Evolution - Honda City

Honda City is being manufactured by Japanese automaker Honda since the year 1981. The nameplate was later revived in late 90's with a mid-sized sedan being launched in Asian countries. Sharing a platform with Honda Civic, the City sedan was born in 1996 and made a debut in Thailand first. By mid-2009, the cumulative sales of Honda City exceeded 1.2 million units in 45 countries around the world and till date it continues to surpass all the expectations. Let's take a look into the history of this people's car.

Honda City First Generation (1996-2002)

The first generation Honda City was based on the EF Civic platform and had a classic low-slung design. It's fuel-injected SOHC engine was offered with two options of 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre. The 1.3-litre variant was launched with a slogan 'Smart for the new generation' while the 1.5-litre variant got a slogan 'Top-in-class smart'. It received a facelift in 2000 with a new name dubbed as 'City type Z'. Later in 2001, a model powered by Honda's 1.5-litre VTEC engine also appeared. The 1.3-litre engine delivered a maximum power of 95 PS at 6400 rpm and claimed a top speed of 171 kmph along with a century sprint in 11.3 seconds. On the other hand, the 1.5-litre VTEC engine delivered a power of 115 PS with a century sprint time of around 10 seconds.

Honda City Second Generation (2002-2007)

The second generation City made its world debut at the Thailand International Motor Expo in November 2002. It was initially launched with a twin-spark, lean burn 'i-DSI' engine which produced a power of 88 PS and delivered an outstanding fuel economy. Later a VTEC version was also launched which was mated to a seven-speed Multimatic CVT automatic transmission. Later a face-lifted version was launched in Malaysia in October 2005, dubbed as 'City ZX'. The facelift included new front grille, new headlamps, new fog lights, new taillights and bumpers. It continued the same 1.5-liter VTEC from the previous car along with a CVT gearbox simulates a 7-Speed automatic transmission with Triptonic style override using paddle shift buttons on the steering wheel itself.

Honda City Third Generation (2008-2013)

The third generation was the most powerful Honda City ever offered in Malaysia. In Asian markets, it was made available with three variants namely S, V and SV models. The older VTEC was replaced by an advanced i-VTEC. The same 1.5-litre engine, then with i-VTEC delivered a maximum power of 118 PS along with a peak torque of 145 Nm. Further, it was available in both manual and automatic transmission. In September 2011, it received a facelift with new front grille design, new front and rear bumpers, new taillamps design, new alloy wheels, eco driving indicator and dual front airbags.

Honda City Fourth Generation (2013-present)

The fourth generation City made its debut in Malaysia on 23 January 2104. It was based on third generation Honda Jazz with a longer wheelbase and improved ergonomics. It also incorporated the Honda's 'Exciting H-design' which gave it more refreshing looks than its predecessor. The fourth generation City included some range-topping features like 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.

Evolution Matrix