Honda City


The Honda City is a subcompact, then a compact car which has been produced by the Japanese manufacturer Honda since 1981.
Originally made for the Japanese, European and Australasian markets, the City 3-door hatchback was retired in 1994 after the second generation. The nameplate was revived in 1996 for use on a series of subcompact four-door sedans aimed primarily at developing markets, first mainly sold in Asia outside Japan but later also in Latin America and Australia. From 2002 to 2008, the City was also sold as the Honda Fit Aria in Japan. Since then, it has been a subcompact sedan built on Honda's Global Small Car platform, which is shared with the Fit/Jazz, the Airwave/Partner, the Mobilio, and the Mobilio Spike—all of which share the location of the fuel tank under the front seats rather than rear seats. For the seventh generation model, it has grew in size to the compact class, but still competes in the subcompact class. By 2017, cumulative sales of the City has exceeded 3.6 million units in over 60 countries around the world since the nameplate was revived in 1996. As of 2017, cumulative sales of the City reached 700,000 in India. Sales of the City in India contributes to 25 percent of global sales and the City is Honda's best selling model in India.
The City is also sold as the Honda Ballade in South Africa since 2011.

First generation (AA/FV/FA; 1981)

The first Honda City was introduced in November 1981 with the innovative "Tallboy" design; of unusual height it enabled four adults to fit comfortably in the very short City. Produced as a 3-door hatchback in a variety of trim levels, the City was also available together with the Motocompo, a special 50 cc 'foldaway' scooter with designed to fit in the City's small luggage area ; called a trunk bike, Honda also coined a portmanteau for this type of scooter — trabai. At the time of its introduction, it was Honda's smallest car, while not being in compliance with Japanese government kei regulations. It was longer than the Honda N360 by, but shorter than the Honda Civic first generation by.
The Honda City Turbo was introduced in September 1982. It was powered by a turbocharged version of the 1231 cc Honda ER engine. A Pininfarina designed drop-top Cabriolet utilized the wider fenders and bigger bumpers of the Turbo II "Bulldog", but was only available with the naturally aspirated engine. There was also a Pro-series of van versions with either two or four seats. A high-roof "R Manhattan Roof" version with a 10 cm taller roof also appeared.
Exports of the City were primarily to Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Production ended in late 1986 with the introduction of the GA type City.

Second generation (GA; 1986)

Honda replaced the original City series AA in November 1986 with this generation, and again with an update in 1989. This model was produced until 1994. The Fit name also first appeared as a trim variant of the second generation City. There was no convertible model, with both the convertible and Turbo models of the previous generation continuing on sale for a little while. In most markets aside from Japan, the City's market position was left open until filled by the Honda Logo in 1999.
October 31, 1986 the second generation City was introduced with the slogan "City of talent." in Japan, and was available at Honda Clio dealerships. The Honda Clio dealership chain was being positioned as Honda's purveyor of luxuriously equipped vehicles like the Honda Legend, the Honda Concerto, and the Honda Accord, and this generation City enabled Clio locations to sell economically priced vehicles normally found at Honda Primo.
In this remodel, there are major changes in the appearance of the vehicle Honda called "Crouching form", which consisted of a low and wide design that contributed to lighter vehicle weight combined with improvements in driving performance. The styling reflects a corporate decision to enact a shared appearance with the first generation Honda Today kei car, the internationally strong seller, third generation subcompact Honda Civic, and the third generation compact Honda Accord AeroDeck. This generation shared its exterior dimensions and engine size almost exactly with the first generation Civic. The Honda CR-X was the only three-door hatchback that adopted a fastback, sloping rear hatch, similar to the Honda Verno products during the mid-1980s.
The engine configuration introduced the Honda D series, in the form of the type D12A, a 1.2 L SOHC straight-four 16-valve unit only available with a single carburetor, and basic level of equipment. The difference between the "GG" / "EE" / "BB" were just in the level of equipment. Power is at 6,500 rpm. A five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission were optional.
In October 1988 the main engine was changed to 1.3 L I4 SOHC type D13C. At this time, in addition to the traditional single carburetor, and introduced Honda's PGM-FI fuel injection. Single carburetor specification, the 1.2 L "BE" the other 1.3 L "CE" / "CG" is set, PGM-FI, spec, "CR-i" / "CZ-i" and consists of two trim packages.
The "CE" grade equipment with enhanced savings "CE Fit", PGM-FI specification is "CR-i" based only high-grade "CR-i Limited" was introduced, the late "CZ-i" is defined as the minor trim package. The word "Fit" appears as a trim package on the base grade "CE".
At the end of this generation, by grade consolidation, "Fit" is used for all single carburetor vehicles. The trim package "Fit" later became the model name of the successor of the Honda Logo which replaced this car.
The second generation was discontinued in 1993. In Japan, the name "City" was retired at the end of this series' conclusion of production. The replacement vehicles introduced in 1996 on the GA base were renamed "Honda Logo", and the Honda Capa with five-door hatchback bodywork.

