Highlights of the Honda City
In developing this second generation of the Honda adopted completely different thinking from that used for the first generation which was introduced in the mid-1990s. That City had been conceived as an ‘Asian Car’ with the aim of providing a low-cost affordable model for motorists in developing countries, especially those in ASEAN. It came at a time when the prices of Japanese cars had gone up significantly and no longer were they true entry-level models; in Malaysia, for example, where it had once been possible for young people to buy the Civic as their first car, its price had risen too much and so many people just could not ‘join the Honda family’.
The other thing about the Asian Car concept which Honda conceived was that it was intended to help in the motorization of the region. This, however, was more in the context of Thailand – predominantly a pick-up market – rather than Malaysia and Singapore which had well-developed passenger car segments as well as good roads.
In retrospect, the first generation’s design and specifications made the car a low-cost product which could be sold at a very affordable price. However, according to Seiji Kuraishi (President/CEO of Honda Malaysia), their understanding of the consumer expectations at that time may not have been so complete as much of the feedback came from distributors and dealers in the region. According to what Honda had been told, customers wanted only a lower price and were not fussy about technology and features.
Thus in the first generation, the City had simple specifications and no major infusion of technology. Even power windows and central locking were not made standard at a time when consumers were expecting such things. The car was cheap, well built… but many Honda lovers felt it was a step back and were a bit disappointed.
Honda must have picked up these sentiments because the car was upgraded very quickly. In fact, even though the first generation lasted seven years – longer than the usual lifespan of a Japanese model – it went through quite a lot of change. “There were changes almost every year in the late 1990s and while you see this new model as a second generation, I would personally regard it as a ‘third generation,” said Satoshi Toshida, President of Thailand-based Asian Honda.
From this understanding, Asian Honda decided it would conduct studies more deeply to have a better idea of what ASEAN consumers really expected. Product planners didn’t rely on just what distributors told them and as Honda had set up its own unit in ASEAN, it was closer to the markets to do its own research.
The market surveys told the product planners that consumers in ASEAN are no different from those in more developed countries and they are well informed and aware of what is the latest automotive technology. Furthermore, with the Internet, new products in other markets are immediately known and even prices can be compared, so ASEAN consumers don’t accept compromises in design or technology.
The problem, however, is that technology is not cheap and high technology is expensive. Thus the challenge for Chief Engineer T. Saitoh and his team working on the second generation was to create a model which was comparable to other Hondas technologically – but be affordable enough for ASEAN buyers. In order to develop a new City that was affordable, Mr Saitoh said that they had to come up with new ways of engineering and more efficient manufacturing processes which reduced costs but at the same time maintained or increased quality. In fact, quality was a key issue in developing the new City because it is something that can be seen and felt. The idea was to offer a car with a cheap pricetag, but did not feel or look cheap.
It’s evident that Honda has gone almost to the other extreme and loaded the new City with lots of technological goodies. No longer is it a model with ‘simple’ technology but right up to date with the newest cars in the world. This is costing Honda a lot but then again, they have made the City a world car too (it is sold in India, Brazil, Middle East and other markets where an affordable entry-level model is needed) and so they need to boost numbers worldwide to get the economies of scale and cover the costs of adding all this high-tech stuff in.
For starters, there is the i-DSI engine which appeared only in June 2001. Compact and light, this 4-cylinder SOHC 8-valve engine has been designed for small Hondas and comes in 1.3-litre, 1.4-litre and 1.5-litre displacements. Malaysia gets the most powerful version at the moment and this runs on a higher-than-normal compression ratio of 10.5:1. In the past, having such a high compression ratio could have presented problems if fuel quality was not up to mark but with knock control as a standard feature in most engine management systems, fuel quality problems won’t be an issue.
In terms of output, it would not be fair to make comparisons to the previous City ZTEC which had the performance-oriented VTEC engine. Instead, one should consider the City 1.5 EX-I and here, the older SOHC engine with 16 valves had a higher output of 77 kW/105 ps and 134 Nm while the new i-DSI engine produces 65 kW/88 ps and 131 Nm.
On paper, this suggests a less powerful engine but it is notable that peak torque now occurs at just 2700 rpm, a fairly low point which has positive benefits on acceleration at the lower end – where most motorists would need it. A study of the torque curve will reveal that the new engine actually produces 8% higher torque than the previous engine in the 2000 – 3000 rpm range.
