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Honda City V-MT 2024 Elegant Edition - Initial impressions!


Things I like:

Things I don’t like:

History/Prelude

Our family owned an Alto LXI which got submerged in 2015 floods. My dad sold that to a dealer out of frustration with an insurance agent and dealership and got us a new car. I don’t know if this dealer still exists for Maruti but it’s the most fraudulent dealer we encountered.

Fast forward a few months later we got a new Swift ZXI Top model Petrol in Jan 2016. It has been through some tough times. A reliable 4-cylinder machine. We usually take our car for highway trips with family until it almost faced the same fate. Ran more than 65,000 km. Got flooded in 2023 floods. Repaired it with insurance and with own money. Got it back in working condition but we decided to sell it later for various reasons. Sold the car in good running condition.

Car Choices:

Me and my wife started looking for cars to fill the void. We thought of getting an SUV keeping the ground clearance in mind and the high seating point for parents. We also wanted something that lasts for at least 10 years with a decent maintenance cost. So we started calling Hyundai, Maruti, Nissan, and Honda for test drive appointments. The most receptive was Honda. Hyundai took ages to contact us back but called continuously afterwards. Nissan representative didn’t care if I buy or not. Maruti representative kept routing calls to other branches until we went straight to the branch itself to talk. Honda was the only brand that valued my request and continuously followed up over calls.

(*WAR - Wife’s Approval Rating)

Honda Elevate MT - I’m not going to pretend that I’m a car enthusiast here. This was my first time driving an SUV and my first on a Honda. I had a clear view of the bonnet. The suspension felt like I was on a boat or a VOLVO bus. I felt a bit of nausea due to the suspension but I enjoyed driving the car. It was a different experience. ADAS doesn’t come with the V variant like the City. There is some speed limiter set in this machine - probably for stability reasons.

WAR - 3.75/5

Honda City MT - On the same day, we requested a test drive of City MT, as my wife wanted to see what the face-lifted sedan felt like. This time it felt a lot easier to drive and it was like I drove this car before. Steering was so loose and fluid to the point that I thought at one point there was some defect with the car. It felt peppy and the rev-sound was amazing. I loved it. (I later found out that this was my wife’s dream car) BTW our focus was on getting an SUV, so we didn’t consider this seriously even after driving and loving it.

WAR - Wife’s full teeth / 5

Nissan Magnite Turbo MT - This was my wife’s favourite car when it comes to exterior look (especially the grill). She was mighty impressed with dual tone demo car that was sent to us. All the excitement disappeared once we entered the vehicle. AC’s throw wasn’t good enough. Instrument cluster from the 1990s. My seating position felt like I was trapped in a slanted bowl inside the car. My wife was sweating on the back with sub-par seats. The representative did not care whether I buy or not. He did not even attempt to market this car. Our short ride ended and my wife was very disappointed.

WAR - 1/5

Grand Vitara Smart Hybrid Sigma model - We loved this car. Jesus Christ! This thing had to be the most VFM base variant in GV. It surprisingly had more features for a base model.

The salesperson was very knowledgeable and explained everything clearly. Cleared all my doubts. The 30k exchange bonus was enticing. The choice became easier when we realized this doesn’t come with an infotainment system (we had a spare Pioneer 5290BT which we bought for SWIFT) but had a provision for one with two speakers already fitted (if I remember correctly). Everything about this car felt amazing….until our friends got involved :D XL6 and GV owners started messaging about battery drain, replacement costs, warranty woes, and started scaring us about battery concerns. We had to take a step back and contemplate if we needed a smart hybrid car (And would it last for at least 10 years hassle-free?). That path lead to us dropping plans but this car stays in my heart.

WAR - 4.8/5

Hyundai Creta - We dropped this due to high cost and lower variants did not seem value for money. SX Tech and nLine models looked good but to be honest, I never liked Creta. The front grill looked odd. The back looks sexy. Overall it was a tiny tin can moving. I have experienced a lot of bad Creta drivers on the highway and I grew a deep distaste for this car. No offence to good owners.

