The 7th gen Honda City which made its world debut in Thailand on the 25th of November 2019 has completed two years of its global lifespan. Almost a year after its launch, the hatchback version of City made its debut on 24th November 2020, alongside the e:HEV hybrid sedan version that was introduced in the Thai market. Today the 7th gen City in both sedan as well as hatchback forms is available in many key markets across the world.
Pakistan was once among the very first markets to receive a newer generation model of Honda City. The City SX8 (Hyper-16) that was launched in Pakistan in January 1997 had made its debut some 8 months ago in April 1996. Then the 4th generation City (iDSI) made its world debut at the Bangkok International Motor Show in November 2002 and was introduced in Pakistan after only 9 months in August 2003. The 5th generation City (iVTEC) was unveiled in Thailand in September 2008 and was launched just 4 months later in January 2009. But from there on, since Suzuki Liana was out of the race already and the City had literally no competition in the segment, Honda dragged the 5th gen model for a prolonged period of time– over 12 years to be precise, despite the fact that it was already replaced by 6th generation elsewhere in 2014.
In July earlier this year, Honda Atlas introduced the 6th generation City in Pakistan which came as yet another addition to the list of globally discontinued models in Pakistan. The 6th gen Honda City made its ‘debut’ in our market almost 20 months after the global unveiling of 7th gen City sedan. The 6th gen City had made its debut back in April 2014, received a facelift in 2017 and was replaced by the 7th generation model in November 2019. So technically, Pakistan has embraced the 6th gen City after 7.3 years, and more importantly 1.8 years after it was replaced by the 7th gen model.
Related: 6th Gen Honda City- Yet Another Globally Retired Car Arrives in Pakistan
However even after 4 months of launch, the globally retired 6th gen City is unable to make any impact in our market as far as the sales are concerned. In October 2021, the combined number of Civic and City stands even lower than the individual sales of Toyota Corolla alone. So far during the first 4 months of this fiscal year, the combined sales of Honda City and Civic stands at 10,444 units whereas that of Toyota Yaris and Corolla is 19,214 units which is 84% higher than that of Honda duo.
Related: The History of Honda City
The 7th gen Honda City is highly successful due to its design, fuel efficiency and comfort. Its doing wonders for Honda in terms of sales in markets where its being sold. However with Honda Atlas launching the 6th gen City in Pakistan this year, and considering their recent track record and their dismal sales performance in our market, its highly unlikely for us to welcome the 7th gen model anytime soon. How long we will have to wait for this City, only time will tell.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
