In a bad news for diesel-heads, Honda Cars India is going to stop selling diesel-powered City from April 1.
With the BS6 Step 2 emissions norms kicking in from April 1, car manufacturers in India are readying their vehicles to meet the new, more stringent emission standards - Real Driving Emission (RDE) norms.
The new RDE norms will require manufacturers to show real-time emission figures of cars just like the real time mileage currently on display in the panel.
As Honda readies itself to launch an updated version of its best selling model, City, it has been reported that the car will only be available in the same 1.5 litre Naturally Aspirated i-VTech petrol engine, ditching the diesel engine in India for good.
In fact, as per a Car & Bike report, most of the Honda dealers have already exhausted their existing stock of diesel-powered Honda City cars and even other models like the Amaze.
Last year Honda said that its 1.5-litre diesel engine (which powers the City) will not be ready to meet the new emissions norms. Furthermore, given the fact that the demand for the petrol model is much higher, diesel models could be discontinued. And while there will be no diesel version on offer any more, for those looking for some long-range driving, Honda does offer the strong hybrid version of the City.
Meanwhile, the Japanese car maker is all set to launch an all-new SUV in the summer this year (2023).
The new launch is expected to fill the void in Honda's portfolio which badly misses a mid-range SUV to rival the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos & Maruti Grand Vitara.