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Honda CIty ZX Vtec review - page 3 |
On the move though, one felt the same refinement that is normally associated with most Honda engines. There is one very interesting thing though; even thought the peak torque is available rather high, a good amount is available low down. This car is capable of pulling very strongly from as low as 800rpm, in fifth gear! The engine is a bit disappointing at the other end of the tachometer though. The ECM(engine control module) seems too biased toward fuel economy, The engine doesn't rev smoothly to its red line or with enough zest unless you actually decide to scorch up the tarmac. By this we mean that unless you drop a gear or two and really hit pedal to metal, the engine will not respond as it should. This can be a bit irritating at times, but what this means is that this 100ps engine is still able to give pretty good economy, company claims an average of 14kmpl.
There's one thing though, this engine is the same long stroke engine that is available with the i-Dsi model; of course, with a Vtec head. This means that that the motor isn't really rev-happy; as was the case with the previous Honda city Vtec, the ECM is proud of its frugality which further robs the driver of the sensation of having 100ps under his foot. The fact that Honda can play around with small capacity engines is shown very well in this car, this engine is able to give you all the power you need while keeping the fuel supply in constant check, Bravo.
The transmission of the city is very good, slotting in place with a nice reassuring click. The gear ratios have been decided quite well, allowing the gearbox to harness the engine's torque; 100kph comes up in second gear! The motor continues to sing even further but things could sound a bit harsh, so shift and watch the speedo fly past the 120kph mark in third gear. No complaints at all in this department, but throws if shortened could go a long way in improving the driving experience.
That said, the Honda City ZX Vtec was a bit of a let down, perhaps I had expected too much. The let down actually was not so much in the engine department, where was it then?
Ride and Handling
The rosy part first, the ride; it really is good, with the new ZX model of the city, changes have been made to the suspension of the city; making it a bit stiffer so that is doesn't bottom out. I'm all praise for the ability of the city to absorb road undulations; not just at higher speeds but also at the lower scale of the speedometer. the 175/65 R14 radials may seem bit low profile, but they're quite adequate to absorb all the bumps. The sad part though is that they are only 175mm wide. What was Honda thinking? I mean is 175mm thick rubber adequate to put down 100bhp?
Forget that for the time being, the City also has a well laid out chassis and comes with all four disc brakes, ventilated up front and solid at the rear, which is great help during crunch situations, but Honda have not provided ABS(anti-lock brakes) even as an option. This Honda has excellent dynamics, the chassis although a bit flexy when fully loaded is able to transfer weight quite well, but the steering is too light at low speeds and as the speeds rise, you feel bit detached from the action due to this lightness of the steering. The extremely disappointing thing about this car the tires, 175/65 R14.
These tires ruin the car's overall dynamics, they lock up too easily under pressure from the ventilated discs and during cornering, they are unable to cope with the kind of cornering and the amount of power that this car is able to transfer to the tarmac. We suggest that you up size to at least 185 or preferably 205mm rubber to extract serious fun from this car.
Verdict
The City Vtec has been a long time coming; a car that is supposed to capture the imagination of the enthusiast; Like its predecessor. This car though follows a completely different idea, it is not a petrol hungry rev-happy monster that will rip apart the highway and light up the odd drag-strip. This is an urbane car, it has excellent interiors to sooth your eyes, a powerful HVAC to cool your body, comfortable seats to ease the pain from a days work; it also has a 100ps engine that can help to do better on those signal to signal drag runs, or enjoy your favorite highway route with comfort and pleasure
Special thanks to Mr.Dijish K Damodaran
branch coordinator, sales,
Peninsular Honda
Mangalore | Cochin | Trivandrum | Calicut
Contact:09845948333, 9886748453
| Pros |
Cons |
| Honda Engineering |
Japanese thin gauge sheet metal |
| 100PS engine |
ECM thinks too many times before delivering power |
| All round disc brakes |
ABS and ESP not available, even as an option |
| Well balanced chassis |
Tires are simply too skinny to extract any handling or power |
| Excellent rear leg room |
Bit pricey at 9 lakhs plus, on the road |
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![Honda City Vtec Tyre](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=ctectire.jpg&imagetitle=Honda City ZX Tyre"))
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