According to recent reports, Honda City RS is being considered for launch in India. It will be powered by a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine
The 2020 Honda City is set to be launched in India next week. This next-generation model will be available with two engine options – a 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated, inline-4 petrol motor and a 1.5-litre, turbocharged, inline-4 diesel mill. Now, new reports suggest that Honda is considering another engine option for the Indian market – a 1.0-litre, turbocharged, inline-3 petrol unit.
The 2020 Honda City is already available in its turbo-petrol avatar in Thailand. Dubbed ‘City RS’, this variant is rated at a maximum power output of 122 PS and a peak torque figure 173 Nm. It comes with a single transmission choice, a seven-step CVT.
There are a few visual differences between the regular fifth-gen Honda City and its RS version. For starters, the latter gets blacked-out front grille and a sportier design for the bumper. It doesn’t get chrome accents on the door handles and the boot lid. It also gets larger, 15-inch alloy wheels.
Inside the cabin, the Honda City RS has an all-black interior, with sporty red accents all over. To enhance the sporty feels, you also get aluminium pedals. The Thai-spec City RS gets a traditional instrument cluster with physical dials and MID, whereas the Indian version gets a semi-digital cluster. Unlike the exterior, the interior gets a lot of chrome inserts.
Compared to the 1.5L petrol engine of new-generation City, the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol doesn’t have any power advantage, although there is a noticeable difference in peak torque output. Also, the turbo-petrol engine would be smaller and lighter, which would help improve performance and handling. The ‘RS’ version will also feature a stiffer suspension setup.
We would love to see the 2020 Honda City RS on Indian roads. Sadly, considering the track record of performance-oriented vehicles in the Indian market, it might not attract a decent buyership. Also, the new Honda City will be sold alongside the older generation model in India. Adding more variants so early might not be a smart choice. Also, Honda’s future decisions will be based on the sales success of its present models, so we’ll have to wait and watch how it turns out.