The all-new engine has Dual & Sequential Ignition (that’s what the ‘DSI’ stands for) with two sparkplugs. This twin-spark concept is not entirely new as Alfa Romeo had it way back in the 1980s but as with variable valve timing, Alfa Romeo’s pioneering effort never made big headlines. The Italian company was also the first to introduce variable valve timing in the 1980s but it was only when Honda brought out its VTEC that people got excited about it.
Two sparkplugs are used to optimize combustion by achieving intensive fuel combustion at any rpm. The sparkplugs are arranged diagonally to accelerate flame propagation in the combustion chamber, thus promoting rapid combustion of the air-fuel mixture and extracting a higher output from each drop of petrol.
One sparkplug, located near the intake valve fires earlier than the second which is positioned near the exhaust valve. The firing has to be very precise because ignition at the wrong moment could create a secondary and damaging explosion in the compact combustion chamber. There are separate coils for each spark plug (so there are eight in total) to ensure optimised firing.
Basically, the firing of the spark plugs is determined by the rpm range and there is a perceptible lag between the two spark plug firings at lower speeds when the gas flow is a bit slower. At high speeds, the time difference is so close that they almost seem to fire at the same time.
Because combustion is more complete, there is almost no unburnt fuel blowing down the exhaust pipe and sending out toxic gases. Of course, the exhaust gases are still sent through a 3-way catalytic converter for chemical conversion to water vapour and CO2.
The twin-spark idea is primarily for fuel economy and reduction of toxic gases. Mr Saitoh said that in the event of one sparkplug not firing, there should be no effect on output nor driveability – no jerking as if one cylinder is misfiring – but the driver should have the engine checked as soon as possible (the engine warning light will come on). However, fuel consumption will be higher and there will be more pollutants coming out.
The improvement in fuel economy is claimed to be significant although no specific figures have been given. Clearly this is a more efficient engine than the previous one and though the new City is also a heavier car than before, it still offers better fuel economy. In Japan, the claimed figure for the Fit Aria (as the City is known there) in the demanding 10-15 cycle established by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is 20 kms/litre (56 mpg) which is quite impressive and allows for a range of at least 800 kms on a full tank of 42 litres. Of course, the tuning of the engine may be different between the engine in Japan and the one in Malaysia but it is still above average.
The other high-tech element in the new City is the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). A detailed explanation of this can be found in a separate article elsewhere on this website (link shown below) but just to add a few extra comments, the inclusion of a CVT is not new for this class of car but it is new to Malaysians. Honda has invested a lot in CVT technology (it had to pay patent fees) and has developed an advanced CVT (which it calls ‘Multimatic S’ in some markets) that it uses in various models, including the advanced Insight and Civic hybrid models.
CVT technology has advanced light years since the transmission first appeared in mass-produced cars in the 1950s. This type of transmission is more efficient than conventional automatic transmissions and electronics provide a higher degree of refinement. Reliability is also very good and as the Honda CVT has been in use since the mid-1990s, most bugs should have been identified and removed.
What will thrill Malaysian buyers is the inclusion of Steermatic, a feature which brings pushbutton shifting to this class of cars (although the latest Punto also has it). At the touch of a button on the right side of the steering wheel, a manual mode can be activated to change ratios (there are no gears in a CVT) by using ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons on the left and right side of the steering wheel. You get seven ratios to choose from so it’s a broad spread for maximum driving flexibility.
Safety is another strong point of the new City and here again, entry-level does not mean compromising safety standards. In fact, Honda has put in just about everything that its other models would have as standard and like all the latest models, its construction employs G-CON (G force CONtrol) technology for superior protection in accidents.
Crash testing has been conducted at 55km/h (full-frontal collision), 64km/h (front offset collision), 55km/h (side collision), and 50km/h (rear collision). According to Chief Engineer Saitoh, the results showed that the City could score a 5-star rating in the Japanese NCAP tests so it’s tops in occupant protection.
An interesting thing about Honda’s crash-testing philosophy these days is that the effects of real-world accidents are also important in designing vehicles. This means that there are also tests where new models are crashed against other vehicles because that does happen in real life. Typical tests are a 50% front offset collision with a large passenger car and both vehicles are moving at 50km/h.
Such testing helped the engineers determine where energy forces would be severe and to provide more absorption. In the case of the City, an interesting structural feature is the 4-way crossmember layout under the cabin which uses transverse ladder frames to effectively absorb energy from side impacts.
