Hot off the press is the launch of the new Honda City, and this being an important car for the H brand in the region, there’s already plenty of talk surrounding it. So what better way to stoke the fire still further by comparing the new model against its predecessor, as well as its fiercest rivals in the B-segment sedan market – the new Nissan Almera, the Toyota Vios and the Mazda 2?
As usual, we’re going to start this post off by addressing any discrepancies. Since the City and Almera are only available in Thailand for now, we’re including the variants that are sold in the Land of Smiles, where these cars are only available with small-displacement turbocharged engines as part of Eco Car Phase 2 regulations. By comparison, the local Vios and Mazda 2 both have larger naturally-aspirated engines.
So, this is not quite an apples-to-apples comparison, and the specifications of both the Honda and Nissan could change by the time they arrive in Malaysia. Still, it should provide a decent general indicator of how these cars stack up, at least in terms of dimensions.
As you can see, the new City is easily the largest here. Measuring 4,553 mm long, 1,748 mm wide and 1,467 mm tall, it’s 111 mm longer and 54 mm wider than before, but 10 mm lower. It’s also 58 mm longer, eight millimetres wider and seven millimetres taller than the closest competitor, the Almera. Interestingly, however, the 2,589 mm wheelbase is 11 mm shorter than before, and it also loses out to the Nissan by 31 mm.
The biggest change for the City, however, concerns the engine. In Thailand, at least, the car will come as standard with a new 1.0 litre VTEC Turbo three-cylinder engine, making 121 hp and 173 Nm of torque. That’s just three more horsepower compared to the outgoing model’s 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated i-VTEC four-pot, but a heady 28 Nm more; the Honda’s engine is also significantly more muscular compared to the Almera’s equivalent 99 hp/152 Nm unit. All the cars here get a CVT, minus the Mazda’s six-speed automatic gearbox.
Both the City and Almera lead the class in terms of connectivity as well, as they are both available with an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay compatibility, while the City is also offered with a range of telematics services under the Honda Connect banner.
The Honda does, however, trail the Nissan (and the Mitsubishi Attrage, while we’re at it) when it comes to safety, coming without autonomous emergency braking. At least it has more airbags as standard, with four instead of just two for the Almera; both have six airbags on the range-topping models.
No local pricing information is available for the City and Almera, of course, but they should continue to play in the hotly-contested RM70,000 to RM100,000 bracket. Which do you think is the most competitive amongst this bunch? Sound off in the comments section after the jump.
GALLERY: 2020 Honda City
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for the price 80-100k, i rather buy x70 , enough say
unless these small sedan car reduce price till 50-60k, then worth it
You cannot compare these 4 game changing sedans with an unknown Chinese rebadged SUV. It’s trully a game over comparison
For that price, X50 will tapau all of them. Unlike X70, X50 comes with award winning Volvo engine that was in World COTY and Japan COTY winner car XC40.
you’ve made it in when you drive a jepunis car.
Jepunis cars got bad ride and handling, p1 light-years ahead , regret pay instalment every month!
2007- City priced RM97k
2017- City priced RM79k
2020- City priced RM92k
Thank you Najib! Damn you Pakatan!
2007 – city high spec price
2017 – city low spec price
2020 – city high spec price
how come you compare high with low spec price? which kindergarten you went to ha?
no thanks. why should i thank to perompak.
but, i just want to thank to honda malaysia because of the introduction of city low spec S/S+ make people like me afford to own a city with zero depo. so i can buy cheap2 and modified everything to look like a sport car and show off to my ex gf. if you notice, this is the reason why honda become no 1 foreign car. syabas kerana memahami naluri rakyat marhaen yg ingin bergaya.
U mean the unknown SUV which dethrone a king?
I LOL so hard whenever I see “game-changing” comments.
He gone crazy after Tanjung Piai voters gameover’d him.
What is this? RM90k…
Rear drum brakes, not like Vios or Optimus prime City
No air cond rear vents like current City
Cannot do fold magic chair like old City
LED lights only top of the range, unlike Myvi
No AED like Myvi
Airbags still 6
For the money, no wonder many buy Myvi which is half price
I’ll wait for D55L Perodua Rocky Raize
Better wait for existing City’s inspired Bezza’s new FL in 2020.
