The Honda Metropolis isn’t just one other Honda, it is Honda. The favored Metropolis is synonymous with the Honda model and, for 4 generations and 22 years, the Japanese firm has profited tremendously from the success of its mid-size sedan. In reality, after the Mercedes E-Class, the Metropolis is the longest-running nameplate on a automotive within the Indian market and through the years has earned itself a deep and dependable fan following. A fan following that Honda can’t afford to upset. So with each era of the Metropolis, Honda has needed to up the ante. It has to make its bread-and-butter mannequin extra interesting than earlier than to please Metropolis loyalists, who, of late, are being swayed by aggressive overtures from rival manufacturers which have invaded the Metropolis’s turf.
Therefore, the newly-launched fifth-generation Honda Metropolis comes with excessive expectations. Not solely does it must be a step up from its predecessor (which, by the way in which will proceed to be bought alongside the brand new mannequin), however it has to compete with a brand new wave of mid-size sedans from Hyundai, Skoda and VW, all launched in fast succession.
House cadet
Coming after six years, the fifth-gen Metropolis is all-new and like with each successive era, it has grown in measurement. The newest mannequin has stretched right into a phase above and, in truth, is even longer than the primary Honda Civic. So, is the brand new Metropolis a child Civic or only a larger Metropolis?
By way of design, the Metropolis seems to be extra of an evolution of the earlier mannequin and the general stance, form and design of the person parts remind you of the sooner automotive.
A lane watch digicam system, which makes lane altering in our chaotic site visitors much less hazardous, is exclusive to the Metropolis
Honda’s signature entrance chrome bar is now thicker, with the highest strip stretching throughout the width of the nostril above the LED highlights. The sharp-looking headlights, with their a number of reflectors and techy detailing, look good and make the brand new Metropolis stand out as genuinely new.
The cabin is much more inviting with its plush-looking and well-crafted mild brown and black inside. A few of the plastics, although, have a shiny, downmarket look and we’d have most well-liked duller, soft-touch textures.
There’s no stinting on house although. The big, well-sculpted entrance seats have good all-round bolstering however it’s the rear seat Honda has actually aced, but once more. Like with the fourth-gen Metropolis, the rear bench is essentially the most beneficiant within the class and can hold you snug for hours on the highway. That is, certainly, the very best automotive to be chauffer-driven in for the cash.
First in school
Honda has usually been fairly miserly with tools, however with the brand new Metropolis it has been surprisingly magnanimous by packing in options which might be even first in school. You get all of the goodies like a sunroof, multi-view rear digicam, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, however a lane watch digicam system, which makes lane
altering in our chaotic site visitors much less hazardous, is exclusive to the Metropolis. And so is the Alexa voice assistant. From your private home, you’ll be able to merely ask Alexa to start out the automotive, swap on the aircon, and let you know the gasoline degree and the present location of the automotive. Gimmicky? Perhaps, however a whole lot of house owners will discover this characteristic genuinely helpful.
The cabin is very large and well-equipped, with plush-looking interiors
The 1.5-petrol engine has all the time been the center of the Metropolis and it’s been upgraded for the fifth-gen Metropolis. It’s not as punchy as the brand new breed of turbo-petrols however it’s a really versatile engine, which delivers energy seamlessly and successfully. It’s quick whenever you need it to be and can amble alongside in site visitors with out criticism. And with a 0-100kph time of round 10 seconds, you received’t complain about efficiency both. The CVT automated is fairly sprightly too and its mixture of comfort, efficiency and effectivity will make it essentially the most most well-liked variant within the Metropolis vary. Diesel engines have by no means been Honda’s forte and the 1.5 unit within the Metropolis does the job effectively and with out fuss, however it’s not the quietest and neither is it the quickest.
What makes the Metropolis particular is its huge automotive really feel. It has a mature experience that soaks up bumps successfully, protected and predictable dealing with, an enormous, well-equipped cabin and this goes a great distance in justifying its fairly steep ~10.90 lakh beginning value.
Hormazd Sorabjee is without doubt one of the most senior and much-loved auto journalists in India, and is editor of Autocar India
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From HT Brunch, August 9, 2020
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