Third generation (3A/SX; 1996)

Honda positioned the City as a subcompact four-door sedan, slotting beneath the Honda Civic, for developing markets in Asia. The third generation Honda City, codenamed SX8 but with chassis codes 3A2 and 3A3, was based on the EF Civic platform. It was designed for and sold in the South East Asian market only, launch with slogan "Smart for the new generation" in 1.3-liter version launch, 1.5-liter version are launch with "Top-in-class smart" slogan. First production began in an all-new plant in Ayutthaya, Thailand, in April 1996. The car had a dominant position in the market. From the beginning, these Thai Citys had more than 70% local content. The bumpers were constructed in three separate pieces to allow for easier shipping from Japan. There were originally a lower grade LXi and a higher-spec EXi available. The sedan marked Honda's entrance in the Indian market in 1998 and it quickly became a success and one of the top selling cars in its segment. It came with a 1.3-litre and a 1.5-litre engine.
The City was built in additional markets including: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Taiwan. In Pakistan, Honda City received a lukewarm reception at first, but the third generation was a massive hit. A revised, facelifted third-generation City was released in 2000, called the "Type Z" in some markets. By 2001 a model powered by Honda's 1.5 L VTEC engines appeared, with a rear-stabilizer for better handling. The facelift model received new front end taillights, as well as one-piece bumpers.
The third generation city had fuel-injected SOHC 16-valve D-series engines, namely variations of the D13B and D15B. The original D13B produced at 6,400 rpm for a claimed top speed of 171 km/h and 0–100 km/h in 11.3 seconds. This was later complemented by the 1.5-litre D15B, which was reduced in power for the Asian markets where the car was sold. The D15B engine also arrived in a version with VTEC.

Fourth generation (GD/GE; 2002)

The fourth generation City made its world debut at the Bangkok International Motor Show in November 2002. It was now offered as a four-wheel drive version. It was imported from Thailand and launched as Fit Aria in Japan on December 20, 2002. The word "aria" is a type of expressive melody, usually heard in opera. Honda chose the word, continuing its musical naming tradition used with the Honda Prelude, the Honda Accord, the Honda Ballade, the Honda Quint, and the Honda Concerto. In China, the model was named Fit Saloon and was sold from September 2003 to December 2008.
The Honda City was initially launched with a twin-spark, lean burn ‘i-DSI’ engine producing 88PS that was primarily designed to provide outstanding fuel economy. The VTEC version was unveiled late in the 4th generation City's lifespan in 2004. The VTEC trim of the Honda City is offered with 15-inch alloy wheels compared to the 14-inch offered in the i-DSI and the rear brakes are solid discs on the VTEC variant instead of drums in the i-DSI. Also, the VTEC model uses a 7-speed Multimatic CVT automatic transmission.

Facelift

In September 2005, a facelifted version of the City was launched in Thailand, in October 2005 in Malaysia, and in November 2005 in Indonesia. In Thailand, it is known as the City ZX. The most significant changes are a new exterior. The front end has been extended forward by while the rear has been extended by. The side mirror is electronically foldable. Both the i-DSI and VTEC trim levels have 15-inch alloy wheels as standard equipment. Interior are the
changes are minor but it does include an armrest for the driver and additional map lights. The interior colour tone of the VTEC variant is now black.
The L-series engine remained but the intake manifold has been repositioned, resulting in a 6 °C drop in the intake air temperature, the suspension has been upgraded as well.
Honda City in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore and Malaysia uses the CVT gearbox for both i-DSI and VTEC variants. The CVT gearbox simulates a 7-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic style override using paddle shift buttons on the steering wheel itself.
The fourth generation was resurrected in China as the Everus S1, a new budget car brand for Honda models discontinued elsewhere. The S1 stopped production in 2014.
;Models
City/Fit Aria:
In 2011, Chinese joint venture Guangqi Honda released a badge-engineered version of the fourth generation City under their new Everus brand, called the S1. With the release of Everus, Honda became the first foreign automaker to develop vehicles under a brand owned by its local joint venture automaker in China.
The S1 is the first Everus car available for sale. It shares most of the characteristics found in the fourth generation City. Dimensions and powertrains are identical as well with the S1 sporting the same 4,420 mm length and 1.3 L i-DSi or 1.5 L VTEC L-series petrol engine. The engines are paired to either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission.
The S1 concluded production in 2014, selling around 4,500 units in mainland China.

