Honda Concerto Reviews

Honda’s next-generation hybrid plans are heating up.The Japanese brand will use its upcoming hybrid system in the new CR-V mid-size SUV and begin mass-production from February 2027, according to a report in Nikkei Asia.It is also planning to offer the CR-V as a hybrid-only model moving forward, ditching the petrol-only set-up globally, as it aims to introduce 15 new hybrid models by 2030.In addition to the CR-V, Honda has unveiled sedan and SUV prototypes to ride on an all-new platform and electric all-wheel drive set-up.The SUV will fall under Honda’s Acura luxury sub-brand in the US, and will be based on the CR-V.Most of these models will be built in left-hand drive, raising doubts as to whether they will enter the Aussie market.However, Honda Australia President and Chief Executive Officer Jay Joseph told CarsGuide in June 2026 the brand is becoming more capable of satisfying both LHD and RHD markets.Honda is planning another globally-targeted model called the Avancier that will be a three-row large SUV, targeting Thailand and China by early 2027.The Avancier will be in Thailand, which is a RHD market, thus improving the car’s chances of an Australian launch in the future.The Japanese brand is taking hybrid power seriously in Australia, with every model now available with the powertrain, and at a more affordable price, so the Avancier could be a desirable option.Honda Australia has not officially confirmed any news about the Avancier, but CarsGuide has contacted the local branch to learn more.The Avancier is not the Pilot XXL three-row SUV that will also use the next-generation hybrid set-up.That car will specifically target the North American market after 2030.In mid-2026, Honda made a global U-turn by pivoting heavy investment toward hybrids instead of EVs from 2027.The brand shelved its mid-size SUV and sedan electric concepts that were to form the bulk of its ‘0 series’ global EV push.Honda is still planning to launch the remaining Alpha small SUV in the ‘0 series’, and it could be on the cards for Australia as it hasn’t been ruled out by the local subsidiary.These newly developed hybrids are supposed to cost Honda 30 per cent less than the current generation of its hybrids, while boasting a more than 10 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency.

Honda is plotting a new hybrid three-row SUV for buyers, according to a report in AutoNews.The code-named Pilot XXL would be a full-size SUV designed to provide more space for larger families, related to the current Pilot SUV model on sale in the US.The Pilot rivals other three-row SUVs, including the Toyota Grand Highlander (its smaller sibling is known as the Kluger in Australia).Details are scarce, with the car expected to be produced in the United States from the first quarter of 2032.It is potentially 200mm longer than the standard Pilot SUV, which will provide a lot more interior space and storage capacity.It is likely to employ Honda’s next-generation V6 hybrid set-up, with an all-wheel drive system that features an electric motor powering the rear axle.This set-up is rumoured to boast a more than 30 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency and 10 per cent increase in potential acceleration.Honda has not revealed any details about the performance of its incoming hybrid engine, but the brand is investing heavily into hybrid power over the next few years.The V6 hybrid set-up will start to appear in new Honda models from 2028, which will provide further insight into what will power the Pilot XXL.Honda currently does not have a large SUV choice for buyers to compete in the popular family SUV segment and rival the Hyundai Palisade and Toyota Kluger in Australia.The Pilot XXL’s hybrid status would provide Honda with an emissions-friendly choice Down Under, but increasingly stringent emissions rules could see it incur fines here in the future.It will be built in the US, which means it will only be available in left-hand drive for now, reducing its chances of an Aussie arrival.However, Honda Australia President and Chief Executive Officer Jay Joseph told CarsGuide in June 2026 LHD manufacturing does not rule out Honda models for Australia."The right hand drive requirement is a little bit of a challenge for some of the North American product that we have, which was always intended for LHD," he told CarsGuide."But we're becoming more capable, and more adept, at being flexible on that. So that option is opening up."Its Australian future remains a while away, with plans still in their infancy in the US, but if there is demand from Australian buyers it is not out of the question.

