Honda City Reviews

Although it was never a huge seller, the GM2 (Honda’s in-house code) Honda City four-door sedan was eventually replaced by the GM6 model, and with that update came a bigger car in pretty much every direction, further differentiating the City from the more popular Honda Jazz hatchback.The GM6 City was both longer and taller than the car it replaced and, crucially, there was an extra 50mm in the wheelbase, giving both a larger cabin and more boot space. Clearly, Honda had worked out that City buyers were a pragmatic bunch.Mechanically, not much had changed, though, and the 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with its fairly meagre 88kW remained the only choice. You could still get a five-speed manual, but only in the entry-level version, and just about everybody who bought a City brand new specified the continuously variable transmission (CVT) anyway.Trim levels were also unchanged with the VTi the base version and the VTi-L for those who had a bit more to spend. The VTi-L step-up got you paddle shifters for the CVT (an affectation, to be sure) a leather-clad steering wheel, better stereo and 16-inch alloy wheels. Curiously, the VTi had simple, steel wheels of 15 inches.Generally, yes. Even though the City is built in Thailand and not Honda’s home-base of Japan, quality seems pretty good. You also get Honda’s engineering flair in the case of the zingy little engine with its variable valve timing and great fuel economy. But that doesn’t mean the City will appeal to keener drivers out there; the suspension is too soft and the steering too slow for that.If you don’t need the arguably more versatile packaging of a hatchback, then the City’s roomy interior and boot makes plenty of sense.Just bear in mind that `good’ doesn’t mean sexy.But in this case it does mean safe and the City scored the maximum five stars for safety in local independent testing.Like the vast majority of Hondas built anywhere in the world, the City seems to be pretty robust and able to go the distance. That, however, is on the proviso that it’s been maintained, but that goes for any make and model.Overall, instances of major failures and owner complaints are few and far between.Probably the most common problem exhibited by the Honda City is a CVT that shudders on take-off or slips or jerks when the driver applies a load to the driveline. The good news is that, unlike many CVTs from other makers, the Honda’s unit is a lot stronger (possibly due to the fact that Honda makes its own CVT to its own standards) and problems like these are often fixed with a change of transmission fluid to replace the old, dirty fluid.The exception is the model year 2014 City, a batch of which was fitted with an incorrect shaft within the transmission. Under high loads, this shaft could sheer off, leaving the vehicle with either no drive at all, or locked front wheels. A Honda dealer can check the VIN of a particular City and know whether it was affected by this.Most experts reckon the CVT fluid should be changed every 50,000km to keep everything running smoothly and reduce wear to a minimum.The exception to this good track record will be the City that has been neglected in regards to its routine maintenance. The complex little engine uses a maze of tiny oilways to power its variable valve timing and lift function (which gives the engine its sparkle). But if regular servicing has been missed, these oilways can soon fill up with sludge and dirt, at which point the engine can’t perform properly.The City also uses a timing chain, so that component should last the life of the car and not need periodic replacement like a toothed rubber belt in many other makes and models.The City GM6 was recalled twice, the first for that CVT with the dodgy internal shaft that could fail at any time. The other recall was for a batch of cars built across 2019 and 2020, in which the electric fuel pump could suddenly die, leaving you stranded wherever that failure occurred.You can search for more recall data at: https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/That 2014 batch of Citys with the iffy shaft in their CVT are the ones to avoid now. Although if the car has been fixed as part of the associated safety recall, then the modified City should be just as robust as any other City. But if the City you’re looking at is a manual-transmission car, disregard the above as it was only the CVT that was affected.Beyond that, buy on condition and service history rather than build date.The majority of Citys have never strayed too far from the, er, city. Nor have they been embraced by couriers and Uber drivers, so you don’t see too many with a lot of kilometres on board.That said, there’s absolutely no reason to think that a well-serviced City won’t push through the 200,000km mark with lots of life left in it. In any case, a high percentage of Citys for sale right now have less than 100,000km on their odometers, suggesting lots of reliable motoring still to be had.We’d often advise against the version of any car with a CVT, but the Honda’s in-house CVT seems a lot better than most of the rest out there. So there’s no problem with a City with two pedals if that makes life easier. It will certainly make the car a lot easier to unload come trade-in time, too.And since the price difference between the VTi and the ritzier VTi-L version is a lot less now than when the car was brand new, there seems little reason not to opt for the more luxurious latter variant as a second-hand buy.Prices for early GM6 Citys start at around the $9000 or $10,000 mark, but they’ll nearly always be high-mileage cars (say, 160,000km or more, if that bothers you).Prices top out at closer to mid-to-high teens and for that, you’ll be buying a low-kilometre car in excellent condition. Just don’t forget to check the service history.Even though the City was not a huge seller here, parts and servicing are no problem. You can tap into the Honda dealer network and pay a little more, but the popularity of the Honda brand means there’s a huge aftermarket and enthusiast scene for the brand.Global popularity for Honda products generally means there’s also a healthy online marketplace for sourcing spare parts, service items and accessories.The City sales story is one of steadily falling volumes as the years have passed. Although the car sold a few thousand units in its first year or two of sales, buy the end of 2019, that figure had fallen to just over 600 sales for the year.That’s not a judgment on the Honda, but the reality of the small sedan market in this country as we shifted to hatchbacks and, notably, SUVs.

