Cheap to run... the new Honda City will be available at the Australian International Motor Show. Photo Gallery
Small sedans usually only appeal to old people, but the new Honda City might just connect with the youngsters.
It isn't a performance car and the suspension is set-up with comfort rather than agility in mind, but the City looks cool especially from the front with a bold grille and slit headlights.
You could just imagine it being pimped with big wheels, a body kit and a massive muffler almost scraping on the ground.
They wouldn't have to change the sound system though, this one is as good as you will find in some premium cars costing twice the price with a very impressive bass. Ask anyone under 30 if the sound system quality matters.
The Honda City was introduced in Thailand in 1996 and is exported to 36 countries. Honda is to bring the third-generation to Australia in February. You can get a first glimpse of it at the Australian International Motor Show, starting at Darling Harbour on Thursday.
The City will compete against the Toyota Yaris, Holden Barina and Nissan Tiida sedans.
The two model range is likely to be well priced between $17,990 and $21,990.The biggest thing the City has going for it is the amount of interior space. Two tall blokes will be happy in the back of this car. The leg room is remarkable and there is ample headroom, while the seats are very comfortable.
Then there is the cavernous boot, which has a wide opening to allow for big bulky items.
Given this has a 60/40 split fold rear seats, it’s able to take surfboards or a mountain bike.
The City's interior is good. The plastic surfaces are hard but it looks nice.
The instruments and steering wheel are similar to the Jazz but the console is different.
The Jazz has gone for a futuristic look with different-sized dials and a non-conventional style. The City has a simpler and easier to use sound system and plain heater controls.
I drove the City at a race track near Pattaya in Thailand this week because Honda was worried we might hit or be hit by the hordes of scooter riders on the streets.
This made it harder to get an accurate picture of the City, but it was clear this carhas a different attitude to its Jazz sibling.
First, it feels much softer. The suspension has more give and there seems to be more body roll. Unless you fiddle, the City is never going to be a sporty drive, but that was never its role. It was designed to offer affordable, practical transport.
Hopefully, the softer suspension tune will allow the City to smooth out bumpy roads that it's likely to meet when it arrives in Australia. The steering is light, without much feel, but is excellent in tight spaces just like the Jazz.
We drove the automatic version of the City in Thailand and it is best described as adequate rather than lively. The Jazz isn't a fireball when fitted with an automatic and the extra 50kg of the City doesn't help.
It may feel quicker on a road, but it wasn't going anywhere in a hurry during our test drive.
We would expect the manual would be the choice if you wanted to make the most of the high-revving engine.
Except for when you are flogging it, the City is quiet and there didn't seem to be much wind noise or road noise.
At 100km/h it ticks over at just above 2000 revs, which is good for fuel consumption and great for your sanity on longer trips given it isn't buzzing away at 3300 revs.
The likelihood that the City will use less fuel than the Jazz, which is a miser, should be a big drawcard and could encourage some people out of compact crossovers and mid-sized sedans.
It isn't sporty but the City should be cheap to run, has heaps of space and looks good.
Snapshot
Honda City
Price: $18,000-$21,000
Engine: 1.5L/4-cylinder, 88kW/145Nm
Transmission: 5-speed manualor 5-speed automatic
Economy: better than 6.4L/100km