WAR - 2/5

Other cars that I wish I researched more:

Decision:

We almost went with Honda Elevate at first. Talked to SA and requested another test drive. Told him we needed to see the colours in person, so drove to the showroom and saw them. We were not satisfied with the available colour schemes. Our budget was 15L, and this car came close to 20L. We could have easily bought it but we always took one or two days to decide sensibly as all the sales people tried their FOMO tactics. Capital Honda wasn’t giving us discounts either as we were keen on getting a revised edition (6 airbags standard). At this point, we wanted to try another dealer. I have to say the dealer was prompt in replying and followed up regularly (almost to the point of desperation). Even offered to park the demo car inside my narrow parking slot to see if it fit.

A friend of mine recommended to pay a visit to Sundaram Honda. While talking to the Sales Manager, we got to know about an Elegant Edition model in Honda City. It’s the V-MT with a good amount of accessories at a cheaper cost that was introduced during the 2023 Diwali. The value was good and our focus slightly shifted towards buying a sedan. They were very patient in clearing all my doubts. I wanted an Elegant Edition offer on top of the revised edition but they said they can’t do that and there won’t be any offers or discounts for the revised edition yet. I was arguing a little but to no avail. Negotiated and got very good discounts.

Booked the car at the end of April. Got a March month VIN. The sales manager mentioned about 5-day wait time as the vehicle is transported from Rajasthan. We postponed the date to May as Dad was out of town. I requested PDI which they didn’t mind but I cancelled it as it was too far away from town and I trusted the sales manager’s word. I’d always recommend doing PDI before purchase.

Note: Honda dealership exchange (bonus) quoted way less for the SWIFT - more than 1 Lakh less to be exact compared to the company I sold to, outside. Even with an exchange discount, it was not worth it. They gave to some third party and the guy did not even spend 5 minutes inspecting.

Colour choice:

Golden brown and Meteoroid Grey - We were torn between these two colors. We wanted to see both in person. At the Sundaram Honda sales branch, there was only meteoroid grey. SA offered to drive to the Anna Salai showroom to showcase the brown color. He requested me to drive but I refused as 1) I already did take a test drive with Capital Honda and 2) I wanted to experience the rear seat comfort of the car. We reached the destination and took a solid 20 minutes to decide between the colors. Brown looked blackish but we saw a couple of aged cars outside which didn’t look that great. I believe it’s very hard to maintain (for any dark color). Grey was giving BMW vibes with a tint of blue (Got NFS Most Wanted flashbacks) and with that spoiler it looked awesome. My wife agreed and our car search ended there.

While I was there, I looked at the eHEV model of Honda City. Elegant and beautiful engineering! Too bad it’s ridiculously priced. There was a 10 lac difference between V MT and eHEV. Even if it was near 20L, I would have bought it 100%. 26+ Lacs for this car is outrageous pricing.

Delivery:

Took delivery of the car late May with dad and wife, after confirmation of invoice and payment. Signed a couple of papers and received a lot of paperwork in the dock. I paid for the steering wheel cover beforehand which they promptly forgot and said it was out of stock. They promised they’d fit it during the first service or whenever I come for a mall visit (Express Avenue is nearby). They did not force me to buy anything or offer to look at accessories. I would have bought something if they showed me a list. I later found out that they don’t have any accessories readily available. Registration was completed for the Honda Connect app during delivery. A survey was given to rate the sales experience. We visited the showroom only once for color selection, other than that everything was done at home.

Chocolates from the dealership. Manual & dock.

Overall delivery experience was mediocre. They take a photo and give it to you in a frame before you leave. There was another car waiting for delivery so all seemed a little rushed. Honda needs to improve on the delivery experience. My bike delivery was more exciting than this. My Wife laughed and felt the same. Driving back home in traffic with a lengthy sedan was one of my nerve-wracking experiences. It did not want to put a dent or scratch on the first day.

Exterior:

The side profile looks sexy! The trunk spoiler with LED that comes with Elegant Edition looks great in person. I don’t know if this car requires that much downforce. It’s more of a wing than a spoiler.