Earlier this month, Audi unveiled a retro-inspired small electric vehicle that is a homage to a car that failed a quarter of a century ago. Spectacularly.Chances are the timely and handsome new A2 will succeed where the overpriced and oddly styled original from 2001 could not, but referencing a flop seems risky.It’s like Ford reviving the AU Falcon (though to be fair it is having a moment), or General Motors exhuming Holden with an ode to the ZB Commodore. Or Epica.Which has us thinking: this isn’t the first time that nostalgia, perhaps served with a side plate of delusion, has led to some confounding decisions.Whether they sold or were received poorly, we outline five resurrections that flopped.And if you disagree, let us know why in the comments below.How the millennial Monaro came about requires context.Holden enjoyed two golden eras: the early years, and for half a decade from 1997, after the then-new VT Commodore became a runaway smash hit.And the next year’s Australian International Motor Show in Sydney was pivotal.Codenamed Monica, the 1998 Holden Coupe Concept – essentially a VT with two doors, a slightly more-rakish windscreen and four (lower) seats – stole the show like no other car ever had before or since.At the time, Holden wasn’t even planning to build it. After all, coupe shelf lives are notoriously short. The original HK Monaro of 1968 proved popular initially, but its HQ-HX successors from 1971 struggled.The Coupe Concept utterly overshadowed Ford’s debuting AU Falcon at the Sydney show, made national news and created a buzz that helped bolster the brand. It was nothing short of sensational. Journalists immediately dubbed it Monaro, something Holden was understandably wary of.Despite what some articles today state, the resulting V2 Monaro failed to meet internal sales expectations when it arrived far later than scheduled, in November, 2001.Priced beyond most buyers’ reach from nearly $95,000 adjusted for inflation today, it went on to account for only a fraction of Commodore volume, at 4274 versus 88,478 units, putting it at 47 spot.From there, sales never improved, and the US-market Pontiac GTO export version of 2004 also failed to find a large-enough audience.By then, GM was floundering as the world moved away from sedans and coupes, in favour of SUVs, with the planned next-generation VE Monaro promptly canned, save for the 2008 Coupe 60 Concept to celebrate Holden’s 60 Anniversary.The Datsun 1600 is regarded as one of Japan’s earliest greats.Launched in 1967, it combined elegant styling with European-style chassis sophistication, to create a brilliant little sedan that dominated world rallying as effortlessly as it won over owners’ hearts.However, the larger and heavier 180B and 200B replacements of 1972 and 1976 respectively completely lacked the 1600’s sporty charm.Stung by widespread criticism, Datsun attempted to recreate the magic with the Stanza in 1978.But, built down to a price, it sorely lacked the fun and finesse that endeared so many owners to the old 1600. Critics were ruthless in their reviews. And though relatively popular and successful in motorsport, the Stanza couldn’t replicate the old 1600’s greatness and lasted only a single generation in Australia.By all objective means, any NSX is a masterpiece.Be it the exquisite 1990 NA1 original that became the first mid-engined supercar in history to love you back, or the NC1 tri-electric motor petrol/hybrid AWD successor of 2016 that was a breathtaking technological showcase, the name signifies engineering mastery.However, while neither generation achieved the sales volumes Honda required, the original has enjoyed a glorious afterlife as one of the all-time sports car greats.But the latter? Sadly, the second – or American – NSX remains misunderstood as being too advanced, and not “analogue” enough for drivers to truly connect with. That Honda cancelled it early (except in Japan) has not helped.Maybe the NC1 was just a decade before its time. Still an amazing achievement.One of Japan’s earliest Volkswagen Golf clones, the Pulsar became a beloved small-car staple in Australia over 25 years and six generations from 1980.That was until Nissan was forced to switch to a smaller replacement with awkward styling, ambitious pricing and a silly name.Inevitably, the 2006 Tiida tanked, even as Australians were clamouring towards smaller cars in the wake of soaring fuel prices. This was the era where the Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla were king, but Nissan missed the party completely.The reason why the Pulsar ended was that it never properly challenged the Golf, so instead Nissan devised the Qashqai crossover, which immediately became a sales phenomenon.Somehow, Nissan Australia convinced a reluctant Japan to allow the redesigned Tiida hatch of 2012 to be rebadged Pulsar, along with the Thai market Sylphy sedan.Hopes were high of a sales revival but neither interloper possessed the required sophistication or appeal to lure local consumers back. Both Pulsar iterations never saw out their model cycle.The rear-engined air-cooled Beetle, which changed comparatively little between 1937 and 2003, remains the world’s best-selling vehicle of all time, at 21.5 million units.In contrast, the Toyota Corolla regenerated 12 times to date for it to find 50 million buyers.The re-imagined New Beetle, released globally in 1997 and 2000 in Australia, based on the versatile Golf IV architecture and built inexpensively in Mexico, sold strongly at first.But demand tapered off markedly as per most fashion statements, especially when BMW’s Mini reset the bar for retro remakes from 2001.However, after nearly 1.2 million units, VW’s third attempt, officially known as the “The Beetle”, struggled from the outset in 2012, despite featuring significantly more sophisticated drivetrains.Gone by 2019, barely 550,000 units were produced worldwide.

