The 2020 new-gen Honda City was scheduled to debut on March 16 in India but it was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it has come to our knowledge that the Thailand-spec model of fifth-gen sedan has received the highest 5-star safety rating from ASEAN NCAP. It is the third City model to receive the maximum 5-star crash test rating as the third-gen and fourth-gen models too were awarded 5-star by ASEAN NCAP in 2012 and 2014, respectively. Honda City is at loggerheads with Maruti Ciaz, Hyundai Verna and Volkswagen Vento in India.
The 2020 new-gen Honda City obtained an overall score of 86.54 points which it was awarded with 5-Star ASEAN NCAP rating. For each assessed category from this accumulated score, the City received 44.83 points for the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) category, 22.82 points for Child Occupant Protection (COP) and 18.89 points for Safety Assist Technologies (SATs). The tested unit featured four airbags, Seatbelt Reminder System (SBR) for both of its frontal occupants as standard and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) across all its variants. Though, the India-spec model will be similar in appearance to the Thailand model but it will have a different list of features and engine while also having greater ground clearance.
ASEAN NCAP Secretary-General, Professor (Adjunct) Ir. Dr. Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim said, “Honda City has shown consistent 5-Star performances since it was assessed in 2012. The pre-requisite that ASEAN NCAP set in 2014 -2016 assessment in which variants that are fitted with ESC and SBR for both frontal occupants are eligible for 5-Star AOP rating, provided that the model scored within the 5-Star scoring range, had given significant impact towards the development of upcoming models. By having the pre-requisite, manufacturers are well prepared by including the ASEAN NCAP core criteria under the 2017-2020 assessment into some of the model’s variants. Most importantly, now, manufacturers like Honda has equipped these important passive and active safety technologies in their model as standard fitment in order to make their cars safer for the benefit of road users.”