The hood open clip is situated almost at the center, right above the Honda logo. I’m not a fan of the front chrome treatment but my wife seems to like it. All physical and neat surrounding finish across the clip. No front parking sensors. I was told by SA that they had this but Honda removed it because too many customers started complaining that it’s annoying.

Good interior bonnet protection. SA recommended that I don’t push the bonnet with my palm instead drop it from a decent elevation. He said he has seen many dented bonnets on day 1 when customers press or sit on them to close.

1.5L i-VTEC Engine ♥️ Buttery smooth. During the test drive, I didn’t hear a sound, I was under the impression that the car needed to be started. The Engine is well-protected and doesn’t have any vibration. My 10-hour drive to Tuticorin felt very relaxing with the sixth gear and low RPM drive, everything felt so comfortable.

Front Fender Garnish that comes with Elegant Edition. Blends well and looks good even though I don’t like having chrome in our car.

Easily scratch-prone door handles with sensors. It also allows for key-insert to open and lock. I received my car with even more scratches after giving it to service people at Sundaram Honda. Sigh! The auto lock/unlock feature is useful when I got the hang of it.

Tail lamps are beautiful - Thanks BM…Honda. You can see the Elegant Edition badging and rear parking sensors. Sensors are very sensitive and help me in parking. There is an option to turn off the sensors as well.

Stock Good Year Assurance Triplemax 2 - 180/60/R15 84H. It doesn’t come with a TPMS system. I have plugged in a nexdigitron Bluetooth valve plug for TPMS. Such a shame to give puny tyres for a car of this size. Above 120+ isn’t confidence inspiring with them. Would it look good if I blacked out the rims or is it unnecessary?

The exhaust. I should go do a full underchasis rubberized paintwork from 3M. I enquired the shop and they said it costs Rs. 5100 (5 years - every 6 months free repaint interval). Asked the same to the dealership and they told me it’ll cost 6k+ (one time only). Huh?

Good to see some factory underbody protection that is already present. The ground clearance has not been a problem for me. There’s a lot of fuss about the lower GC but I’ve done 1700 KM and I’ve not faced a single bump so far.

Interior:

Interior looks premium. Overall beige treatment feels luxurious when you enter the car. My dad told me it was easier to get in and out of the car compared to the Seltos xLine that my brother owns. (surprised!)

Middle armrest. Good finish with the elegant edition fabric but it does not slide back and forth. I feel the position is a little odd. It should have been a little up further. Maybe it’s just me.

Traction control (long press) and headlight leveller buttons. I believe the surrounding boxes (3) are additional switch slots that I can utilize.

Fuel cap and bonnet release levers. Good quality plastic all around. The clutch is smooth but I feel it needs more effort to push it at the bottom end. Braking is adequate. I wouldn’t try braking with these tyres post 120+ kmph. It’s not confidence-inspiring. Overall feel of the drive is good and my wife felt very comfortable.

Driver seat height adjustable lever. I’m 5’11’’, and I can see the bonnet from the driver’s seat with my current position. After driving the Elevate, I thought City’s seating and viewing angle would be a lot lower but it’s not, which is a good thing for me.

The wireless charging pad that comes with Elegant Edition has a power on/off switch. My iPhone 14 Plus heats after a while so I don’t put it for long hours. The charging pad fits in the cup holders. This charger occupies the 12V socket. I had to plug my dashcam USB into the first socket. TPMS bought separately from nextdigitron. No USB-C in 2024 for a 15L+ car.

Side seat pocket storage - Enough space to keep your phones and purses here. The Honda key cover was bought from Amazon separately. Handbrake feel is good. Are there two levels to the handbrake? Sometimes even though I pull down the lever, the car signals that I did not pull it all the way down. I was surprised a bit coming from the previous car.

I like the gear knob and the leather finish. Coming from a SWIFT everything is an upgrade for me. My brother said it wasn’t as smooth as the Verna 1.6 SX(O) knob. I read in the manual that there is a mechanism that prevents you from accidentally putting the car into reverse gear while the car is on the move. I felt relieved after reading since I’ve not driven a six-speed gearbox before.

Driver, passenger, and rear foot lamps that come with Elegant Edition. GFX premium mats bought from Carhatke (Rs. 3699). Very premium quality. Thanks for the recommendation, Team-bhp!

