MALAYSIAN MOTOR TRADER NEWS - FIRST LOOKS - Glimpses of the all-new Honda City

FIRST LOOKS

Glimpses of the all-new Honda City
November 10, 2008 06:10 PM Author: Chips

All-new City (top) due in mid-December; if you prefer the present one, better rush to the nearest Honda showroom and grab one of the last units

The internet has made the world a much smaller place and once a new model is launched somewhere, it is hard to keep it a secret in markets where it is yet to be launched. The only secret left to keep is the exact specification and of course, the price. Given this situation, most car companies have ceased to ‘deny’ the existence of a new model, something which they used to be in the old days because anytime news of a new model was known in the market, it would start to impact sales of the current one.

So these days, instead of trying to hide the existence of a new model, companies like Honda Malaysia exploit the knowledge that consumers have and have run-up campaigns to the local launch of the model. This was the case with recent new Honda models and they are now doing it with the new 3rd generation Honda City which went on sale in Thailand in mid-September this year.

The first official release on the new model gives a hint as to the theme the new City will have – style and performance joining practicality. This is only to be expected since the previous City (still on sale here) was strong on practicality but until the facelift last year, its looks were not appealing to some and the performance also left something to be desired, allowing the Vios to score more points in these areas.

Now Honda has addressed those deficiencies and at the same time, gone further, with the new City. Besides the new 120 ps 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine (same as in the new Jazz), the new City also comes with a long list of sensible and useful features.


New 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine (no i-DSI engine option)	Centre console will house top-notch audio system

According to Honda Malaysia, buyers can expect a top-notch multi-format compatible audio system as standard. The ‘revolutionary Advanced Audio’ digital media system is compatible with iPod and mp3 players as well as other sources of digital audio sound for the convenience of the driver and passengers. In addition, all major operations, such as song selection and volume adjustment, are controlled using four push buttons and a rotary selector similar to the Jog Dial function on an iPod. The display panel features a large LCD for improved visibility even from the rear seats.

Interior spaciousness and comfort, thanks to the extended wheelbase, are claimed to be greatly improved in the new City. To enhance seating comfort, special attention has been paid to the shape of the side bolsters and the hardness of the seat cushion padding. The springs and cushion padding were also specially contoured so that the passenger’s lower back sinks into the seat cushion and is held in place. At the back, the convenient one-step 60/40 folding and reclining backrests allows the boot space to be extended for loading of long or tall items. The rear headrests have also been integrated into the backseats for better rearward visibility. Developed for the best balance between maximum capacity and practical usage, the boot capacity is at an impressive 506 litres, which should swallow up a lot of luggage.

The new City features unique spaces such as the open-type tray beneath the rear seat. This allows passengers to store their umbrellas and an extra pair of shoes for rainy days. No mention is made of the highly innovative ULTRA seat being present in the new model, though. The glovebox and coin pocket are now larger, which allows passengers to store more things. [Article continues after Caltex advertisement]

Globally, the new City has already been launched in three countries - Thailand, India and Singapore – and Malaysia will get the model by mid-December 2008. When it was launched in Thailand, over 8,000 units were booked within the first month and this was a new record for Honda in Thailand as it broke the previous high of 6,000 bookings in the first month of the launch of the Civic in 2005.

To know more about the new City, call the Honda Toll-Free number at 1-800-88-2020, or visit www.excitementinthecity.com.my (from November 15 2008) and you could to win an iPod Nano or an invitation to the All-New City launch.

Talk about the new City in the MTM Forum

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