Honda City 2014 Review

First seen in Australia way back in 1983, the Honda City was reborn as a light-sized sedan that arrived in Australia in 2009. Essentially a Jazz sedan, the pint-size four-door struggled to establish an identity in a hotly contested local segment in which hatchbacks are the default option.

Restyled externally with aggressively cut character lines and a sharper, lower front-end, the latest Honda City is dimensionally larger than the model it replaces (by 45mm in length and 5mm in height, with a 50mm wheelbase increase), benefitting head (plus 30mm), shoulder (up 40mm in front) and leg (plus 60mm in the rear) room.

Boot capacity is also up from an already impressive 506 litres to a full 536 litres and features a 130mm-wider opening aperture, while the folding rear seats are split 60/40, offering even greater load storage and flexibility.

The City comes in two model grades, VTi and VTi-L, both of which share a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Producing 88kW and a thin 145Nm torque, the outputs match that of its similarly propelled predecessor.

Where the new vehicle gains, however, is in fuel efficiency. Gone is the traditional five-speed self-shifter, and in its place is a constantly variable transmission (CVT) that employs a torque converter to improve response.

Fuel economy is reduced from 6.6 to 5.7L/100km on the combined cycle. A five-speed manual is also available, with economy listed as 5.8L/100km.

As previously reported, the latest City is available from a sparse $15,990 (excluding on-road costs) in five-speed manual VTi form; a $500 saving over the previous model. Specifying the CVT adds an additional $2000. Upgrade to the CVT-only VTi-L and you are asked to part with $21,390.

The immediate standout feature of the City VTi is the reversing camera, which comes standard and offers three viewing modes: normal, wide-angle and top-down. That may surprise, given that it is also available with Honda’s Display Audio system as seen in the new Odyssey, but in practice the full functionality of that system (which allows users to ‘swipe’ the touch-screen as they would a phone) is still limited to those already equipped with an iPhone 4 or newer.

The app costs $49.99 upfront and is valid for three years, with updates downloaded periodically during this time as per other phone applications.

Interestingly, Honda says that in its development of the new City, it looked at how previous owners (in countries as diverse as Argentina and Indonesia) used their vehicles and what they wanted changed. The common theme? A reliance on smartphones. Why, then, does the system only cater to Apple product?

“The Android technology is not yet capable with the Display Audio mirroring function,” explains Honda large project leader in charge of the City, Toshikazu Hirose.

The VTi rides on 15-inch steel wheels with covers and comes with a temporary spare. Inside, there’s black cloth seat trim, eight ‘beverage’ holders, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, air-conditioning, power windows and mirrors, four-speaker stereo with single CD player, two USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming and six airbags. The multi-function steering wheel incorporates controls for Bluetooth, audio, voice control and cruise.

The VTi-L adds front foglights, 16-inch alloys with a temporary spare, touch boot release and keyless entry and starting. A leather-appointed wheel with paddle shifts for the CVT (the sole transmission choice for the grade), climate-control, an eight-speaker audio system and two additional 12-volt power outlets for rear occupants complete the upgrade to VTi-L specification.

Metallic paint is available for an additional $495, and rear parking sensors are also available for $495 including fitment.

With no manual version available to test (Honda predicts it will only make up five to 10 per cent of sales) we drove the CVT-equipped VTi, which is the projected sales leader.

From behind the City VTi’s wheel, you immediately notice the high-set driving position (too high, if you are over 180cm) and improved cabin width; there is ample room for two adults without the need to slough shoulders inwards. Blue-lit dash dials also add a touch of modern cool, and all-round visibility is improved thanks to thinner A-pillars and improved glass design.

The steering wheel initially feels wrong, then you realise the usual thickening-up of the nine and three o’clock positions is missing, so there’s nowhere for your thumbs to sit comfortably.

The CVT offers more immediacy than a dual-clutch gearbox, especially on take-off, but even despite the use of a torque converter it can’t match the latest ‘traditional’ slushboxes for smoothness – especially under load.

And it’s under load where the new City impresses least, that feeling of an elastic band stretching and contracting as the gearbox tries to keep the relatively torque-light engine in its sweet spot, to the accompaniment of a bland, gritty, thrashy soundtrack. We’d suggest trying the manual and pocketing the $2000 difference.

The driveline did, however, deliver in terms of efficiency, returning an impressive 5.8L/100km -- almost dead-on the manufacturer’s claim.

Even though the roll centre of the MacPherson Strut front suspension has been lowered (and the lighter, H-pattern torsion beam rear raised), the City’s dynamics aren’t its strong suit, especially on the 175/65 tyres and 15-inch steel wheels of the VTi. There is copious body roll as the car rolls onto the outside-front in sharper corners.

The trade-off here, however, is ride quality, which is very good, until the springs run out of travel on an unexpectedly sharp speed hump. Weight and response of the electrically-assisted steering is well resolved and consistent, braking performance adequate with decent pedal feel, and off-line traction commendable, though that is no doubt helped by that underwhelming power delivery.

More practically, the City’s boot aperture is excellent, as is the general level of interior space for what is still classed as a light segment car. Both rear leg and head room are impressive.

The Honda City undoubtedly has a task ahead of it, trying to elbow into a space occupied by light-car stalwarts including the ageing Mazda2, Hyundai i20, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, Holden Barina and Kia Rio.

Of those, only the Fiesta, Rio, Barina (and Hyundai Accent) are available in sedan form. Honda identifies Nissan’s Almera and the Yaris sedan, which like the Mazda2 sedan will soon be discontinued, as key competitors.

Perhaps most interestingly, the new City will also have to compete with Honda’s own Jazz -- a vehicle that outsold the previous City by a ratio of three to one. It will be fascinating to see if Honda’s light sedan persistence pays off.

2014 Honda City VTi CVT pricing and specifications:
Price: $17,990 (CVT) plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 88kW/145Nm
Transmission: CVT
Fuel: 5.7L/100km (Combined)
CO2: 132g/km (Combined)
Safety Rating: Not yet tested