Fifth generation (GM2/3; 2008)

The fifth generation Honda City was unveiled in Bangkok, Thailand in September 2008 followed by launches in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and China in the following months. It is manufactured in number of locations including Turkey, Thailand, Pakistan and Brazil.
Depending on market conditions, the City is available in a range of engine and specification levels. Generally in Asian markets the City comes in three variants – S, V and SV models. In some markets the V and SV is replaced by the E. For South America the range includes the DX, LX, EX, and EXL models.
The range of four-cylinder engines include a 1.3 producing at 6,000 rpm, a 1.5 engine putting out, which both are available in manual and automatic transmissions and a 1.8-liter R18A engine.
In South America the range is offered with the i-VTEC 1.5-liter flex-fuel engine that is shared with the Brazilian Honda Fit. The power output is 115 hp with petrol and 116 hp using ethanol. Manual and automatic gearboxes are available.
In the Philippines, the 5th generation City was launched in 2009 available in 2 trims: 1.3 S and 1.5 E. The 1.3 liter is available in 5 speed manual or 5 speed automatic while the E variant is only available in 5 speed automatic with paddle shifters.
The City was briefly offered in selected European countries including Poland with a 1.4-litre i-VTEC engine mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed i-SHIFT automated manual transmission.
Since it was launched in India in November 2008, the City became the best-selling model of the company in the country, with sales volume even surpassing that of Thailand, previously the best selling market for the City. The Honda City has been the leader in the mid-sized sedan segment for a decade, with 35% market share in 2010. In India it came with a 1.5 litre petrol engine mated to a manual transmission and a CVT.
Pakistani market also welcomed the new Honda City on 31st January 2009, just four months after its international debut. In the beginning, it was only launched in 1.3 variant but then 1.5 was launched after a few years.
In February 2009, Honda Australia have released the Thai-made City into the Australian market in two 1.5-litre variants. According to Honda Australia's boss, Yasuhide Mizuno, the City will compete with other light sedans such as the Japanese built Toyota Yaris, the Korean-made Holden Barina and the Nissan Tiida. This will be the first City released in Australia since the 1980s. It replaces the formerly smaller-sized Civics.
The City was launched in 2011 in South Africa as the Ballade, to fit below the Civic and above the Jazz sold there.

Facelift

In September 2011, Honda Automobile Ltd revealed the revamped Honda City, with new front grille design, new front and rear bumpers, new taillamps design, new alloy wheels, eco driving indicator and dual front airbags to every model. The revised model was launched in India in December 2011 including five variants – Corporate, E, S, V and V – and increased ground clearance to 165mm and also length increased by 20mm. then 28 August 2012 Honda Automobile Ltd include The City CNG for Mix Power Version from Petrol and CNG.
Honda Cars Philippines launched the facelift version of the City in early 2012. It has a redesigned front grille, front and rear bumper and new alloy wheels for the 1.5 E variant, blue illumination gauge and silver accent air conditioning switch. In 2013, a new designed alloy wheels for both 1.3 and 1.5 variants and a color of the City has been replaced Habanero Red has been replaced with Carnelian Red for the City. A Modulo version is available in both variants and in 2013 a Mugen version is available for the 1.5 variant only.
Honda Cars India, the Indian subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. launched the facelifted fifth generation Honda City in India. The facelifted fifth generation Honda City was launched in India in seven variants. All variants are powered by the same 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol engine which delivers 118 S of power with 146 Nm of maximum torque. The diesel version of the fifth generation Honda City is powered by the 1.5-litre Earth Dreams i-DTEC turbodiesel engine from the Honda Amaze. The fifth generation Honda City diesel cars were manufactured very few and in hundreds and were given to some selected dealers in only some states of India. The fifth generation Honda City diesel was available on demand through the selected dealers and was launched in the starting days of January 2014, only a few days before the sixth generation Honda City launch in India.
Honda Atlas resumed the production of Honda City on May 1, 2012 after it was halted due to supply chain disruption caused by massive flooding in Thailand. This resumption of production is marked by Honda as it comes with the range of facelifted Honda City under the banner of Honda City Aspire. In October 2014, Honda Atlas launched the facelifted Honda City, with new features including new taillights, revamped chrome grille, blinkers on side mirrors, rear window brake light, keyless entry system and new bumpers. The interior also received some changes. The speedometer dials were changed from orange to blue optitron. This generation of Honda City still remains in production in Pakistan with minor facelifts and feature updates with no sign of launching the newer generation. There is a chance that Honda may skip the sixth generation of City in Pakistan or launch it after the launch of the seventh generation in other markets.

