Honda finally pulls the wraps off the all-new, fifth-generation City sub-compact sedan in Thailand and with it brings a promise of re-imagining the segment by being “better in every dimension” and “delivering a value beyond everyone’s imagination.”
Initially developed as a regional model for the ASEAN market, the City has since become a very important model for Honda. Selling more than 4 million units since its first generation, 70 percent of its sales remain in ASEAN. With that, the all-new City caters to ASEAN tastes and sensibilities, but will also fulfill its role as standout small car sold in over 60 countries worldwide.
Compared to the outgoing model it goes for a wide and low appearance. With that, it sits 10 mm lower, but is wider by 53 mm and longer by a whopping 113 mm.
In terms of looks, the all-new City doesn’t take a radical departure not like its hatchback sibling, the Jazz/Fit. For the 2020 model, Honda has retained the City’s angular styling which should appeal to the current fan base. That said, it does get one feature shared with the all-new Jazz/Fit: the side mirrors are now mounted on the doors (done for better visibility). LED taillights are standard across the line as are LED daytime running lights. 15-inch rims are found at all four corners.
Inside, it further emphasizes its width with a horizontally-oriented interior. Compared to before, there’s far more soft-touch points and premium materials such as real metallic accents. A traditional two-gauge cluster greets the driver, but at the center is an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In Thailand, the City gains the Honda Connect system, a system that offers additional connectivity between driver and car.
Under the hood, there’s only one engine choice and that’s a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder VTEC Turbo engine. Thanks to a direct injection system, low inertia turbocharger, and electronic waste gate, it delivers torque equivalent to a 1.8-liter engine while delivering 33 percent better fuel economy than the outgoing 1.5-liter. The power output is an outstanding 122 horsepower and 173 Nm of torque. The sole transmission is the Earth Dreams CVT.
Also, for the first time, the all-new Honda City is available in a RS variant. The RS variant comes with a complete set of sporty aero parts including a gloss black front grille with RS logo emblem, sporty front bumper and grille, LED Headlights with LED DRLs, LED fog lights, black power-retractable side door mirror with integrated turn signal indicator, gloss black trunk spoiler, and larger 16-inch wheels. This model also gets suede leather seats with red stitching, a multi-information display with red illumination, and an exclusive color: Ignite Red.
Now comes the most surprising part. For the Thailand market, prices of the all-new City have remained largely the same as before. The previous City was sold there for 550,000 to 739,000 Baht. Now, the fifth-generation City comes in from 579,500 to 739,000 Baht.
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