Powering the 2020 Honda City 1.5L V is a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre 4-cylinder DOHC i-VTEC engine that makes 121 PS and 145 Nm of torque. Drive goes to the front wheels via a CVT. Honda claims a fuel consumption figure of 5.4-litre/100 km, but what did it achieve in our fuel consumption test? Let’s find out.

Our standard operating procedure

We have our own SOPs too, you know. First up, the tyre pressure was inflated to the manufacturers recommended specs of 230 kPa (cold tyres) for the front tyres and 220 kPa for the rear tyres.

Then the Honda City’s 40-litre fuel tank was filled to the brim and we set off. Air-conditioning was set at 22 degrees in automatic mode, with speed capped at 110 km/h.

Driving behaviour was as per normal. Depending on vehicle, normal driving mode is selected (sport or eco mode is avoided to simulate normal driving).

Test route and traffic condition

Our test route began from a fuel station at Jalan 222 in Petaling Jaya. From there we merged onto the slightly congested Federal Highway and exited to LDP, headed towards Putrajaya.

Traffic was relatively smooth flowing (as smooth as it gets on Federal Highway) on a weekday afternoon. Upon arrival, the Honda City was driven in scarce traffic around Putrajaya and Cyberjaya area, where we conduct our instrumented tests. 

Calculated fuel consumption figure

Once the tests were completed, we headed back in the opposite direction in identical traffic conditions, to the same petrol station where we started. Overall, we clocked 97.1 km and refuelled 5.19 litres. This gives us a calculated figure of 5.3-litre/100 km.

But wait...

However, we've managed a prior fuel consumption test under different conditions for the Honda City, and it returned 7.2-litre/100 km. Traffic was much heavier with more stop-and-go conditions, and there was more idling time when we conducted the photoshoot.

Final fuel consumption figure

Without disregarding either of the tests, we’ll take the average calculated fuel consumption figure of the two as the final figure – 6.3-litre/100 km. We reckon this is easily achievable in real-world driving conditions.

To conclude, if you’re light on the throttle and traffic conditions are favourable, the claimed fuel consumption figure can be achieved. But even if driving conditions are not favourable, the Honda City is still able to return a respectable figure.

Why do we say so? For comparison’s sake, the Perodua Axia averaged 6.5-litre/100 km during our test under similar conditions, and the Axia is known for being a thrifty little car. Not too shabby, the Honda City.