launched today. Among the key highlights is the India debut of the ZR-V SUV, which will initially be brought in as completely built units (CBUs) from Japan in limited batches. Kunal Behl, Vice President – Sales and Marketing at Honda Cars India, said that the ZR-V e:HEV will be positioned as a premium sports hybrid SUV.
The model is powered by a 2-litre strong hybrid engine, marking the first time this powertrain is being introduced in the Indian market. The SUV comes equipped with eight airbags as standard, underscoring its safety focus. Bookings for the ZR-V open from today, with customer deliveries scheduled to begin in the second half of July.
Nakajima added that Honda expects to post double-digit growth in India this fiscal and aims to outperform the broader industry, reinforcing the country's position as a critical strategic market.
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Key Features Of Honda City
The updated Honda City facelift brings subtle design tweaks aimed at improving visual appeal as well as aerodynamic efficiency, and it now stands as the longest sedan in its segment. A key upgrade is the introduction of bi-LED projector headlamps across all variants as standard, connected by a sleek LED DRL strip that gives the front end a sharper, more contemporary look.
Mechanically, the sedan continues with the familiar 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine, offered with either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed CVT. Honda has also retained its segment-first strong hybrid powertrain, which delivers an impressive claimed fuel efficiency of 27.26 kmpl — among the highest in the category.
With this facelift update, the brand will introduce major changes in the design, interior, and feature list of the classic sedan. All of these changes will be aimed at improving the car's position against rivals like the Hyundai Verna, Skoda Slavia, and Volkswagen Virtus in the Indian market.
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