Honda has jumped onboard the serious off-road bandwagon, releasing a tougher, lifted version of its all-wheel drive Passport SUV.It has been positioned as “the most off-road-capable SUV Honda has ever built”.Designed at the Honda Design Studio in California, developed at the Honda Automotive Development Centre in Ohio and produced at its main US plant in Alabama, the fourth-generation Passport debuted for the North American market early last year.The new Passport TrailSport has been reengineered for extra off-highway ability with upgrades including:Revised suspension with 245mm of ground clearance (+35mm)Increased approach, breakover and departure clearancesExtra wheel articulationAmber hood scoop lightsMore pronounced fender flaresResculpted lower front fasciaTrailWatch camera systemGeneral Grabber A/T Sport tyresIn a launch statement Honda said, “Rather than simply adding taller springs (our) engineers comprehensively re-designed the 2027 Passport TrailSport suspension system to ensure proper geometry for desirable handling and ride characteristics, while substantially improving capability. “Nearly 70 per cent of the major suspension components were redesigned, including springs, dampers, control arms, stabilizer bars and knuckles. “The front driveshafts and front subframe were also redesigned to help facilitate the increased ride height and wheel travel. “A total of 28 suspension and related chassis parts have been redesigned, reengineered or are otherwise new for the 2027 Passport TrailSport,” it said.And Honda was keen to point out the TrailSport’s ground clearance exceeds that of its main North American competitors, the amazingly-named Ford Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch, Subaru Outback Wilderness and Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road.At the same time, the Passport TrailSport’s TrailWatch camera system incorporates front, rear, side and 360-degree views as well as tyre placement graphics to help drivers navigate obstacles outside their natural line of sight.The Passport’s 3.5-litre, naturally aspirated V6 engine (built in Alabama) sends 213kW/355Nm to all four wheels via a 10-speed ‘shift-by-wire’ automatic transmission and Honda’s ‘i-VTM4’ variable torque management all-wheel drive system.Interestingly, the Passport TrailSport, in top-spec Elite trim, will be exported from the USA to Japan from early 2027.But sadly for Aussie off-roaders, that doesn’t mean the export cars will be produced in right-hand drive. Rather they will arrive in Japan in left-hand drive as LHD cars are legally allowed on Japanese roads without restrictions.And much as the Passport TrailSport would fill a yawning gap in Honda Australia’s local line-up, the company is on the record saying it has no plans to launch the car Down Under.