You cant compare top brand like Honda with some unknown China brand. Its like comparing LV with Xiao Ming. The City 1.0L 0 to 100 is only 9 seconds. But the boring and old X70 1.8 turbo 0 to 100 take almost 11 seconds. Got turbo like no turbo like that. Maybe the turbo is fake afterall.
You cant compare an SUV accleratioan to a car acceleration. Its like comparing a sprinter to a rugby player.
Anyway thats how other manufacturer market share are aftected when they first choose to ignore Korean cars.
Really? I can say LV commercial stuff just can’t compare with hand-embroidered & brocaded one of a kind silk bag from traditional Chinese craftspeople.
X70 itself already overprice car. Geely boyue price in china starts low end rm58k to high end rm93k. Here low end price starts rm99k.
Not everyone wants a big heavy fuel drinker SUV to drive daily in the city. Fuel consumption for X70 easily 2x the new city. You wont be surprised the new city turbo can outrun X70 from 0-100kmh.
just buy saga la uncle. since you are proton supporter. why bother with other la. some say saga just look like city. ok what.
x70 > all these overpriced cars
Lmao only small brain drive x70, big brain drive cx5 and crv
Says the smallbrained driver. lol!
How you know i small brain driver? I drive x70 oso and it is shit car, thank u geely for poor quality product
Sure mate. When we all knew neither Boyue or X70 have been imported yet to Indonesia. Either you suck at lying or you suck at picking a poor name. Try better next time, small brained driver.
looks kinda weird
the new almera will win this round i’m afraid
It poorly made use of the extra length by shortening the wheelbase, likely to commonise the platform with its Jazz sister, and it reverted back to the ungainly humped design of the REAL 4th generation City (the infamous one with the problematic CVT). Sorry Honda this time you lost the bet, Proton will pull farther away when it launches X50 at the same price point.
How cars are getting larger and larger nowadays. That B-segment sedan is now a bit shorter than the first gen Toyota Innova (at 4555 mm). Mind boggling !!
Yeah getting bigger. I think is about similar size with the C segment previous 9th Gen Honda Civic.
Almera is coming and mazda2 facelift also is coming too. By that time sales for vios will drop by 30% as people will look for honda city, almera and mazda2.
And dont forget for new peugeot 208
the vios is the most ugliest.. hahahaha.
Paultan please next time to consider making any of the comparison together with national car as it very much help most of your follower here. Thanks.
The new City : a retarded previous gen City?
Whenever i see the new vios in my rear view mirror, i cepat2 tekan minyak. Really cannot tahan the ugliness :(
wait until vios appear in front of you with ultraman rear fog lamp.
Transforming from the ugliest and having the worst specifications, to the best looking and with best specifications, Almera will be the car to beat in this segment next year. TCM just don’t screw up the specifications and pricing.
Turbocharged engine for this segment is a bit of a question mark in my opinion. Turbo engine need more regular service and change spark plugs more often, which may drive maintenance cost up. Some of the comments are good, that X50 will be better in cost sense (engine, and size), but many people wont know that, they will still think Japanese cars are better. Vios is a bit ugly(old engine), and new almeira is not sporty. City will win this segment again as people will think 23km/L is real, not actual real for turbo engine and also its popularity of car in the past.
No point having low turbo engine.. Lol.. Honda BOLEH..
for those who cannot afford corolla and the civic.sad malaysian
for those who can afford a civic but hate lampu ketam. so buy city.
Edaran tan chong MUST introduce their 1.0 turbo before honda, or kiss those sales goodbye
Honda cars are designed to smoke cars within their segment. That’s why Honda’s technology is light years ahead. till this date toyota, nissan and mazda cannot even produce a small cc turbocharged cars while honda successfully doing it.
really dislike the trend of down-sizing the engine where manufacturers just downsize engine CC and slap on a turbo to compensate for loss of power just to meet the low emission standard to have this “one-size fit all market” engines. direct injection some more, good luck to whoever buy this city.