Honda City Facelift India Launch Soon? Here's What We Know so Far

The City is arguably the most significant nameplate for the automaker in the Indian market. First introduced back in 1998 the City is among the longest continuously running nameplates in the country. The City is currently in its fifth generation in the Indian market, which was introduced back in 2020 and received its first facelift in 2023 and is set to receive its second update next month.

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The current-gen City was introduced in 2020 with a new DOHC 1.5L i-VTEC petrol engine and 6-speed MT and 7-speed CVT; it got the 1.5L i-DTEC engine. The diesel version of the City was discontinued with the next update. While petrol City is timeless, pulling the plug on the diesel did impact sales. Honda, however tried to counter with the introduction of the City hybrid but a steep price tag didn’t make it a big hit.

Last year the automaker showcased the ‘Honda 0 Series’ modular platform at the Japan Mobility Show 2025. We anticipated that the next City could get an all-electric powertrain, but those plans were ruled out following Honda’s announcement to backtrack its EV plans. With plugs pulled on the diesel, Hybrids not taking off, EV plans scrapped and the automaker is in a mix. It would be an understatement to say that Honda is in a tricky situation in India; which is currently the third biggest automotive market in the world. Whatever decisions Honda will now take in the country are set to define its course in the domestic market for the years to come.

Mind you, Honda is not unfamiliar with the Indian market or the customers. The brand has the potential to turn the situation around 360-degrees in a short span of time. Honda has a relationship with the Indian customers where their cars are viewed with a halo behind them. So it is a matter of time that the company gets the concoction of size, features, powertrain options, variants and pricing right to hit the ball out of the park. So the upcoming Honda City facelift is going to be a very crucial one for the company’s future in the country.

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The fifth-generation City is set to receive its second facelift. In this update we expect Honda to introduce the updated City with revised exteriors with new headlamp, tail lamp, bumpers and alloy wheel design. However the overall silhouette and proportions are likely to remain the same.

In this update Honda is expected to keep a sharp focus on the interior as well. In the upcoming City facelift we expected the interior to get a larger touchscreen infotainment system, a digital instrument cluster, ventilated front seats, and a powered driver’s seat, a 360-degree camera, feature additions to Honda Sensing (ADAS) and more.

The upcoming Honda City facelift is expected to retain its powertrain options - it is expected to continue with the 1.5L 4-cylinder naturally aspirated DOHC petrol engine offered with 6-speed AT and 7-speed CVT. Since Honda is known for not altering powertrain options in mid-cycle facelifts, so we we expect no major changes in this department.