Honda City: Compact Thinking

Motoring Channel Staff - 6/February/2009

Sydney, Australia — The Honda City compact sedan is now available in Australia.

The new model is built in Thailand and gives buyers a new option in the compact car segment: unlike almost all of its rivals, the Honda City is a sedan, not a hatchback.

One of it's headline features is the giant boot.

As Honda explains, the City's interior can easily accommodate five adults in comfort and has a 506 litre boot which is bigger than the Honda Accord (450 litres) and even the Holden Commodore (496 litres).

The car weighs between 1110kg and 1160kg and measures 4.41m long and 1.69m wide.

The compact sedan's power comes from a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine and is mated to one of two 5-speed gearboxes, auto and manual. Pricing for the new model is as follows:

City VTi manual: $20,490
City VTi auto:     $22,790
City VTi-L manual: $22,990
City VTi-L auto:     $25,290

Though this is the first time Australian drivers will have seen the City, it is actually a third generation model that was first conceived in 1996. It it sold in 39 countries and has sold more than one million units.

So what can we expect?

The Honda City's standard features include power windows and mirrors, central locking and an iPod-ready single in-dash CD stereo with MP3 compatibility and with six airbags (dual front, side and curtain airbags) as standard it's got a strong safety package.

ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and brake assist are also standard.

The range-topping Honda City VTi-L models get extras like tilt and telescopic steering, 16-inch alloy wheels, chrome door handles, fog lights, premium grade trim and a leather steering wheel.

Honda Australia's CEO, Yasuhide Mizuno, said the arrival of the City has been welcomed by Honda, its dealers and customers alike: "From my previous experience in the Asia-Oceania region, I am very confident the new City will have universal appeal for buyers of all ages. 

"It has the edgy styling that young people seek with plenty of room for those who frequently travel with friends," said Mizuno.

The design is almost like a miniature Accord Euro from the front, with an ultra-bold front grille that flows into the angular headlights.

Honda's designers have penned a car with strong lines and an attention-grabbing style with this small car, but the front-end design has already been criticised by some as being dated.

The interior has a similar steering wheel to the Jazz and Civic but some elements, such as the centre console, show off designs not yet seen in Australia.

Mizuno-san added that the Honda City has "class-leading power" and "exceptional fuel economy". 

The 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine (also used in the Honda Jazz sports models) cranks out a very respectable 88kW @ 6600rpm and 145Nm @ 4700rpm. 

Both the VTi and VTi-L models get this engine coupled to manual or automatic 5-speed transmissions and have the following claimed fuel consumption figures: 

Manual
Fuel consumption: 6.3L/100km
CO2 emissions: 148g/km

Automatic
 Fuel consumption: 6.6L/100km
CO2 emissions: 156g/km

Like the Jazz, the City makes use of the same suspension layout, MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear. 

The rear-end suspension is low tech by modern standards, but Honda has taken to using torsion bars in many of its small cars. While ride quality may not be as good as independent rear suspension layouts, one positive side effect is maximum packaging efficiency - one of the reasons the boot is so large.

Honda says the City has 'sure-footed handling' and delivers an enjoyable driving experience - we'll find out if that boast is true when we road test the car in a few months time. 

With a tight turning radius of 5 metres at wheel centre (about 10 metres kerb to kerb) and electric power steering or EPS, the new model should live up to its name and be a practical city car.

Related Links:
- Honda Jazz (Road Test)
- Honda FC Sport (2008)
- Honda City (2009)
- Honda Life Mugen (2008)
- Honda Accord Euro (Road Test)
- Honda Civic Hybrid (Road Test)
- Honda Insight Concept (2008)
- Honda Jazz (2008)
- Honda Accord Euro (2008)
- Honda Accord V6 (Road Test)
- Honda OSM Concept (2008)
- Honda Accord Euro (Road Test)
- Honda Crime Avoidance Sat Nav (2008)
- Honda Civic Type R (Road Test)
- Honda CR-V (Road Test)
- Honda Legend (Road Test)