Honda also thinks of other road users and has designed the bodywork to minimise injuries to pedestrians. In fact, in the independent EuroNCAP crash tests, some Honda models have been praised for their good results in the area of pedestrian protection. In this respect, the City also features a wiper pivot slide system, impact-absorbing bonnet,
collapsible bonnet hinge, and easily deforming fender structure that’s all help reduce pedestrian injuries in the event of an accident.
The 42-litre fuel tank is also positioned under the cabin instead of at the rear end, a move which offers not just benefits in terms of liberating space in the boot area but also affords much better protection during a collision.
The fuel tank is made of a very tough resin and has 6 layers so it is pretty puncture-proof and owners need not be too concerned about damage from the road. The engineers have also done testing that takes into account the possibility of an owner lowering the suspension (which is Mr Saitoh is totally against!) and the fuel tank is still safe enough. However, in the event that it is necessary to drill holes in the floor to install special seats, it is advisable to remove the tank and better still, consult Honda Malaysia on this.
The disc/drum brake system has ABS with EBD, the latter an additional feature in many of today’s ABS which optimises braking whatever the load on board.
Inside the cabin, a lot of padding has been put in areas which are likely to receive impacts from the head as it is forced about during a serious accident. There are also airbags for the driver and front passenger and seatbelts for everyone.
The front seats can mitigate neck shock, otherwise known as whiplash, during a rear collision. The upper portion of the backrest and the headrest are designed in a way that allows equal distribution of the forces on the body over the head and torso.
A lot of little details around the cabin reflect concern for safety. For example, there are two studs in the floor which prevent the driver’s carpet mat from sliding – a tiny thing to owners but apparently the subject of much negotiation by Honda Malaysia’s product planners to have included!
Another important safety feature is the lock for the Ultra Seat (described in detail further on). This is important to ensure that there are no injuries. When the seat is folded up, it locks tightly in place and cannot be released unless the metal support bar is raised.
The chassis of the City is based on Honda’s Global Small Platform and has independent MacPherson struts in front with a H-shaped torsion beam at the rear. The layout is simple and typical of cars in this class. While the advantages are compact layout for better interior space and low manufacturing cost, the torsion beam design offers only partial independent rear suspension action. The trick is therefore in how well the engineers tune the suspension and in particular, the types of bushes used where the trailing arms meet the body. For the City, the engineers focused on minimizing the effects of side forces during cornering and offsetting the deflection to the suspension elements on right and left side.
The rack and pinion steering system uses an electric motor for assistance, something which eliminates the problem of some engine power being lost due to driving the energizer pump in conventional power-steering units.
Standard wheels for the City are 14×5.5JJ alloys with 185/60R14 Goodyear GA tyres fitted. The tyres have been tested by Honda R&D and are considered suited for the car in terms of ride, grip and noise levels.
The interior of the City shows intelligent packaging to maximize use of the 2450 mm wheelbase and 1690 mm body width. Though there may be a tendency to say that the dashboard is shared with the Jazz, which has the same platform, the City’s actually has a different design in the lower half. Where the Jazz has a ‘shelf’ in the lower section, the City does not, but it does have two separate gloveboxes instead (the Jazz has two levels but a single door). This is interesting because a second glovebox is normally available only if the passenger’s side airbag is not installed.
The instrument panel has a ‘sporty’ layout which departs from the usual flat panel type of presentation. The speedometer is the largest meter in the centre with the tachometer on the left side. A circular recess to the right of the speedometer shows the fuel tank gauge and a vertically oriented CVT position indicator. When the Steermatic mode is activated by pressing on the button below the right shift switch on the steering wheel, the CVT position selected will appear as a digit. The digital display will also appear when in full auto mode if the Steermatic button is pressed but the manual shift switch is not touched. In this situation, you can see the various ratios being selected automatically. Incidentally, Mr Saitoh said that he did not consider offering a digital-graphic panel as he felt it was not practical and it would add unnecessary cost.
A controversial issue has been the absence of a radiator coolant temperature gauge, a meter which has traditionally been present in almost all instrument panel packages. Instead, there is a blue light to let the driver know when the engine is cold (ie before normal operating temperature is reached) and a red light that blinks when an overheating condition (above 118 degrees C.) is detected. If the temperature exceeds the safe level of 125 degrees C, then the red light will stay permanently on.
