Due to its affordable pricing, the subcompact sedan category is one of the most popular car segments in Southeast Asia.
As a result, automakers are introducing their separate challengers in the category and one of these is the City, which was the region's second best-selling Honda vehicle last year, only after the legendary Civic.
The new generation City has a new 4-door RS variant and what we really want to know is whether this City is a step forward from the previous one.
It is decent at first glance as the City's design has changed tremendously. It is a more normal three-box sedan rather than attempting to adopt a more fastback-type appearance with a relatively high rear trunk lid.
However, for a B-segment car, it looks really nice, especially with those LED headlamps that appear to have come from the same parts bins as the Civic.
This RS variant includes a few sporty touches like the black grille, black side mirrors, wider 16-inch wheels, a false rear diffuser, and so on.
It's not immediately visible, but the vehicle is also substantially larger. Honda widened it slightly, most likely taking inspiration from the Germans; this one is 113mm longer, 53mm wider, and has a 20mm larger wheelbase.
The City, on the other hand, is a touch lower overall, and the official ground clearance is now 134mm rather than 150mm.
Engine and Performance
In the Bangladesh market, all City versions are powered by a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine paired with a CVT transmission.
The engine has really been enhanced, since it now has one more extra horsepower at 121 PS (previous: 120 PS), despite the fact that torque remains at 145 Newton meters. It's a minor upgrade, but Honda fans can now put DOHC i-VTEC stickers on the rear doors because this is now a twin-cam engine unit rather than a single-cam.
The City RS excels as an urban drive, as heavy-handed as that may be. The CVT is smooth, as is the engine, and the car rides extremely nicely.
The longer wheelbase helps, but I believe it's a mix of the suspension and the seats. Yes, there is some noise from the tires while driving on the tarmac, but it's not too unpleasant. After all, this is still a B-segment vehicle.
Interior
The exterior of the vehicle seems to have a German-inspired design and the same can be said for the interior, particularly with the dashboard's fixation with symmetry.
Granted, nothing can be done to prevent the steering wheel from destroying the symmetry, the overall appearance of the dash appears to be traditional, clean and with a lot of straight lines.
Sitting in the driver's seat, I like what I see right away. Honda considered things like having pockets that can hold larger smartphones, wallets, and other items you may or may not have in your pockets. That means you won't have to pile everything into the passenger seat.
The multimedia infotainment system is adequate and includes standard features such as Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.
The screen is clear, even though it looks to be developed for right-hand markets (such as Bangladesh), as demonstrated by the controls on the right side of the screen.
The speaker system is very good and simple to tweak for good bass but probably the most noticeable change is what's beneath the audio system: Honda has ditched the touch-sensitive climate control panel in favour of a more traditional array of rotary knobs and buttons. They also organized the panel in a highly symmetrical manner.
So far, it's difficult to find anything to complain about, which is a good thing until you sit at the back. The City's rear seat isn't terrible, but feels relatively tighter than the non-sporty version; but given that it is a driver-focused vehicle, the rear seats offer a reasonable size, good padding, and even rear A/C vents for comfort.
Although there are no USB ports on the back, there are two 12-volt outlets where you may put in your adapters and charge your phones and devices.
Verdict
We already know that the City will not outsell its Toyota counterparts in Bangladesh but with a price of slightly over Tk33 lakh, what Honda is aiming for is to establish its position as the leading competitor if a consumer wants to drive anything that isn't just a default option.
It is a beautiful vehicle, and if you are seeking to buy a car to drive yourself, this could be an excellent choice.
