Honda knocks $500 off new City pricing

Honda has announced pricing for its pint-sized City sedan ahead of the sixth-generation model’s showroom arrival later this month.

The $15,990, plus on-road costs entry price for the VTi, fitted with a five-speed manual transmission, undercuts the list price of the previous model by $500 as well as boasting improved fuel economy via its reworked 88kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine sending drive to the front wheels.

Adding a new continuously variable transmission (CVT) with seven pre-set steps, which replaces the previous generation’s five-speed automatic gearbox, costs an extra $2000.

Capping off the range is the $21,390 VTi-L, which comes standard with the CVT.

The larger Thai-sourced City boasts more head, shoulder and legroom, along with a reversing camera that makes use of the same iPhone-friendly multimedia screen as used in the Odyssey people-mover, and push-button start on the upper-spec VTi-L.

Boot space in the new-generation car has grown by 30 litres to stand at a big 536L, while fuel economy falls from 6.6 litres per 100km in the current model to 5.7/100km on the combined cycle.

Honda’s pricing for the City places it in the middle of the light car segment’s price spread. Nissan’s Almera kicks off from $16,990, while the Kia Rio starts from $15,290 and the Holden Barina sedan is priced from $15,490, excluding on-road costs.

2014 Honda City pricing*

VTi	$15,990
VTi (a)	$17,990
VTi-L (a)	$21,390

*Excludes on-road costs.