Chief Engineer Saitoh admitted that the omission of the gauge was a cost-saving measure but explained that it was done only after they had done studies on how much motorists refer to that particular meter. The majority, he said, don’t look at it and if that is the case, then it might as well not be installed. He added that the sensor system for the warning lights is effective and responsive, and has not received any complaints or problems so far. The same approach is taken in the Jazz/Fit which has been around a year or two longer than the City.
If you will recall, the Proton Tiara also had no coolant gauge and owners never seemed to make an issue of it, and it is also known that the new Toyota Vios does not have a gauge either. So it looks like this item will become history although there are some who consider it important to keep.
By far, the most innovating thing in the cabin would be the ULTRA seat, a patented method of folding the rear seats to provide more space for cargo. Also used in the Jazz, the ULTra seat has three positions – Utility, Long and Tall – giving a hatchback or stationwagon capability in a 3-box body.
Utility mode is commonly found in many sedans where the rear backrests fold flat to extend the length of the boot floor. The backrests are divided in a 60:40 ratio for flexibility between people and cargo. The nice thing is that the backrests fold completely flat, rather than rest at an angle.
The Long mode has the front passenger’s backrest folded backwards till it is flat (headrest removed) so you get a cargo ‘floor’ that stretches up to the dashboard. The 2.7 metre length is long enough so a carpet can be carried, saving you transportation money if you need to take home that big Persian carpet.
The Tall mode is a brilliant idea and one which again shows the innovation Honda has been famous for. Their product planners have been known to hang out in supermarket carparks to see how people store things and obviously, the Tall mode must have come about from such exercises. To get into Tall mode, the seat is flipped up against the backrest and locked in place. This creates an open space with a height of 1.245 metres – enough for a potted plant to be carried standing up or tall items.
A nice idea is the provision of grocery hooks on the undersides of the seats (two per seat). It’s a small and simple idea but one which will be appreciated when you have to take home food or drinks from stalls or eggs. In the past, people used to hang these things on window winders but not with power windows, you don’t have those. More manufacturers should think of ideas like these which do add convenience to motoring.
As for security, Honda Malaysia has been well aware that the popularity of Honda models over the years has had the unfortunate consequence of also making them a target for thieves. The CR-V was a ‘hot car’ at one time but its security system was upgraded and according to Honda Malaysia, the loss rate based on data provided by PIAM (the insurance association) fell to almost zero. Owners of the CR-V who had the earlier system were invited to have an upgrade installed to increase vehicle security.
The same upgraded system (Cobra Bridge 7926B2) is fitted to the City and meets the UK Thatcham 1 standards, presently the toughest in Europe. The system includes an engine immobilizer which is a key to preventing theft and as it is integrated in the engine management system, it is virtually impossible to remove or tamper with. There is also an ultrasonic sensor inside the cabin to detect unauthorized entry.
As an additional measure, the ignition key is a special type with a ‘wave’ profile that is not easy to copy. In fact, to make a copy requires a special machine and to order one, details of the motorist are needed so that is added security to protect your investment.
“We understand that in this region, buying a car is a major expenditure for consumers. It is the second highest item purchased by most people after a house, unlike the situation in Japan and other more developed countries. So we wanted to give good value for the significant money spent on buying a City and not only that, we also wanted to lower maintenance costs as this too is important to a car owner,” said Honda Malaysia’s Mr Kuraishi.
Towards this end, the City’s maintenance costs are claimed to be 50% lower than before. Working with suppliers of original fluids and parts, Honda engineers specified longer service lives for key items: brake fluid by 1.5 times; ATF by 2 times; sparkplugs by 2 times; fuel filter by 2 times; and oil filter by 2 times. And by Honda’s calculations, the lower cost of maintenance and greater fuel economy should save a motorist the equivalent of 5 drums of fuel over 60,000 kms. That’s RM1,383 at current petrol prices over a 3-year period if you average 20,000 kms a year. It should be noted that the extended service life of the items mentioned would only be applicable for genuine Honda products which are recommended for the new City, which you should be using at least for the period the warranty is applicable.
Talking of warranty, Honda Malaysia offers the City with a 3-year/100,000 km warranty and also 2 years/40,000 km of free scheduled maintenance. Typically, the latter would get an owner 8 free oil changes, 4 free oil filters, 2 free air filters and 1 set of spark plugs (8 pcs) – a pretty worthwhile package indeed.
First driving impressions of the Honda City