If you go right back into Honda history, you may recall the original Honda City was a tiny hatchback with odd, upright looks and a good dollop of charm. But fast forward to 2009 when this version, the GM2 hit showrooms, and the whole City concept had grown up somewhat.Yes, it was still a small car and undercut the Honda Civic in terms of price and size, but didn’t Honda already have the Jazz hatchback to fill the gap left by the original City?Or course it did. So where did that leave the City? Well, kind of in a no-man’s-land, and considering it was more or less mechanically a Jazz in sedan’s clothes, Honda was making things hard for itself. At this end of the market, hatchbacks were always the stronger players in Australia, by a huge margin in most cases, too. So the City’s straight-laced duds were pretty much guaranteed to hold it back.Launched here in 2009, the City was built in Thailand and was available in VTi and VTi-L specifications. All Cities were four-door sedans and the engine was the same in every variant; a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine making 88kW and 145Nm. The only mechanical choice lay in the transmission and you could have a five-speed manual or a five-speed conventional automatic.But even though it was somewhat ignored by new-car buyers, as a used-car buy, the Honda starts to come back into the running as buyers’ original concerns over fashion and fripperies are replaced by a focus on reliability and long-term prospects.The City was a slow seller, but that had nothing to do with its quality or reliability. Instead, the somewhat dowdy four-door sedan styling was the sticking point, combined with the fact that everybody in this market segment really wanted a hatchback Honda Jazz.As a used-car, however, that fashionista stuff goes straight out the window, and the City re-emerges as a smart buy thanks to its sharp build quality and long-term prospects. This type of car was also usually bought brand-new by pretty conservative buyers who understood proper maintenance. And that makes the City an even better bet now.The City faithfully follows decades of Honda tradition by being well made and reliable. Chronic problems are few and most owners have enjoyed trouble-free experiences with the Honda.Although it’s a very clever mechanical system, Honda’s V-Tec variable valve timing system operates on tiny oilways and passages. That means any dirt of sludge in the oil is bad news as it can block these oilways and cause the V-Tec to simply not work. It’s certainly not a common problem on these cars, but a check of the service history is mandatory.We’ve also heard of a few Citys where the heater’s blower motor has failed. The first symptom will be a fan that only works on the flat-out setting. Replacing the fan is the only permanent fix, apparently.The majority of other complaints surround the build quality (this was a Thai-built car, not Japanese, remember) and things like high levels of interior noise. Again, the thinner carpet fitted to many Thai-built cars might be the culprit. Either way, the City never quite measured up to Honda’s otherwise lofty quality standards.The City is relatively free of recall notices apart form one major safety issue. The car was caught up in the Takata airbag fiasco that saw millions of cars affected by potentially faulty airbags that could injure and even kill passengers in a crash.As time passed and more and more cars were added to the list of affected vehicles, more and more recalls were issued for these airbags. A Honda dealer should be able to identify whether your car has been fixed or not. In some states, cars that have not had their Takata airbags replaced cannot even be re-registered.Beyond that, the City has a pretty clean record with just one other recall being for a potential fault within the clever V-Tec engine valve assembly. In some cases, a spring could break, allowing the car to stall without warning.You can check the details at https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/.Since pretty much all Citys of this generation were affected by the Takara airbag recall, there’s not much to choose between the various years. Buy on condition and service history rather than build date.There’s the odd City out there from this generation with better than 200,000km on board, backing up the car’s reputation for overall reliability. But most of them for sale right now have travelled fewer kilometres than that, backing up the typical usage profile of the people who bought them brand-new.You can still find them with less then 100,000km showing, but we wouldn’t be put off by one with 160,000km on the odometer, provided the service history is complete and intact.A facelift in 2012 was the only real change to the City formula across its 'GM2' lifespan. And while it didn’t amount to a whole lot, it did bring thicker windscreen glass and carpets to help muffle some of the interior noise the vehicle was criticised for when new. Beyond that, buy purely on condition and service history.And, of course, if the budget will allow, buy the VTi-L for its extra standard