Are we headed for a world where petrol is only the fuel of the rich, powering their hypercars and luxury super SUVs? It certainly appears that way. And I don’t like it…This week the car world achieved a major milestone - the average global price of electric vehicles fell below that of hybrids for the first time. And before too long we’ll see the average price of EVs drop lower than the price of petrol cars.There’s nothing wrong with that - we’re watching the evolution of the motor car, and a change in buying habits and taste in real time.What could supercharge this process and fundamentally change what fuel we use, however, is the volatility of petrol prices which have spiked dramatically due to the conflict in the Middle East. Covering car news each day is revealing a trend and I’m not too sure I like it. High-performance and luxury car brands are doubling down on their fossil fuel focus, while mainstream brands are pushing the limits to make the most affordable electric cars.At the start of this year BMW announced it would reverse its decision to pivot away from petrol and return to producing V8 and V12 units due to their customer demands.Rival brand Mercedes-Benz did the same thing and scrapped its plan to go completely electric by 2030 and dived back into making V8s.Porsche, too, changed its mind after receiving a walloping from customers who made it very clear that Porsche to them meant power from petrol, not power from the electricity grid.Lamborghini also did an about face on EVs at the start of this year and went back to petrol, adding a hybrid system but only to make more mumbo.Yep, Lamborghini replaced its V10 Huracan which made 470kW with the V8 Temerario which makes 588kW plus another 220kW from its electric motors.Then there’s the mysterious case of Ferrari giving us the breathtaking 12Cilindri with yes a V12, which was closely followed by the even more gorgeous V8 Amalfi, before giving us the all-electric Luce which hurts to look at directly. It’s as if the brand was sending us some kind of message coded in ugliness about being asked to do something against its will. Of course the super high end brands appear completely unconcerned by prohibitively high petrol prices affecting sales or the climate.Bugatti announced an end to the reign of its enormous 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engines in its cars like the Veyron and Chiron, but before we could even think it was going green trumpeted in almost the same breath that it was doing V16s instead.Which it did with its current Tourbillon hypercar that houses a monstrous 8.3-litre V16 engine. Yes it has a hybrid system with electric motors but it’s not to save fuel, it’s to make more power. If you were to ask bespoke high performance vehicle maker Hennessey if it had electric cars the response would almost certainly be, “never heard of her." The brand just unveiled its US spy plane-inspired Blackbird hypercar with a naturally aspirated V8 and positioned it as the kind of vehicle that allows drivers to cover 1300km a day.Just days ago Aston Martin ran into the room boasting it was delaying its EV plans because it had found a loop hole which meant it could keep making V12s. The loop hole being that the brand had to keep V12 sales under 1000 a year.Low volume sales aren’t a worry for brands like these - not when an Aston Martin Vanquish costs more than $700,000. And unlike you and me, that's not the owner's only car… it joins a garage with five other cars in it… at least. Yes we’re talking millions of dollars and all petrol-powered.Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying to work out how we can get into an electric car for less than $40,000 because chaotic fuel prices are hurting us and we’re worried about the future resale value of petrol cars. I’m also highly concerned about the air that my children breathe and the thought of having a car powered by burning oil that just to drives to shops, school and work sounds more and more preposterous to me. It’s like having kerosene lanterns in every room of your house rather than light bulbsTo be completely clear, though, I love petrol performance cars and detest electric performance ones. Petrol has a place.My fear is that petrol’s happy place in performance cars will eventually exclude me as the fuel becomes more expensive, rarer and the food of exotic beasts I can’t afford.So what’s left? There’s the Cupra Leon VZx, Ford Mustang, Honda Civic Type R and Prelude, Hyundai i30N, Mazda MX-5, Nissan Z, Subaru WRX, Toyota GR Yaris and GR Corolla and VW Golf R.Watch these models closely, because they are the final 'affordable' petrol performance cars and they are all now endangered.    

Electric cars are back in Honda's plans.Honda has chosen giant engineering and IT firm Tata Group subsidiary Tata Technologies to help develop a future EV and hybrid platform, according to NikkeiAsia.Tata Group owns Jaguar Land Rover and deals with a range of automotive and aeronautical projects, and its Technologies arm specialises in platform development.This will reduce costs for Honda as it grapples with heavy financial losses, expecting to lose $3.29 billion (or nearly $5 billion in Australian currency). Its new EV direction could have huge implications for Australia. This new platform is expected to be used on several new hybrid and fully-electric Honda models.These vehicles are earmarked for sale in Asia and other regions, but not North America.The brand has been undergoing a serious reshuffle of its future product lineup globally, ditching an EV strategy to focus on hybrid cars.The platform could help Honda get into the mainstream EV space at a cheaper rate than its now cancelled ‘0 series’ electric car plans.There is no news on what models will spawn from the platform, but don't expect official announcements anytime soon.The models developed from Honda’s Tata Group partnership will specifically target Asian markets and other non-North American regions, so Australia is a firm possibility.It is likely some of these cars will be built in right-hand drive, smoothing the path for any potential future launch Down Under.Honda is eager to obtain further electrified models in Australia as it faces substantial fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). Honda’s CR-V, HR-V and ZR-V SUV range now features hybrid set-ups, with electrified sales offsetting fines under the NVES emissions scheme. The brand released its Super-One electric city car as its first EV in Australia recently.Models will launch in Asia before feasibly entering Australia, but it is unclear when that might be.