Production

The Honda City is produced in a number of locations around the world including India, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand.
In July 2009, the City was for the first time to be built and marketed outside Asia, with production commenced in Sumaré, Brazil. The car was first available for sale in the Brazilian market, with exports to Mexico and other markets in Latin America from September 2009.
Since March 2011, with the opening of a new factory, the Honda City began to be manufactured in Argentina. It is the first car built by Honda in Argentina and will be exported to all the countries in South America alongside with the Citys built in the Brazilian Sumaré plant. As of June 2020, Pakistan is the only country where this model still remains in production and available with 1.3L and 1.5L engines.

Sixth generation (GM4/5/6/9; 2014)

Unveiled in India, the sixth generation City is Honda's second model to incorporate the new "Exciting H" design which was first seen on the third generation Fit/Jazz that launched in September 2013. It also won the award of 'Middle East Car of the Year 2014'. The new City in its range topping trim features extensive premium equipments and kits, such as touch-panel auto climate control, rear AC vents, a 5-inch LCD display with navigation, Bluetooth audio, a reverse camera, eight speakers, and four power outlets. Based on Honda’s new “Exciting H-Design” philosophy, the sedan gave a more refreshing and a premium look than its predecessor. The overall height is increased by 10 mm, while rest of the dimensions remain the same.

Facelift

The mid-life facelift for the sixth generation City was launched in Thailand on 12 January 2017. The facelift includes visual and equipment updates such as LED headlamps with daytime running lights and LED tail lights, similar to those found on the Japanese version, the Honda Grace, while the revised chrome bar grille is similar to that of its bigger sibling, the Honda Civic. The facelift model was also subsequently launched in India on 14 February 2017, in Malaysia on 2 March 2017, in Indonesia on 16 March 2017 and in the Philippines on 22 May 2017. A new hybrid variant was also introduced, though only exclusive to Japan and Malaysia. It uses Honda's intelligent-Dual Clutch Drive Sport Hybrid system, paired with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. It is powered by a hybridised version of the 1.5-liter SOHC i-VTEC engine, making a combined output of 132 PS and 178 Nm, equivalent to that of a conventional 1.8L engine.

Markets

Brazil

The City was introduced in Brazil as its second generation there in 2014, following the current Fit, both produced at the Sumaré plant. Only the 1.5-litre petrol engine is available, with either manual transmission or CVT. Direct injection is not equipped.

China

In China, the Honda City is manufactured by GAC-Honda, where there is another derived model, Honda Greiz, manufactured by Dongfeng Honda, with different body lines, front and rear fascias. Another derivative called the Honda Gienia is the Honda City in liftback form. Production for the Greiz commenced in November 2015 while the Gienia commenced production in October 2016.
Trim levels for the Greiz are the 1.5L MT Classic, 1.5L CVT Classic, 1.5L CVT Comfort, 1.5L CVT Fashion and 1.5L CVT Luxury all shared with the Gienia. The L15B is the only engine option available paired with a 5-speed manual or CVT gearbox.
Apart from Dongfeng Honda and GAC-Honda, Honda Automobile also manufactured the Honda City for exports to Mexico.

India

The sixth generation City was unveiled in India on 25 November 2013 and is available with a choice of two engines; a new 1.5-litre Earth Dreams i-DTEC turbodiesel and a refined version of the 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol. The new 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine, which also powers the Honda Amaze is certified to deliver a mileage of 26 km/l, making the sixth generation City the most fuel efficient car in its segment.
Honda launched the sixth generation City in India on 7 January 2014 at Rs 7.42 lakh. The sixth generation City is available in five trim levels – E, S, SV, V and VX for both petrol and diesel. The petrol automatic is available in SV and VX trims.
The City has always been popular in India, its sales doubled after it was launched with a diesel engine. In March 2015, the City became the fastest selling compact sedan to reach the 1 lakh mark in just 15 months.
From April 2015, the City is available with an additional trim: VX. It is positioned above the VX. It comes in White Orchid Pearl with touchscreen audio video navigation system.
Over 10,000 orders were received in less than a month after the facelifted 2017 Honda City was released in mid-February 2017. The City became India's best selling compact sedan for the first half of 2017. In 2017, with the facelift, Honda launched a new top-of-the-line ZX trim in India which comes with 6 airbags, rear parking camera and Honda's digipad infotainment system. The facelifted City also comes with full LED headlamps and tail lamps and also a sunroof.
Honda was launch very soon new second generation Honda city in July 2020 with new 1.5 liter petrol engine generates power of 121bhp and of 145nm torque and 6 speed manual transmission and 7 speed CVT transmission and new 1.5 liter diesel engine generates 100bhp of power and 200nm of torque with 6 manual transmissions.

