Honda City Petrol CVT Real-World Fuel Economy Tested

The fifth-generation Honda City sedan, which received a 2026 facelift with a sleeker front design and new features, delivers an overall real-world fuel efficiency of 13.3 kpl when paired with its CVT automatic gearbox. Under the recent testing, the car returned 10.1 kpl in city conditions and 16.49 kpl on the highway. This highway figure comes close to the company's claimed efficiency of 17.97 kpl. The sedan packs a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine that puts out 121 hp and 145 Nm of torque. During the evaluation, the car stayed in its 'ECON' mode at all times.

Test Method And Factors

The 40-litre fuel tank gives the sedan a real-world driving range of 530 km. The lack of an automatic stop-start system held back better mileage numbers in city traffic. Also, the CVT unit responds quickly even to light throttle inputs, causing engine revs to climb and thereby reducing overall efficiency. The testing process involved filling test car tanks to the brim, setting correct tyre pressures, and driving fixed loops in and around Navi Mumbai. Each car carried a single person with the air conditioner set to 22 degrees Celsius in full-auto mode, while using other electricals like audio, ventilated seats, wipers, and indicators as needed. Drivers swapped periodically to cancel out personal driving differences before the team topped up the tanks again to measure fuel usage.