equipment, since the price difference between VTi-L and the base-model VTi will be very small now.Prices start at around the $7000 to $8000 mark and top out at about $12,000 for exceptionally clean examples with moderate kilometres. Those prices are, in fact, pretty much line-ball with the City’s stablemate the Jazz. And given the latter’s hatchback layout and much greater popularity, that starts to make the City look a bit expensive, to be honest. That said, somewhere around $10K for a modern small sedan with a decent pedigree and plenty of life left in it is hardly extortion, is it?Even though the City was not a huge seller here, parts and servicing are no problem. You can tap into the Honda dealer network and pay a little more, but the popularity of the Honda brand means there’s a huge aftermarket and enthusiast scene for the brand.Global popularity for Honda products generally means there’s also a healthy online marketplace for sourcing spare parts, service items and accessories. Be wary of any overseas seller you haven’t used before, as aftermarket parts quality can vary enormously.Buyer indifference when it was brand new meant the City is now pretty thin on the ground as a used buy. In fact, after a brief flurry of sales when it was first launched, annual sales of the City dropped back to less than 2000 per year. Even a price-cut for the facelifted version in 2012 couldn’t stop the rot and probably less than a thousand City’s were sold after that.And that is why there’s now maybe a half a dozen GM2 Citys for sale even on the bigger online sales sites. Compared with the 40 or 50 Honda Jazzes from the same period for sale right now, you can see how the consumers voted.

The Honda City is a small, affordable, fuel-efficient four-door sedan... but has it kept up with the times?

Honda City sits into the space between the Jazz and Civic hatches and acts as a sedan option for both, City has never been a particularly big seller since arriving here in 2009. A $20,000 price tag for that first model certainly didn't help and $4000 was eventually cut to bring to a more realistic price.The latest (second generation) model City, launched here in mid-2014, comes with a range of new features including continuously variable transmission (CVT), a more fuel-efficient engine and a smartphone-based multimedia system; all in a larger but sleeker body.The new City delivers excellent value for money through fuel economy and top-line specification levels, the latter the result of the Japanese manufacturer trawling the world to discover how owners use their vehicles, what they like and dislike, how they live and what are their future plans.A common theme emerged: their reliance on smartphones, which travel with them constantly, hence the truly integrated experience on offer with the new City.The car comes powered by Honda's upgraded 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine in three versions – VTi manual and automatic and VTi-L automatic – coming to market from $15,990 to $21,885, plus on-road costs.The City follows fashion with the sedan curving front to back in a way that copies coupe shapes. The nose-down front emphasises the vehicle width with an aero-style bumper and incorporated air inlets.A strong so-called character line connects front and rear and is distinguishable, says the maker, equally in bright sunlight or cloudy conditions. Flared rear wheel arches add substance to the profile, while the rear lamp clusters are brought together by a chrome licence plate surround.While keeping within the confines of smaller sized sedan models, the City has expanded internally with an extended wheelbase. The spacious interior can seat five adults in relative comfort with significant increases in head, leg and shoulder room over the previous model.At the rear, the already huge boot has got even bigger in size, up 30 litres to a whopping 536-litre capacity. Honda rates it at four in the golf bag scale.Central to the Honda Display Audio system is the seven-inch colour touch screen, centrally located on the dashboard in easy reach of the driver and front-seat passenger.It enables Bluetooth connectivity for Apple and Android smartphones, including audio streaming, plus HDMI audio and video playback, the latter with the vehicle at a standstill and the handbrake on.Display Audio also integrates Apple's Siri reducing the time the driver needs to take eyes off the road. Compatible iPhone users, via Bluetooth, can operate Siri with voice command by holding down the Talk button on the steering wheel.By downloading an app, satellite navigation can be stored on a smartphone as opposed to the hardware of an in-car system. This sets the user free to have a navigation system in the car or elsewhere, providing more mobility.A roomy cabin put occupants at easeThe 1.5-litre SOHC four-cylinder petrol engine carries over from the previous City with power and torque unchanged at 88kW and 145Nm respectively. However, new lightweight technologies and the use of the CVT reduce fuel consumption to a combined city/highway figure of 5.7L/100km.An Eco Assist