Honda has just priced its first EV in Australia.The Honda Super-One is an ultra-compact electric car that will start from $36,900, drive-away.This places it as the second cheapest car in Honda’s lineup, costing $4000 more than the base HR-V small SUV. The top-spec grade starts from $37,400. It adds a two-tone purple exterior colour that mirrors the popular Super-N Kei car the Super-One is based on. Honda said it has had more than 6500 expressions of interest for the Super-One in Australia, which is more than the new-generation Honda Civic Type-R.Pre-orders are open now, with deliveries beginning on 1 October 2026.There will only be 130 units available in this first batch, but more examples will arrive in early 2027. The Honda Super-One is based on the brand’s N-One Kei car, which is designed to meet specific requirements for Japan’s smallest car segment. The Super-One is substantially longer, wider and taller than the N-One to ensure it meets Australia Design Rules. The Super-One will still be one of the smallest cars available.It shares similar dimensions to the Kia Picanto petrol-powered hatch (3595 mm long).It will be a more direct rival to the BYD Atto 1 electric hatch that starts from $23,990 (before on-road costs), and the more pricey Hyundai Inster (from $39,000, before on-road costs). The Super-One is powered by a single electric motor, making 47kW and 162Nm. The car has a special hot hatch setting if Boost Mode is selected that increases power to 70kW. Simulated gear shifts for a seven-speed transmission mimic the experience of a petrol engine. The car’s 30kWh lithium-ion battery offers a driving range of up to 253km, according to WLTP standards, and features regenerative braking. The car can charge from 15 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes. On the inside, there is a 9.0-inch central touchscreen and 7.0-inch digital driver display, along with an eight-speaker Bose sound system. 

Honda’s HR-V small SUV has been an Aussie favourite for more than a decade but a lot has changed lately with the influx of more rivals, many of them new-gen hybrids and electric vehicles.So is the HR-V still outstanding? Or has it been left standing?We’ve tested the newest grade added to the line-up, the top-of-the-range hybrid, the HR-V e:HEV RS. I know, it's catchy right? Let's just call it the HR-V RS from here on.My small family of four lived with it in the inner suburbs for a week and I thought I knew this car well until this test, and there’s a few things you should know, too.First, how much does the HR-V RS cost and is it worth the money? Being the top grade in the HR-V line-up the RS is also the most expensive at $44,400 drive-away, $11,500 more than the petrol-powered entry-grade HR-V, or $4500 pricier than the most affordable hybrid HR-V.    That is a lot of money for a small SUV these days, what with so many feature-packed Chinese SUVs for a lot less.There’s the top grade MG ZS hybrid for $33,888 drive-away, the top of-the-range GWM Haval Jolion hybrid for $38,990 d/a, the top-spec Chery Tiggo 4 hybrid for $34,990 d/a… the list goes on.There are also electric SUVs for less. The Jaecoo J5 is $36,990 d/a, while the excellent MG S5 EV is the pretty much same price at $44,990 d/a.The HR-V hybrid grades are, however, more competitive than the Hyundai Kona hybrid ($36,950-$48,950), and Nissan Qashqai e-Power ($45,640-$54,140), both of which are priced before on-road costs.Features wise the HR-V RS is lacking a few things. The nine-inch media screen looks small now, the seats are heated but you get these on the L grade below, and that goes for almost all the other features, including dual-zone climate control, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-speaker stereo.As for what the RS brings there’s RS body styling elements such as the black mesh grille and the leatherette sports seats.The RS grade doesn’t bring any performance edge to the HR-V. All three hybrid grades have the same output of 96kW and 253Nm, which is plenty of power for a little SUV. Just don’t expect the RS to be any sportier than other grades.The hybrid system combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors. The engine’s primary job is to produce electricity to charge the battery and that powers the motors which drives the wheels.The resulting fuel economy is good but not outstanding. Officially, Honda says the combined fuel consumption is 4.3L/100km. After 330km, the trip computer said my fuel consumption was 5.6L/100km. That came down to a lot of motorway miles, which uses battery charge quickly before the engine is called on to help drive the wheels and charge the battery.On the road the HR-V RS is excellent, and this is the area Honda has the edge over its Chinese rivals, which