Honda City S M/T

Superb comfort and space, impressive fuel economy and a huge boot make the new City every bit as practical as the previous model

Published on Dec 10, 2009 08:00:00 AM

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Honda has worked hard to transform the City’s ride and handling and the results are truly impressive. For a start, ride quality with the India-spec suspension (10mm higher than the Thai model) is superb. There is a suppleness in the suspension that was never present in the earlier car and this makes riding over rough patches and really bad roads much easier now. Also much improved is the handling and specifically the steering feel. Key to this is the electric assistance which has been enhanced by increasing the electric motor’s capacity from 40 to 60 amps. The City’s steering still feels a bit inert and is nowhere near as communicative as the Fiesta’s helm which is the class best but there is a new-found responsiveness and accuracy that the previous model’s Playstation-like steering simply never had. The City feels very stable at high speeds and is eager to dart into corners as well. While the car does roll as you corner it harder and harder, this is a car with which you can enjoy driving. The skinny 175/65 R15 tyres are insufficient for the pace of this car and it’s easy to break traction, the front wheels scrabbling for grip when you pile on the power. The brakes are pretty good with a consistent pedal feel and decent stopping power. Again, the limiting factor here is the tyres.