Dome lights on the rear. Halogen light with a satisfying physical button and decent throw at night. Sleek step illumination on all four doors which comes with Elegant Edition. I thought these were unnecessary but my family likes it. Haha!

Boot space is more than adequate. GFX Trunk tray from Zapcart (Rs. 1800). While shipping was horrible, my tray survived. You get a trunk light as well which is neat. I did not buy the basic kit from the dealership as I did not see value in those for Rs.10,000.

Halogen headlight controls. The nighttime throw is not adequate at all. I would not go out at night with these lights. Headlamps are defaulted to Auto. The spring setup gets annoying when you don’t have any control to turn them off manually when the engine is running.

Music controls, voice assistant, and that satisfying instrument cluster scroll-wheel control button. The steering wheel cover wasn’t the best. I was expecting the top model cover as it was mentioned in the brochure for accessories instead I got this cheap cover sold for Rs. 1500 which had noticeably bad stitching parts. The accessory guy explained that it is not possible to put a top model cover as it’s machine cut and comes factory fitted.

AC physical knobs are the best. I would have struggled with touch controls while driving. Cooling is very sufficient. You have options to turn on/off/circulate air/max cool and defogger (front and back) options.

Adaptive cruise control and other ADAS control buttons. Tried it during my trip to Tuticorin and felt it was programmed well. Adaptive CC on a manual car is great at this price point. Lane keep assist (works above 70 kmph) got annoying fast on the highway during overtakes when I had to put much effort into steering left when the system steered me right as I was crossing the lane. I have to put the indicator every time to avoid the car from doing that. There is also CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System) which brakes and shuts the engine when there’s a close encounter. It will brake after giving warnings and if you don’t keep pressure on the brake pedal after multiple warnings, you are in for some rear-end action. This can’t be permanently turned off in safety settings as CMBS is turned ON after every engine restart and I fear it’s going to suddenly brake and end up in a situation where vehicles rear-end you.

The infotainment system looks dated. The touch screen is responsive but with Honda, the features are non-existent. The car deserves a better system, front parking sensors, 360 cameras, and better speakers. I haven’t had issues connecting to Apple Carplay. At first, we had difficulty knowing how to connect after that it became a breeze (click the button above the radio).

I was contemplating getting the top variant for lanewatch alone but my friends said the camera quality isn’t great and I also did not want a sunroof as well. My dad laughed when I said lanewatch comes on the left side only (for a 16L+ car you buy…).

Wiper controls. I haven’t seen these many speed controls for a wiper to be honest. At high it almost feels scary. I don’t know what wiper fluid they filled but I ruined it by pouring water into it during my trip and my factory hydrophobic coating did not last long.

I like the chrome finish around the AC vents. Sleek finish and good air circulation. Received good feedback from the rear passengers too. The NVH levels are decent. We drive with music on so I don’t get bothered much but it could have been better. The rev and engine sound is music to my ears. I have seen people complain about that as ‘noise’ so if this is what they mean, I’m happy with the noise.

Rearview mirror with manual dimmer. Attached blind spot mirrors to both the side mirrors for some more visibility. Replaced stock dealership tie-up (Equitas) fast tag with the ICICI one. Removed it using nail polish remover. Big thanks to my wife. There is a rule to have only one fast tag. I ordered from ICICI 2 days before the trip and was worried it might disable the current one and I won’t get the new one on time. Luckily, ICICI shipped via Bluedart from Mumbai and it reached Chennai within a day. Even after I manually disabled the Equitas account, the Netc site still shows both are active. Their FAQ section states they’ll automatically disable the old one after 15 days.

The seat cover that comes with the Elegant Edition feels premium but I might change it to black at some point since even a tiny dust mark looks big with this colour. There are two side airbags for driver and passenger and two in front. There are no side curtain airbags with this variant.

Seat belts and headrests (not adjustable) for everybody! Rear seat comfort is one of the main highlights of this car. My family felt very comfortable. One annoyance with the Elegant Edition cover is the middle seat zipper cover doesn’t blend well when I open it and pull in the armrest. I cannot hide the cover properly. It looks odd with the already odd-looking armrest that touches the middle seat when pulled. My rear dashcam is picking up defogger lines on a certain part of the day. Any workarounds?

