Honda City VT-iL

Honda has energised its model lineup of late, as the company battles a tide of competition from Korea and elsewhere.
Sales of the Jazz hatch remain constant, but with Australia's ongoing hatchback love affair, is there still a place for a light sedan?
Honda believes there is and this is it. 
The latest City model, is now into its sixth generation.
On test here is the top spec VT-iL.
Honda has tweaked the City's styling, including new tail lights, transforming it into quite a sophisticated shape..modern and very pleasing to the eye.

There's an incredible amount of legroom inside. Even with the driver's seat all the way back, I could still fit comfortably and I am 6'2 " tall. Head room in the rear for taller passengers however, is a bit tight.
The amazing space continues in the boot.. a colossal 536 litre capacity.. more even than a Holden Commodore.
The seats themselves are supportive and quite comfortable but there's not a lot of side bolstering in the front pair.That's not a problem, as the City is not a sports car requiring body hugging pews. 

Headlights are bright with good spread and penetration on high and low beam. Well done Honda. Other manufacturers take note..This level of illumination should be the light car standard.  
The City is relatively narrow. I could almost touch the opposite door with an outstretched arm and you won't find too many soft touch surfaces. The driver's elbow rests on hard plastic...the door top coverings are also unyielding and so is the dashboard top.
The only padded comfort is on the console lid, which is good, as often cars in this class have no central armrest at all. 

The touch screen for audio and other functions is easy to use and quite large.
The leather bound steering wheel has remote buttons for cruise, audio and other functions including Bluetooth. The large screen is a bonus when reversing, as the rear view camera's field of vision is excellent on the same screen.
It's pleasing to find a car in this class with remote entry and start.

The 1.5 litre engine has plenty of pep, despite it's modest output..88 kw and 145 nm.Average fuel consumption is a frugal 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres.
At cruising speeds and around town, the City is quiet, with little wind or road noise.Ride comfort is quite good. The tight turning circle is ideal for city use and steering effort is light, but still with plenty of feel. Again, top marks Honda.

The City has become a sophisticated, grown up light car.
I enjoyed my time with it and I'm pretty sure you will too.
The City VT-iL sells for just over 21K.
Peter Sellen