Honda City

Honda City

The latest Honda City has made its long-awaited Singapore bow at a launch event held on 27 May, with the car having gone on sale in neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Malaysia since earlier this year. The latest fourth-generation version of the City has been completely revamped, and boasts of better space all-round as well as new technologies to move the car up into a class above.

Just one version of the new City will be available at initial launch, being the 1.5-litre base model, and the car is priced at $113,900, inclusive of COE, which puts it on par with its fellow Thai-built rival, the Toyota Vios. However, Honda says that the City will be better equipped, and therefore better value for money that its rival. According to Mr Nicholas Wong, General Manager of local Honda distributor Kah Motor, reception to the new car has been ‘encouraging’, ahead of the car’s public launch and first deliveries this weekend, and Honda expects the City to capture a significant part of the new car market ahead of an anticipated dip in COE prices over the coming months.

Standard features on the new City include a 7-inch touch screen infotainment system that incorporates a multi-angle rear view camera, and the ability to connect a user’s iPhone to the system via the car’s HondaLink iOS app platform. There are also numerous ports, including two USB, one HDMI and three power outlets, throughout the cabin, ensuring that occupants can charge their mobile devices while on the go. The City also comes with a keyless entry and keyless go (with engine push-start button), and a multi-function steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth controls, as well as paddle shifters for the gearbox, and Hill Start Assist, which brakes the car momentarily while the car is on an incline, and helps the car move off smoothly after.

The new City has also grown in size overall, with a notable increase in wheelbase by 50mm over the outgoing model to 2,600mm, translating into more interior room for occupants. It also boasts of a commodious 536-litre capacity boot, which Honda says can fit up to four 9-inch-wide golf bags with ease.

Under the bonnet, the new City is powered by a 1.5-litre SOHC i-VTEC petrol unit that’s been brought over from the previous model, and which produces 120bhp and 145Nm of torque. However, the engine is now paired with a new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with a 7-speed shift system, which helps to improve fuel economy by up to 13.6% according to Honda. Finalised figures are still subject to the Land Transport Authority’s approval, but the new City is claimed to be able to return an average fuel consumption figure of 5.7 litres per 100km, and emit just 135g/km of CO2, which qualifies the car for a $10,000 rebate under the Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS).