• 

  Handy... Honda City's boot features a low lip so you don't have far to lift objects into it and the lid opens high enough so you won't hit your head Photo Gallery

• Honda claims it even has 10 litres more cargo space than a Holden Commodore.
• Honda City seems bigger on the inside than the outside.
• The City sedan is much quieter than a practical hatchback.

Let's start at the end - or rather the boot - of the Honda City.

The light car class is dominated by hatchbacks. Only Holden Barina, Hyundai Accent, Kia Cerato and Rio, Nissan Tiida and Toyota Yaris come with sedans.

Now comes the Honda City, which is basically a Jazz hatchback with a boot annexe. Not that the boot looks like an add-on. Its styling is quite elegant and inclusive. This is no afterthought.

Space

And what a boot it is. It seems to be the biggest in the class, with good access, a flat floor and 60-40 fold-down seats that still allow you to transport long objects.

Surprisingly there is still space under that flat floor for a full-size spare wheel. Honda claims it even has 10 litres more cargo space than a Holden Commodore. It's also larger than its own Accord boot.

While the boot is cavernous, size isn't everything. Accessibility is also important. This boot features a low lip so you don't have far to lift objects into it and the lid opens high enough so you won't hit your head, but not so high that short people can't reach up and close it.

However, the taillights intrude into the access width, limiting the shape of cargo you can fit. Also, although the boot is carpeted, it's very flimsy carpet and not well anchored. So when you go around a corner, luggage slides around the boot taking the floor carpeting with it.

Generous interior space doesn't end with the boot. It's almost an illusion, but the car seems bigger on the inside than the outside.

There is considerable legroom in the rear, even with the front seat way back, and this is a genuine five-seater with the centre seat in the rear having a three-point seatbelt. Although the centre seat is not a proper bucket shape, the perch is soft enough for moderate distances and the occupant doesn't have a high floor hump under their feet.

Headroom does not quite seem as good as the Jazz in the back and the rear door access is also slightly reduced.

Fit-out and equipment

Seats front and back are comfortable and there is more than enough legroom in the front for tall drivers and passengers. Unfortunately, I couldn't get quite comfortable in the driver's seat of the VTi because the steering wheel is not adjustable for reach as well as height. For that, you will need the VTi-L.

The base model includes power windows and mirrors, central locking, cruise control and an iPod/MP3 compatible single in-dash CD stereo. The VTi-L adds the telescopic steering wheel, 16-inch alloys, chrome door handles, foglights, better trim and a leather steering wheel.

A hatchback may be practical, but they can also be noisy. Sedans are generally quieter and this is no exception.

Driving

On the road, it drives very much like the Jazz, sharing its 1.5-litre engine and suspension.

The engine labours on hills and under heavy acceleration with a five-speed automatic transmission that hunts around on some occasions and hangs on to gears too long on others. The manual should be better for vigorous driving.

It rides well for a small car, although the rear suspension rebounds higher over potholes than the front.

Brakes are a little soft on the pedal, but very effective until you have a full complement of passengers and luggage on board.

Steering is light and rubbery which is ideal for shopping centre parking duties.

Snapshot
Honda City
Price: VTi $20,490, VTi-L $22,990 (Auto adds $2300)
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder
Power: 88kW @ 6600rpm
Torque: 145Nm @ 4800rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Eeconomy: 6.3L/100km combined (m) 6.6L/100km combined (a)
Emissions: CO2 148g/km (manual) 156g/km (auto)