function helps the driver keep fuel consumption to a minimum by monitoring driving style using the outer ring of the speedometer. A blue light changes to green as fuel efficiency is increased by the driving mode.Further help comes in the shape of an Econ system which is connected at the push of a button. This remaps the drive-by-wire throttle system to maximise fuel economy.Active safety is covered by ABS braking, electronic brake-force distribution, emergency braking, vehicle stability assist with traction control and hill start assist. An emergency stop signal flashes the rear lights under hard braking, warning following drivers.Honda's long established ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) body structure provides occupant protection in a variety of crash conditions, along with six airbags and front seat whiplash mitigating head restraints.A reversing camera is standard in all models and includes three modes: normal, wide, and top-down. Rear parking sensors are a $450 option.It has an impressive list of standard features, many of which are rare in a car of this classA roomy cabin put occupants at ease for the test vehicle take-off, which was smooth enough in Normal mode. However, the engine struggled in Econ under hard acceleration. Up to speed the engine appeared to be holding back, which, of course, it was in a bid to save fuel.Under test the City recorded fuel consumption of 4.5L/100km on the motorway, 10.0L/100km around town. In Econ consumption was 6.8 in the suburbs and, again 4.5 on the open road, so the Econ mode certainly works well.According to Honda, at 536 litres, the new City boot is larger than that of the preceding model (506 litres) and is larger than many large sedans including the Holden Commodore. While that's big enough to take large objects, the boot opening however is not, which makes loading and unloading some objects awkward.When open, the hatch leaves its lower edge in a horizontal position just above eye level. More than once on test the lid was given a nudge by the noggin while dropping stuff into the boot.

Liveability is often bandied about to describe the quality of being comfortable and convenient to live in, especially when defining towns and cities. The word could well be applied to Honda's new City. The new City is a stylish light sedan that delivers value for money through fuel economy and top-line specification,

The second-generation model boasts an all-new, even roomier body, fresh multimedia tech and improved fuel efficiency.

June 30 is D-Day. The end of the financial year is the best time to buy a new car because there are always special deals in showrooms. As carmakers and dealers aim to clear their outdated stock, Toyota uses a June push to cement its showroom leadership. Some of the special deals are on cars that have done demonstrator duty, or were built in 2012, or are just not selling as well as expected. So they're not the tastiest fruit in the bowl.But there is great buying across the board as demand for new cars fuels one of the longest growth periods in motoring. The bottom line is that you can save money -- and lots of it. So here's a look at the June sales, with Carsguide's assessment of the best deals on wheels.CITROENThe new importer is pushing hard so the Aircross SUV starts at $31,990 drive-away front-wheel drive or $33,990 with AWD, a saving of $3800. There's $5000 off the C4 Seduction turbo diesel auto hatch at $25,990. Carsguide says: The Aircross isn't great, but the C4 discount is tasty.FORDThe death notice for the Falcon and Territory has not helped buyer confidence but a 2.9 per cent finance push on Fiesta and Focus still looks good. The superseded Kuga SUV from $31,990 drive-away is a $10,000 saving. You can save about $3000 on a 2012 Escape SUV from $27,990 drive-away.The Territory gets a $6500 tickle, the TX seven-seater at $38,490 drive-away (third-row seat usually costs $2500). The impressive Mondeo liftback starts at $29,990. Good buying on Falcons, thanks to the arrival of the VF Commodore, from $33,990 and better if you haggle.HOLDENAs the VF Commodore creates queues, the outgoing Z-Series starts at $34,990 with five years' warranty and roadside assist. That also applies to the SV6 at $35,990 and the Cruze SRi and SRi-V at $23,490 and $26,990. Last year's Barina CD hatches are $15,990 drive-away with a sunroof. The Colorado is $39,990. Hard to see past the excellent Cruze SRi.HONDAClipped prices and free on-roads. The City VTi sedan is $17,990 and the (slightly) more lavish VTi-L automatic version starts at $21,990. The bigger Civic sedan is being cleared from $21,990. Free auto on the Jazz VTi at $19,990. The Civic is worth a look at $2500 off.KIAFree on-roads, discounts and $1000 gift vouchers on many models. A five-door Rio S is about $3K off at $15,990 drive-away with a $500 gift card; the three-door Rio is $14,990 and the five-door Si is $18,990. Runout Cerato TD sedans start at $17,990 for the S, saving about $5000, the Si sedan is $23,990 and hatch at $17,990. All get a $1000 gift card. Cerato SLi and SLS have drive-away pricing