don’t tend to steer, stop, handle and ride as well as this.The engine can be a bit noisy and will often start up and switch off randomly, unrelated to acceleration. But that’s it charging the battery. For the most part, however, the HR-V is quiet with smooth acceleration at lower speeds and it drives like an EV. At higher speeds the engine assists the electric motors.It's easy to drive with good visibility, excellent stability and a feeling of safety, even on highways between big trucks. The driving position and seats aren't as comfortable as I wanted.Just as an aside, I also recently drove the slightly larger Honda ZR-V and found the seats and driving position to be much better.We used the HR-V for all our daily commutes, the school drop offs, sport and grocery shopping. From a practicality perspective the HR-V is excellent as well. There’s more than enough room for a child seat in the second row and space for somebody to sit in the front passenger seat at the same time. The legroom in the second row is great, too.We were thrown at one point when we discovered that there was no middle seat in the second row. Yes, the HR-V is a four seater only, something I’d forgotten since testing it last.Storage is great with cup holders, door pockets, shelves and trays built into the dashboard, and a deep storage area under the front-centre armrest.I also love the HR-V’s 'magic seats' in the rear which fold up to provide a cavernous cargo area behind the front seats for tall objects.The HR-V's only real impracticality is the rear-door handles which are integrated into the door frame. They're too high for little kids to reach and not easy even for adults to use. It bit my hand on one occasion!From a safety angle the HR-V scored four out of five ANCAP stars in 2022 and part of that lower score was the lack of rear auto emergency braking (AEB), which is important for families with small children. There is forward AEB, lane keeping assistance and a blind spot warning.For child seats there are two ISOFX points and two top tether anchor points in the second row.Finally, I like the look of the HR-V. As with all Hondas there’s a premium look and feel, much like Mazdas. That goes for the interior, too, with the high-quality feel and stylish design.

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.

Honda is gearing up to reveal a new-generation version of its ute, though don’t expect it to be coming to Australia.The Japanese carmaker has confirmed it has begun development of a new, third-generation Ridgeline pick-up that will be revealed within two years.It will continue to be manufactured at Honda’s production facility in Alabama, US, alongside the Passport, Pilot and Odyssey, using both domestic and globally made parts.Production of the current Ridgeline is set to end later in 2026. This means there will be a period where Honda isn’t producing any utes.Honda claims the new Ridgeline is already being designed at its styling studio in Southern California and it will feature an “even more rugged design”. It’s also set to be engineered in Ohio.Ahead of the reveal of this new ute, Honda has shown off a single teaser image that shows a shadowy front three-quarter angle.There aren't many design features that can be distinguished, but it appears it will retain a similar silhouette.No other details have been confirmed just yet, however this new Ridgeline is expected to continue being built on a unibody platform, which typically prioritises passenger comfort over outright payload capabilities.This differs from top-selling utes in Australia, the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, which have a ladder-frame chassis and typically allow for a higher payload capacity and superior off-road capabilities.Overseas reports indicate the new-generation Ridgeline will be powered by an updated version of Honda’s 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6 engine.A hybrid powertrain with a new V6 engine and multiple electric motors is reportedly something that’s expected to launch in the early 2030s.It will reportedly bring better fuel economy, torque and towing capabilities.Honda has offered two generations of the Ridgeline to date. They have always been aimed at the North American market and produced in left-hand drive only.This makes an Australian launch of the Honda Ridgeline more difficult to get over the line as while utes are a very popular body style locally, a right-hand drive version would need to be engineered and developed.It’s unclear if this is set to change with the forthcoming, third-generation model.Back in 2020, then Honda Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins, who is now at BYD Australia, told CarsGuide the Ridgeline was strongly requested by dealers and customers.