ORVM adjustment buttons and power window controls. Driver seat window gets one-touch up/down. The rest of the window control buttons need to be held. Beige fabric accumulates dust fast and I’m finding it very hard to clean. (I don’t know what to apply)

Parking:

Asked the dealership to check if it fits in my parking. The driver rammed the right ORVM at the gate (did not close) when he tried to reverse park. It was not confidence-inspiring but stressful.

Pic from the first day. Our parking spot is very tight, especially going through the gate. After putting some protectors in the side pillar and gate, we managed to park it without any scratches or dents. Took a decent 20 minutes at night.

The incident during the trip:

We took a 600 KM trip to Tuticorin from Chennai and visited my in-laws. Not even one close call happened. We decided to go down south the next day, to visit another family. Our car was slowing going at 20 kmph in traffic and all of a sudden a biker with multiple 25kg rice bags on top of the petrol tank rammed into our car on the rear side door and dented it upon seeing a police officer. The police officer laughed and went off. I called people at Honda at 9 AM even though their work starts at 10 am. They were responsive and I sent pictures to the body shop crew. They told me it should cost about 8-9k (part). With labor, it cost more but it was covered under insurance.

The guy cried and gave Rs.1500 as he did not have money. He left the spot without balance with his ricebags. My wife did not feel right getting money from the guy and refunded after an hour of discussion. Not even 10 days old. Dented and scratched. At that point, I was beyond frustrated and unsettled. My wife calmed me down and said it was an uncontrollable incident.

Reached Sundaram Honda Service Centre - Anna Salai (backside of Express Avenue Mall) for dropping car for first service and for door replacement right after reaching Chennai. Honda assured insurance came in handy. The following is what they checked/did for the first free service. The next free service is in six months or 5000 KM.

It took them a week and a half to order and replace the door with polish and paintwork. I believe the body shop did a pretty good job with the paintwork. The insurance process was a breeze. Good thing I picked Honda assured insurance. The advisor gave me constant updates so that I don’t get paranoid. All I had to do was fill out one form and inform them of the reason for the accident. I couldn’t find a difference after the replacement. Good as new?

Mileage:

Mileage on a recent trip to Tuticorin was 16.4 km/l. The total KM run is close to 1700 KM now and the first service is complete. In the city, I get about 12-14 km/l with AC settings sprayed between max and auto. If you look closely there are still residues stuck from the paper cover that was protecting the instrument cluster. I tried with a nail polish remover but it’s very hard to remove.

Accessories that I bought outside:

Tom Cat Rat Repellant Rat Spray and Jopasu Rat Repellant Foam Spray. Cost about 1000 for both. The first one is a very concentrated solution. So make sure to wear your masks and hand gloves. It comes with an ordinary mask but I’d recommend an n95 at least. I do not know the effectiveness of both of them as I currently use a rat wrap-around cover for the cover.

Infotainment screen guard - Good quality. Worth the price.

Window Visor with chrome line from Galio brand.

Car with the rat cover for Honda City (Rs. 8500) - Ultratuff. At first, it was a hassle but I think now it’s a bit better. Still need my wife to put the top cover to avoid scratches. The entire thing weighs 8.9 Kilos.

Door handle scratches. Bought a scratch guard from Galio but I haven’t applied yet because it looks out of place. (Not in pic)

Rain-x Rain Repellant. I was told this was useful. I need this for the upcoming rainy season. Saw some reviews on YouTube and the feedback was good. Little worried about the foggy effect at night time.

It was a decision between getting 2 x M200 or A810 or Viofo A229 Plus 2CH Dashcam + SanDisk 256 GB Max Endurance. Viofo also only recommends that you use certain endurance cards. So the overall thing is costly but I hope it’s worth it in the long run. Updated to the latest firmware and fitted in the car. Installation (running wires) costs Rs. 900.

I’ll share more updates in later posts. If you made it this far, thanks!

categories: car

tags: car , honda , review