but miss the gift card. All Optimas have free on-roads. A 2012-build Optima Platinum is $37,990, saving about $4000 with a $1000 gift card. Most Sportage SUVs include on-roads and a $1000 gift card. Carnival and superseded Rondo pricing is drive-away. The Sportage diesel and Optima are top-notch.MITSUBISHIThe manual Lancer gets an old-school value pack on the Special Action Model for $19,990 drive-away. The Mirage is $12,990 drive-away for the ES manual, with a $500 cash-back that also applies to the auto.Driveaway prices also for the compact ASX at $24,990 for the 2WD manual, the Outlander LS 2WD auto at $29,990, Pajero GLX-R auto at $54,990 or $59,990 for VRX. Both come plus $3000 cash-back, saving about $6000.The Triton ute is now tackling Great Wall from China at $19,990 drive-away for a GL single-cab 2WD with alloy tray, or add luxury for a GLX dual-cab 4WD diesel at $31,990 drive-away with $2000 cash-back, saving about $14,000. The utes look good at those prices.NISSANA 2.9 per cent finance package, with agreed value after three years, makes the Pulsar ST sedan look good at $49 a week or $19,990 drive-away. The X-Trail ST 2WD petrol manual cops a $4000 reduction to $25,990 drive-away, while the Navara RX 4WD dual-cab manual is cheaper than ever with a $9500 cut to $30,990 drive-away. The Pulsar sedan deal is attractive.OPELThere are drive-away deals across the range. The basic Corsa is down by about $2500 to $16,990 drive-away, the Astra is from $22,990 drive-away for the 1.4-litre turbo petrol hatch with three years of free servicing, saving about $5500. The top-line Insignia sedan is from $39,990 drive-away with heated leather seats. The Astra is easily best of this breed.PEUGEOTFree on-roads at Peugeot on most models but not the cool new 208. The 4008 SUV cops a $1500 saving from $29,990 drive-away and there are deals on the outgoing 4007. Nothing to see here.RENAULTA Koleos from $26,990 drive-away looks even better with interest-free finance. The Megane hatch is from $22,990 drive-away with finance pegged at 1.9 per cent. The slow-selling Fluence and Latitude sedans are available with 2.9 per cent finance. The Megane CC convertible goes from $43,990 including on-roads. The sporty Clio RS is from $34,990 drive-away and the hotrod Megane RS has 2.9 per cent finance.Commercial deals start with the short-wheelbase Kangoo petrol manual with dual sliding doors from $20,990 drive-away, moving up to the Trafic short-wheelbase manual for $29,990 and the long-wheelbase manual for $32,990, while the Master large van starts from $46,990 drive-away. There's a five-year/200,000km warranty on all light commercials ordered in June. Hard to argue against a $3000 bonus on the Koleos but stocks are tight.SUBARUDrive-away pricing -- for savings of $3000 to $4000 -- is the bait, with Impreza pricing from $23,990 (excluding the WRX, of course). The Tribeca from $54,990 now includes on-roads but you need to visit a dealer to get the full story. Nothing outstanding.SUZUKIThe front-drive SX4 gets a Navigator pack with voice-controlled 6.6-inch satnav with Bluetooth for $19,990 drive-away for the manual and $21,990 auto. That also applies to the 2WD auto Grand Vitara at $29,990 drive-away, including reversing camera and satnav with Bluetooth. The Alto GL manual also gets satnav for $11,990 drive-away for the manual, with the Swift GL manual at $17,490 drive-away including cruise control and Bluetooth. The Grand Vitara is a polished piece.TOYOTAThere's 2.9 per cent finance on Aurion and Camry with the Camry Altise looking best at $29,990 drive-away. Other drive-away deals include $15,990 for the Yaris YR five-door, $21,490 for the Corolla Ascent automatic, $39,990 for the Kluger KX-R 2WD five-seater, $60,990 for the Prado GXL turbo diesel auto and $39,990 for the HiLux SR 4WD dual-cab ute. The right time for the cabbies' new favourite, the frugal hybrid Camry.VOLKSWAGENDrive-away pricing on passenger cars and zero finance on commercials. The Polo is $16,990 on-road, the Jetta is down to $25,990 and the Passat $36,690. The Polo is Carsguide's 2010 COTY.VOLVOFuel and servicing for three years or 60,000km plus roadside assistance. There are conditions -- with a pre-paid BP card based on 15,000km a year and $1.50 a-litre pricing -- and the latest V40 hatch is excluded. Clever twist on bargaining but a pity it doesn't apply to the V40.Paul Gover's 10 COMMANDMENTSYou must still do your homework. You must still check the fine print. You must still be prepared to haggle and compromise.But do it right, crunching the numbers and running right to the dealer's deadline, and you can drive away in something special at a special price.The starting point is all the deals, from sticker specials to cheap finance and steak knife-style free extras, being offered by most of the 60-plus brands in showrooms today.If something you want is on special, go for it. But check that the car was built in 2013, and is not a geriatric old-timer from 2012, and ensure your target is exactly what you want - not a stripped-out stocker, perhaps missing an automatic gearbox - that