Japan

The City is offered and sold as Honda Grace in Japan, with both petrol and hybrid versions. Trim levels range from LX, Hybrid EX, Hybrid LX and Hybrid DX. Hybrid versions can be differentiated from its LED rear lamp clusters and on the Hybrid LX and Hybrid DX only, LED projector headlamps come as standard. The exterior dimensions are compliant with Japanese Government dimension regulations and the engine displacement incurs a nominal annual road tax obligation.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, the sixth generation City was launched on 20 March 2014 available in four trim levels are offered: S, S+, E and V.
As of 2017, the City S+ trim was discontinued to make way for the City Hybrid, with Malaysia being only the second country after Japan to have the City Hybrid on sale. The locally-assembled hybrid uses Honda's intelligent-Dual Clutch Drive Sport Hybrid system. It has an Atkinson cycle DOHC i-VTEC 1.5L engine with 110 PS and 134 Nm of torque, mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Combined output is 132ps and 178nm, equivalent to the performance of a conventional 1.8L engine. The hybrid was launched after an extensive two-year testing in Malaysia.

Philippines

In the Philippines, the sixth generation City was launched on 22 April 2014 and is available in 3 trim levels. The base 1.5 E is available with either manual transmission or CVT. The manual transmission receives a full wheel cover and a roof-mounted antenna, while the CVT has alloy wheels and a shark's fin antenna. The 1.5 VX and VX+ which is the top-of-the-line trim level of the City, is only available with CVT and has unique style alloy wheels, front fog lights, HDMI and AUX/USB connection, 7-inch touch screen panel, side mirror with signal turning lights, push start/stop engine and blue illumination gauge. The VX+ receives leather seats, VSA and HSA. A Modulo kit is available on the E CVT, VX and VX+. In early 2015, the E trim received navigation system adding the 1.5 E +navi trim. Through the year 2015, the City is one of the best selling subcompact vehicles in the Philippine market, so the company added a new variant to the City, the 1.5 E CVT Special Edition. The differences is that the Special Edition variant offers UV protection glass, air purifier and ion generator, keyless with panic button and speed sensing auto door lock. A new color has also added to the City, the Ruby Red Pearl color, the only color available for the Special Edition variant of the City are the Ruby Red Pearl, Taffeta White and Golden Brown Metallic.
In May 2017, a facelifted version of the City debuted in the Philippines with added LED headlights and daytime running lights.

Singapore

The City is available from the local distributor in 2 trim levels: V and SV. It is also available as the Honda Grace through parallel import, in both petrol and hybrid versions.

Taiwan

Honda Taiwan first displayed the sixth generation City at the 2014 Taipei Auto Show in which Honda also exhibited its NSX concept sports car. The Taiwanese market City was formally announced on 4 March 2014 and went on sale in the second quarter of the same year. This was the first time the City had been on sale in Taiwan since 2002, when the third generation City ceased production.

Thailand

The sixth generation City received its ASEAN début in Thailand on 23 January 2014. The 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine, the only engine option for Thailand, has been tuned to comply with E85 fuel. The sixth generation City is sold in six trim levels ranging from 550,000 to 749,000 baht respectively. Unlike the Indian market City, certain Thai market variants are available with 2 airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist and Hill Start Assist. 6 airbags is only available in top option SV+ trim. The SV CVT and SV+ CVT is include the Lock pulley CVT 7-Speed.

Vietnam

The City, together with Honda CR-V, were Honda's top sellers in the country in 2014.

Seventh generation (GN; 2019)

The seventh generation City was unveiled in Bangkok, Thailand on 25 November 2019. It shared its platform with the fourth generation Fit/Jazz.
Engines available are a 1.0L turbocharged engine producing for the Thailand market only, and for global markets a 1.5L DOHC engine, or a 1.5L turbocharged diesel engine producing.

Markets

Thailand

In Thailand, the City is powered by a 1.0-litre VTEC Turbo petrol engine mated to a CVT. The smaller engine and the low emission output makes it the first City to qualify the Eco Car tax incentive. It is available in four trim levels: S, V, SV and RS. Sales began in Thailand on 24 December 2019.

Safety

Sales