Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL) has commenced the production of the Honda City e:HEV hybrid in India. The car is already on sale in select South East Asian markets, where it is called the new City RS hybrid.

The City e:HEV’s strong hybrid electric system produces system combined max power of 126 PS, a fuel efficiency of 26.5 km/l and maximum motor torque of 253 Nm @ 0 – 3000 rpm.The new City hybrid features a hybrid system, called the i-MMD (intelligent multi-mode drive) e:HEV hybrid powertrain. This powertrain comprises a 1.5-liter petrol engine that makes 98hp of power and 127Nm of torque coupled to two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery. The petrol engine comes paired with an electric motor that assists and acts as an integrated starter-generator (ISG). Meanwhile, a second electric motor, producing 109hp and 253Nm of torque, sends drive to the front wheels via a bespoke gearbox with a single, fixed-gear ratio.

The hybrid set-up is also likely to enable three drive modes – one where just the electric motors are used, one where just the internal combustion engine runs (a lock-up clutch sends power to the wheels directly), and a third which allows for a combination of both.

The Honda City e:HEV hybrid is around 110kg heavier than the regular model. The boot space is reduced by 90-liters to 410-litres. The sedan gets all-disc brakes as well as an electric parking brake. It also gets a regenerative braking system, which is common with electric cars. The Thai-spec model is claimed to return 27.78kmpl of mileage. It is expected that the India-spec model will return close to 27kmpl mileage, while the real-world mileage could be around 20kmpl.

The City Hybrid gets sportier-looking front and rear bumpers with new black accents on the grille, ORVMs, and bumpers. It also gets an all-black theme for the interior. In terms of safety & security, the new City hybrid will get six airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, hill start assist, electronic stability control, rearview camera, rear parking sensors, traction control & ABS.

The new Honda City e:HEV will be equipped with the Honda Sensing Suite which includes driver assistance and collision avoidance technologies. It offers features like a road departure mitigation system (RDM), collision mitigation braking system (CMBS), adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, Honda LenWatch, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitor & auto high beam headlamps.