On May 22, Honda will launch the 2026 Honda City, and it will be a timely updating of a very popular car in India. Volkswagen Virtus and Hyundai Verna are strong competitors and Honda will give the City a refresh of its design, features and technology, but will not change the engines that have already proven themselves.
The City has been around since 1998 and the fifth version came out in 2020. This update is the second for this current style and is designed to make it more attractive without changing the essential qualities or how easy it is to use every day.
Expected design changes
Pictures of test cars covered in camouflage show only small changes to the outside, not a huge redesign. Honda will likely smooth the exterior and change the lights, but will keep the general ‘three box’ shape of the car that City owners like for its nice proportions.
Based on camouflaged test mules, expect these exterior tweaks:
– Fresh grille design
– Revised headlamp and tail-lamp signatures
– New alloy wheel patterns
– Reprofiled front and rear bumpers
Interior and feature upgrades
Most of the changes are likely to be in the interior. Honda is expected to introduce a new look for the dashboard, newer fabric for the seats, and small improvements to the interior in general to make it feel nicer, while not completely changing the interior.
Key equipment likely on the facelift:
– Larger touchscreen under consideration
– Or 8-inch infotainment may continue
– Fully digital instrument cluster expected
– Or 7-inch TFT cluster could remain
– 360-degree camera likely to be added
– Powered driver seat anticipated
– Ventilated front seats expected
– Updated ADAS features possible
Tech carryovers and additions
The current City has an 8-inch touch screen and a 7-inch full colour, high definition display for the instruments. The updated version might have these again, and add a 360 degree camera. Some of the more expensive versions could get a larger screen and a completely digital display for the instruments, bringing it in line with what’s available on newer cars in this class.
Engines and performance expectations
Under the hood, don’t expect anything major to be different. The 1.5-litre petrol engine, which doesn’t use a turbo, will continue to be used with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic. The hybrid e:HEV version will also continue, and will have its e-CVT transmission.
To give you an idea, the current City’s 1.5-litre petrol engine makes 121 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque. The City e:HEV makes 126 horsepower and has the best fuel economy in its class, at up to 27.26 kilometres per litre. Because the engines aren’t changing, you can expect the updated car to have similar performance and fuel economy.
Launch timeline, rivals, and what to watch
The update is on May 22 and is to make the City even more competitive with the Virtus and Verna. The price of each version and which features are included will be important, especially if Honda adds more features to the cheaper models or keeps the best equipment for the most expensive versions.
On the day it launches, it will be important to know exactly what the infotainment system will be, how much the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) have been improved, and if the seats will be powered and ventilated. Honda seems to be making small improvements to the strengths City owners already like.