will cost thousands to get the way you want it.Once you lock down a target, don't think the advertised special is the end of the deal. You also need to negotiate for a better price on delivery and on-road costs, and avoid the trap of buying over-priced extras such as paint and upholstery protection, window tinting and extra-long warranties.No-one can expect to go into the ring with a showroom professional and expect to win, because buyers only get a new car occasionally and sales staff are dealing every day. But, by concentrating on the real bottom line - the changeover price - and being prepared to compromise, you can come out ahead.The best tips are the simplest. Run as close as you can to June 30 to sign the deal and get the car, because dealers are all aiming for targets that can mean tens of thousands in bonus money from headquarters. Also be prepared to take a car they have in stock, even if it's not your favourite colour, because dealers are aiming to clear everything they have on the lot.And have your finance in place before you arrive, especially if you're taking up a special deal, because that makes things quicker and you'll also be spared any hassle and potential extra costs.Watch out for 2012 cars because the warranty clock has already been running, don't forget that a big discount today will also mean less at changeover time, and remember that a demonstrator car could have had a hard life already. 

The City was designed to meet consumer demand for a fuel efficient small car in Australia but has struggled in the sales department over its four years here.The third generation City first arrived down under in February 2009 and was received moderately by Aussie buyers with 3400 sales for the year. Sales have declined yearly dropping by over half to 1584 in 2011.This year Honda attempted to gain ground by releasing the fifth generation with a new look and a $500 price drop. It’s up against some high sales performers such as the Toyota Yaris, Hyundai i20, Holden Barina and Mazda2.But small sedan buyers still aren’t impressed, with only a dismal 517 sold so far this year -- with only three months to go until the New Year -- compared to the top seller Yaris’ 5465 sales.The price has been reduced to $18,490 manual ($20,490 auto) for the base model VTi. The top spec VTi-L tested here starts at $22,990 and is only available in a five speed auto.It’s kitted with features like 12V auxiliary sockets, CD player, four speaker stereo, iPod and MP3 connectivity, speed dependant volume stereo, remoteless central locking, leather steering wheel, steering wheel controls, electric power steering and fog lamps.The City is based on the Jazz platform and carries the same 1.5 litre four cylinder engine with 88kW of power and 135Nm of torque. The VTi-L has a five speed automatic transmission driven through the front wheels. And the official combined fuel economy is 6.6L/100Km but we got 8.0L/100km.The City has often been nicknamed the “Jazz with a boot” with a spacious 506 litre capacity but there’s more to the design than that. Honda says the City has received a number of new features and styling, such as a new chrome grille and redesigned front and rear bumpers.There’s also a new micro antenna that we found too large on the rear of the small car. However, the overall exterior look of the City is attractive and the silver 16 inch alloy wheels match the exterior chrome detailing well.The interior styling gets shiny “aluminium-look” panels/trims and chrome audio and climate controls. The speedometer is blue and there is light blue stitching on the seats. But the seat upholstery picks up a lot of hair, so if you have a pet you’ll probably have to invest in some seat covers. The inside is spacious enough for five adults and would suit a small family well in the city.It has a five star ANCAP crash rating with front, side and curtain airbags, ABS technology, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, engine immobiliser, fog lamps and impact absorbing body coloured bumpers.As the name suggests the City is made for city driving. It’s compact enough to manoeuvre through tight laneways, turn sharp corners with ease and fit into tiny parking spots around the CBD.But the overall performance was disappointing and points to the reason behind the dwindling sales. From the first turn of the key the engine was noisy and only increased at higher speeds. The acceleration was poor and hill climbs were sluggish as the 1.5 litre engine struggled to drive the 1140kg weight.We also took the small sedan onto a freeway to test the cruise control. While it held the 110km speed well, the rev-counter flew beyond four thousand and the engine revved loudly, forcing us to drop the speed. The lack of a sixth gear also contributed to the problem, as the extra gear would have reduced the revs and countered the problem.The City isn’t a great drive but it’s practical for anyone living in the city. So if you’re looking for a small sedan that’s small enough to navigate city streets but big enough deal with your daily shopping and errands then the City is worth a look.

