Short Preview : New 4G Honda City Driving Impressions

The new 4th Generation Honda City is currently being launched across Asia, as usual starting from Thailand a few months ago. Nevertheless, enthusiasts across Asia actually already knows pretty much everything about the car's superficial details like (paper) specifications, trim levels, and so forth since the Thailand launch, mostly from internet resources (especially the Honda Thailand and Honda Singapore websites).

As for TOVA, once again we have to wait for the official launch in Malaysia, on December 18th, before we can provide our unique in-depth coverage of this important model. While some Malaysian journalist, mainly from newspapers, got the opportunity to visit the Honda R&D Research facility in Thailand to meet with the R&D engineers a couple of months ago, unfortunately TOVA was not part of that contingent. So unfortunately I do not have any extra insight to offer on the new City and will have to wait until the media test-drive before I can meet the R&D engineers myself to shoot out unique questions of my own.

Nevertheless, TOVA is not without unique resources of our own, the most powerful of course being our network of readers, i.e. Honda enthusiasts, many of them hard-core enthusiasts across Asia (and the rest of the world). While I do not have any extra insights into the City to offer, outside of the standard fare that has already been dished out on the net and the dailies, on the other hand, some rather interesting infor has recently came across my way.

'Lingwu', a Malaysian Honda enthusiasts who drives a 7Gen Honda Civic regularly shuttles between Malaysia and Thailand as part of his work schedule. Consequently, he has been able to test-drive the new 4G City a couple of times already and when he shared his experiences and opinions with members of a local Honda club recently, I saw it as something many TOVA readers would be interested in as well. His experience is our short preview of the new 4th Gen Honda City.

Lingwu's first experience with driving the City was from a test drive at a dealer, that time just a couple of weeks after the launch in Thailand. His experience from that initial drive was short and brief.

... a brief take on the city. It was a very very short test drive as the main road was having a very bad traffic jam so they just allow to drive around the 3S centre, so can't comment much.

1st impression, the car is definitely better looking that the outgoing city. A Vios killer for sure. Interior is not as good as the Jazz but I find it acceptable.

I drove the VS-spec i.e the top model and the paddle shift is cool. Those extra cup holders and storage space is really handy. In Thailand, in one of their Modulo package is (a) reverse camera with DVD screen/player i.e. can play CD (package). (The) non-modulo VS spec has no CD player but (there is an) input socket for MP3 and iPod tucked nicely behind.

The nice sports rim that we see on the picture is for VS spec only. Boot space is enough for 4 golf bags. Hmm...i just hope that HM (i.e. Honda Malaysia) will provide the same as what they get in Thailand or else I will be buying the Modulo accessories from Thailand directly!

A couple of months later, Lingwu came back with another driving experience. This time, it was an more extensive session with an actual owner's car. The details are best told by Lingwu himself below. Words or phrases in brackets are my own, for editing of grammar or for clarifications.

....finally got to drive a new City over long distance. Went (for a) holiday in Khao Yai which is about 3 hours drive out of BKK (Bangkok). It is on the mountain regions in (the) Issan area. Drove on highway and also on trunk roads. The car belongs to one of my staff and it was a family outing with them.

My summary: (i.e. highlights of the experience)

Steering is very light....good (for) city/town (driving) but not for long (distance) highway travelling
Driving above 120km/h... a bit scary because of point 1 (the light steering feel) and maybe (also the) sitting position (which is) too high for my liking
Seats...comfortable but hit my head a few times when entering the car because sitting position is high (note, there should be a seat height adjustment for the seats though I suppose Lingwu has already adjusted it beforehand and still found the seating position to be too high. He is not a very tall person actually)
Fuel consumption...fuyooooooh (this is a popular Asian expression nowadays, roughly equivalent to 'WOW !') ...this one is the best deal la (another popular Asian expression, no equivalent in English) ...full tank indicate can go 580km (i.e. Honda Thailand claims a range of 580km per full tank). And (but) we did better than that...(we got) almost 600km.. Lagi-lagi (meaning 'furthermore' in english) this car I drove (had) only done 680km (accumulated mileage), no service yet and still having (a) red plate!
Power of (new) 1.5l i-Vtec (engine) ...good as I (could) climb hilly road easily. Hitting the VTEC and hearing it roar was addictive - as always (for most Honda VTEC engine)
The version I drove was the V-Spec model. It has no paddle shift and doesn't have the nice sport rims (from the VS-Spec). Only 15" wheels. The auto gear shows...P, D, N, D3, 2, 1.

Overall, the city is not for racing (obviously). The fuel consumption indicator on the dashboard is very informative. It gives you the expected range you can get (with the calculated remaining fuel in the tank) and your consumption km/l (since the last reset). On the same screen you get your trip meters too.

Waiting for it to be launched in M'sia and get it for my wife (I think this vouches for the new City much more than any reviews can, no matter how positive that review might be !).

Khop khun krab! (A phrase in Thai)

An interesting 'preview' of how the new 4Gen City drives. The new City has of course also been launched in a few other ASEAN countries, notably Singapore. So if there are more such interesting annecdotes to share, I will definitely be publishing more previews. In the meantime, TOVA will of course be at the Malaysian launch event for the new City on December 18th and thereafter, hope to be able to offer driving impressions of our own at the Honda Malaysia media test-drive event. Stay tuned.