🚗 【Series Feature】Do You Know How the Honda City Series Came to Be?

🚗 【Series Feature】Do You Know How the Honda City Series Came to Be?
Original: Honda Magazine | Japanese Car Enthusiast Magazine | October 15, 2024, 11:00

🔰 Introduction
When you see names like “City,” “Fit Aria,” “Greiz,” “Crider,” and “Grace,” you might be familiar with their ties to Honda’s lineup. But do you know the history behind these models? The Honda City started as a compact urban car, debuting in 1981, with a design that prioritized passenger space—aligning with today’s MM (Man Maximum, Machine Minimum) concept.

🌟 The First Generation City (1981-1986)
The first City, launched in November 1981, had a look reminiscent of a Kei-car and featured the ER engine. The naturally aspirated version produced 67 HP, while the Turbo variant, introduced in 1982, delivered 110 HP. Weighing only 745 kg, it had an impressive power-to-weight ratio. The Turbo II version, launched in 1983 with an intercooler, further enthralled enthusiasts with its high performance.

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💡 Key Features:

ER engine with COMBAX combustion technology
PGM-Fi fuel injection, marking a milestone for Honda engines
Unique dashboard design with both mechanical and digital displays
🚘 The Second Generation City (1986-1994)
The second-generation City debuted in October 1986 with a new D12A SOHC engine, later replaced by the D13C in 1988, featuring PGM-Fi and 100 HP. Unfortunately, the naturally aspirated engine's torque of 11.6 kgm fell short of the first-generation turbo’s 15 kgm, leading to a decline in popularity. Additionally, the suspension system reverted from four-wheel independent to a rear non-independent setup, which contributed to its unpopularity. Production ended in 1993.

✨ City’s Global Expansion
In 1996, Honda revived the City in Thailand, built on the Civic EK platform, marking an unofficial third generation. This City spread to Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India, initially powered by the D13B engine, followed by non-VTEC D15B and a 115 HP SOHC VTEC version in 2001.

🏎 The Third Generation (2002-2008)
In 2002, Honda introduced a four-door sedan based on the Fit’s Global Small Platform, called the City ZX in Southeast Asia and Fit Aria in Japan. It featured models with L13A and L15A i-VTEC engines and was a global hit, with production exceeding 1 million units.

🚗 The Fourth Generation (2008-2014)
Launched in September 2008, the fourth-generation City, although larger than the third-gen sedan, was built on an extended G.S.P chassis. The top domestic version, the GM3, featured the R18A1 engine with 140 HP, paired with the CR8A 5-speed automatic transmission. The high-powered version was faster than the eighth-gen Civic FA1, being over 100 kg lighter. In 2011, a facelift added 20mm to the length, but R18A1 was phased out. This generation was succeeded by Crider (GJ5), which retained the R18 engine but used a CVT.

🚙 The Fifth and Sixth Generations (2013-2018)
The fifth generation debuted in 2013 as the Grace in Japan, reaching global markets soon after. Guangqi Honda and Dongfeng Honda introduced sibling models like City, Greiz, and Gienia in China. The GM6 chassis shared its platform with the third-gen Fit, maintaining similarities in suspension and drivetrain configurations. The L15B2 engine remained standard, equipped with SOHC i-VTEC.

🔹 The sixth generation City led to new derivatives like the second-gen Crider (FS1) and Envix (FS4), featuring the P10A3 and P10A5 1.0L turbo engines with 122 HP.

💡 Summary
The City series evolved from a compact hatchback similar to the Fit, expanding into a global sedan with multiple market-specific names. Though their appearances differ, the City and Fit share similar platforms and mechanicals, differing primarily in layout and target market, allowing for diverse offerings in the Honda lineup.