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How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry?

CY Foong · Aug 20, 2020 11:30 AM

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 01

In anticipation of Honda Malaysia launching the 2020 Honda City, let’s take a quick look back at Honda’s popular sedan and a gateway for many Honda fanboys. It is turning 25 soon, after all.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 02

“But the City isn’t 25. There was a smaller JDM car made much earlier in 1981, so it should be 40.”

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Well, I hear you loud and clear but I’m just focusing on the City that moved most of South East Asia and not the little turbocharged bulldog. With that cleared up, let’s begin.

The beginning

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 01

The original City was meant for the Japanese, European, and Australasian markets in the 1980s but after a little more than a decade of mediocrity, the City name was shelved in 1994 before Honda decided to focus on the next rising market – South East Asia.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 02

Honda did some research prior to the development of the City. These are some of the criteria the team came up with:

  • Body size – Compact but with a minimum wheelbase of 2,500 mm in length and 1,690 mm in width for ample interior space.
  • Performance – Engine should deliver an output equivalent to 96 PS while maintaining good fuel economy.
  • Comfort – The car should be spacious, has excellent ergonomics, and good ride characteristics.
  • Safety – Equipped with state-of-the-art active and passive safety systems.
  • Price – Good value-for-money but equipped with modern styling and tech.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 03

The result was the SX8 City which first made its debut in Thailand in 1996. The City was built on a platform based on the EF Civic at a brand-new factory in Ayutthaya, Thailand using 70 percent local parts to keep costs low.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 04

The reborn City became a huge success in Thailand and not long after, it was sold across ASEAN in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It was the first Honda model to be launched in India where it achieved cult classic status.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 05

Fun fact: There was a Type Z variant of the SX8 but unlike the Type R it wasn’t performance-oriented. Instead, the Type Z was used to label the facelifted SX8 which also introduced a 1.5-litre VTEC engine to the model.

All jazzed up

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 06

If the SX8 City was a safe car designed with the help of market research, then the GD8 City must’ve been designed with the crumpled remains of that research. Calling the GD8 a weird-looking sedan might be a bit unfair since we have the current Persona and Bezza which designs are definitely inspired by it.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 07

The Japanese Honda Fit Aria

The GD8 City was based on the GD3 Jazz. This generation of the City was also sold in Japan for the first time as the Fit Aria. Launched in 2002 initially with a 1.5-litre i-DSi engine before a 1.5-litre VTEC was added later on. The i-DSi engine received some praise for its fuel efficiency but it was a bit slow for those who wanted more grunt in their ride.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 08

The GD8 quickly became a divisive model with some noting how bad the 7-speed CVT gearbox was – it was an early Honda CVT gearbox and its looks weren’t garnering that much praises. A facelift model was launched in 2005 which improved not only its looks but offered a smoother ride with better suspension.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 09

However, it was winning in terms of practicality. Being paired with the Honda Jazz also offered the GD8 City a boost in practicality thanks to the Ultra Seats which allowed different options to enhance storage space.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 10

Fun fact: While the rest of the world got FWD, there was a 4WD variant of the City (or to be more accurate, the Fit Aria) in Japan. It was powered by either a 1.3-litre L13A or a 1.5-litre L15A.

Global dominance

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 11

By the time the GM2 City was launched, the City nameplate had become so well-known not only in South East Asia but it had expanded almost globally including Latin America, the Middle East, Australasia, East Asia, and South Asia. It was even sold in some Eastern European markets very briefly like Poland.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 12

The GM2 City marked quite a big departure from the GD City in terms of design, looking very much distinct from the rest of the Honda line-up. That grown-up look however belied what looked like simple mechanicals underneath; a 1.5-litre SOHC i-VTEC that was mated to a 5-speed automatic was the only engine and transmission offered in Malaysia.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 13

Fun fact: Staring with this generation, India began to overtake Thailand as the main market for the City. In 2010, the City gained a 35% market share in the Indian mid-size sedan segment. A diesel variant was even offered there.

Torque kicked in, yo!

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 14

The outgoing GM6 Honda City perfectly embodies the “Man Maximum, Machine Minimum” philosophy, providing perfect practicality and persistent performance. Although it is an aging car – having been on sale since 2014 with a facelift in 2017, it’s still a good buy.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 15

It even comes with a Hybrid option for folks who are eco-conscious. The 1.5-litre SOHC petrol engine might have been similar from the GM2 City but as the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 16

Trigger warning for Bezza owners

But all the buzz is definitely on the upcoming 2020 Honda City which based on their controversial commercial is definitely stirring up a storm with up to 253 Nm of torque coming from its 1.5-litre i-MMD petrol-hybrid engine. I think the “i-MMD kicked in yo” joke would be a handful to say.

How did the Honda City go from a simple family car to firing shots at the Camry? 17

Even amazing is that Malaysia will be the country where the all-new City RS will be making its world debut! So, which of these generations have you owned and what are your memories in owning one?

CY Foong

Writer

Traded advertising for a career that fits his passion for cars. Enjoys spotting cars during his free time and has a soft spot for Japanese Kei cars but drives a thirsty manual sedan.

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