Honda's latest lightweight but pricey addition to its Australian line up (popular in Asia but new to our shores) is a sedan version of Honda's Jazz hatch.Think of it as a small car with big car aspirations. But does it live up to them? Let’s count the reasons down from seven to one.That's the average fuel consumption the sedan returned after a week's rural and stop-start urban driving — and without any regard to driving with efficiency in mind. That certainly got my attention in these days of watching your household budget.That's what you can achieve in fuel consumption if you drive the City smoothly on the highway, so the fuel story gets even better.Honda's own claimed fuel figures are 5.3l/100 on country runs but you probably won't achieve that in real-world driving conditions. Honda boasts a combined city/highway consumption of 6.3l/100km (manual) or 6.6l/100km (automatic). The downside: the tank only holds a meagre 42 litres.The manual and auto gearboxes both get five ratios and five is better than four but not as good as six. The gearing is aimed for fuel economy not performance so don't buy the City if you are looking for spirited motoring; on the hills it borders on disappointing.Honda has done a fine job with the four-door sedan's baby Accord styling and a modern airy cabin which comes dressed in the obligatory polished alloy and black trim. Some of the design elements, like the red instrument dials are a bit over the top, but the City stands out from the small car pack.The cabin itself is reasonably comfortable but the front seats could do with even more support and front headroom can be tight if you are tall, thanks to the seats being mounted above the fuel tank.It is overall well executed, the controls fairly simple to understand and operate. One wonders why a five seater needs seven cupholders though.Top marks for the huge boot (more space than a Commodore) which is deep and long.Honda gets two but not all three of the expected safety features. It offers smart anti-lock brakes, front and side airbags and curtain air bags. But Honda shoots itself in the foot by not offering electronic stability control. Honda promises it will be available next year.A choice of specification levels and while the City commands a premium price there's not a bad value for money story here. The Vti comes standard with big ticket items: keyless entry, power windows and mirrors, air conditioning, cruise control, a good single CD sound system with steering wheel controls, iPod integration and USB compatibility (but you only get four speakers).The Vti-L adds more in the way of bling like better quality seat upholstery, fog lamps, reach adjustment for the steering wheel and larger alloy wheels. Missing: No remote release for the boot which is standard fare on most new cars nowdays and shows where Honda has penny pinched, as does the lack of boot liner in the base model.The capacity of the in-line four-cylinder engine. Honda has been a master at building fuel-injected motors and this one is typical but peak power and torque come high on the rev band so its all rather busy under the bonnet. Borrowed from the Jazz, it's good for 88kW and 145Nm of torque. The figures don't mean much on paper but they translate to mixed performance on road. The gearing is the engine's main handicap. Pity about that.Suspension, also pinched from the Jazz, is a conventional MacPherson system up front with torsion beam axle in the rear which is common in the light car market. Despite some tyre noise, the ride is smooth and comfortable, but don't expect anything outstanding. Same goes for the power steering which is light and lifeless but for most owners will be just fine.Overall, it’s City by name and city by nature. An expensive, but easy-to-drive car if you keep the revs up for urban living.