The all new City will be available in two models - the VTi priced from $20,490 and the VTi-L priced from $22,990. Photo Gallery
More than just a Jazz with a boot, Honda's City is a car for the times - be they good times or bad times.
More than just a Jazz with a boot, Honda's City is a car for the times -be they good times or bad times.
At the moment you'd have to say they're bad, in fact very bad - as motor vehicles sales continue to slide and prices begin to creep north.
It's going to get worse too, as existing stock starts to dry up, stock purchased when the Aussie dollar was good and strong.
Since then it has fallen 40 per cent against the Japanese Yen and 30 per cent against the Thai Baht (where most Hondas are built).
Rather than delay City's launch, however, Honda decided to press on, knowing that if anything, demand for small cars that are cheaper to run is likely to accelerate.
Mechanically, the “Jazz with a boot” is the same under the skin, sitting on the same platform with the same engine and transmissions.
The 1.5-litre four cylinder SOHC i-VTEC unit is good for 88kW and 145Nm and is hooked up to a five-speed manual or optional, five-speed auto - the latter misses out on gear change paddles.
All important fuel economy is a claimed 6.3 litres/100km for the manual and 6.6 for the auto, using standard unleaded.
In terms of size, City is 510mm longer than Jazz, but it's the same width and sits 55mm lower, presenting a longer, leaner profile.
Down the back, the boot is large and deep, with a split-fold rear seat and an impressive 506 litre capacity - more than a Holden Commodore.
The boot hides a full size spare instead of a space saver in Jazz.
Inside, City is surprisingly roomy, with seating for five people and plenty of legroom in the rear.
In fact, it's close in size to the previous Civic and not that much shorter than the current one.
Two models are the offered, the VTi priced from $20,490 and the VTi-L priced from $22,990.
That's not cheap and a pretty big step up from Jazz priced from $16,990, especially for two cars that are essentially the same.
It 's also perilously close to Civic which opens its card at $22,990, so there's bound to be some cannibalisation.
Having said that, Honda warns we can expect price to rise “again and again and again”, so both Jazz and Civic could cost more in the near future.
On the road, City's performance is adequate if not exciting.
We drove the entry level VTi with the optional five-speed auto that adds a hefty $2300 to the price tag.
This is likely to be the most popular model, though many could be put off by the extra cost of the auto.
The car steers and handles surprisingly well, sitting flat in corners-but the drive experience is spoiled by the intrusion of road noise.
The steering is light and, with five cogs, the the transmission is able to extract the best from the engine.
The extra cog minimises hunting for gears, but kick down is savage and it's noisy under hard acceleration.
The transmission does not offer a sequential changes, just the usual D, 3, 2 etc.
Inside, the focus is on the new sound system which offers a AUX and USB ports, full iPod functionality and steering wheel audio controls.
It supports MP3, WMA and AAC formats, with a single CD that is hidden behind a flip down front panel.
The steering wheel in the VTi offers tilt adjustment, but the VTi-L gains reach and tilt.
In terms of safety, City boasts six airbags and anti-lock brakes, with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution.
But like Jazz it misses out on electronic stability control which will not be available on either model for at least 12 months.
This is going to prevent the car from earning a five-star crash rating.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and mirrors and central locking.
