The best thing about buying a Honda car is that you don't have to worry about quality. All Honda vehicles are top of the line and in terms of refinement and value for money, they are next to none. And so it comes as no surprise that the all-new Honda City has won virtually all the Indian top awards in its category. And why not? The pulse of the car is fuelled by technology and performance.

The Honda City has been a bestseller in India ever since its first generation model was launched more than a decade ago. The present third generation model is a brand new offering built on the Jazz platform. But it is more than all that Jazz; it is an independently designed car and it shows.

The car looks grown-up, sophisticated, and yet has a 1695 mm in width (5 mm wider). While maintaining the same ground and head clearance, the height has been lowered by 15 mm to 1470 mm, delivering a sleeker and sturdier body shape, giving it a refined driving position. With its wheelbase extended by an additional 100 mm, efficient use of space has been made to create a spacious cabin interior.

However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. And as this writer always insists, do not go by the exterior facade alone; it is the inside of the car that should excite your imagination. The interiors of the all-new City are rather flamboyant, with the dash swooping in to the central console that houses the music system. The colours are pleasant, and while there’s no leather upholstery, the beige fabric works. The base version has grey trim. The cabin is stylish, spacious, comfortable and designed to meet the needs of daily life. A lot of thought has gone into providing a variety of convenient, multi-purpose storage areas. The dual coloured dashboard along with the generous space and the threespoke steering wheel with the Honda badge is just too tempting. The silver centre console is equipped with an integrated audio system which is the world's first car audio system exclusive to digital media.

The car’s instrument cluster is smart, though the orange display could have been a bit more sophisticated and subtle. But the instruments do include a screen that gives you instant running mileage, average trip mileage, and distanceto- empty besides odo and trip meters. The steering wheel features audio controls and the automatic variant feature paddle shift behind it. An advanced audio system (but no sporty, ready-for-action aggression, a remarkable coup for a Honda design. This is a real departure since the earlier Honda City that was not to everyone’s liking; some called it a bug and most thought it was just odd. However, Honda's new offering comes with a dynamic style that is truly pathbreaking. The 'arrow shot' form, responsible for the refined aero dynamics of the car, amplifies its presence wherever it goes. This truly is a space-age design. From the front, the car evokes images of the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car as well as the new Accord or Acura, while from the side it is quite like a Honda Civic and the tail reminds you of a BMW.

The all-new City is longer, wider and sturdier than its predecessor, measuring 4420 mm in length (5 mm longer than its predecessor if the license plate is excluded) and CD player) has iPod compatibility, MP3 usability, USB memory and also cell phone compatibility.

Start the car and a powerful and very effective air conditioning system with heater instantly transforms the cabin into your comfort zone. The powerful blower with special and advanced compressor, along with under-seat ducts for the rear seat passengers, provides an unforgettable experience of total comfort.

As is usual with all Honda cars, safety is paramount. The all-new City has been engineered such that during a frontal collision the sensors detect an impact that exceeds a preset threshold and the airbags are instantly deployed and then gradually deflated to reduce head and chest injuries. At the same time, when seat belt load exceeds a certain preset threshold, the 3-point ELR front-seat belts with load-limiting pretensioners immediately rewind and tighten, then loosen again to reduce chest and shoulder injuries. The braking system works like a dream. To prevent wheel lock in an emergency braking situation or when braking on slippery surfaces, the ABS stabilises the vehicle while braking so the driver can control it better and avoid obstacles ahead. The Brake Assist System helps the driver when braking, leading to increased brake force in emergency situations.

Honda's unique G-Force Control Technology (G-CON) controls impact energy in the event of a collision and limits injuries. Honda engineers have enhanced collision safety through real-world collision safety research, including carto- car crash testing at the world's first indoor omni-directional crash test safety facility. To protect occupants in case of a collision, the company's tech wizards have worked hard to enhance self-protection while striving to reduce damage to the other vehicle involved. The external body structure of the all new City ensures advanced pedestrian safety features as well.