The Honda City is the kind of car the new world wants. It's a little car, with the benefits of being little, but can still do a whole lot. The ideas present in the Honda City are very much "younger generation" oriented. And as Generation Y start to enter the market, this can only be a good business move. For example, caring about being "evironmentally friendly" is a relatively new idea - twenty years ago, if you wanted a car that didn't use much petrol, it was because you were a tightarse scrooge, not environmentally aware. The City delivers in that department - despite being a relatively roomy small sedan (good enough for at least four adults, anyway - the seats aren't really shaped for five), it is powered by a 1.5 Litre petrol engine. It's the same one in the Jazz, and does fine in pulling the weight of the car (it's a small sedan, remember), but delivers 6.3 L/100km if you're driving the manual. As Honda puts it on their website:

"So you can drive past your local servo a lot more often. Sweet as."

Even their marketing strategy involves Gen Y language. For more youthful inspiration, you only have to look at the stereo. Not only does it feature iPod and MP3 integration, it sounds fabulous - like an expensive aftermarket system. Now, no one under the age of 30 would understand why that matters. Honda have also gone to a lot of trouble with marketing their bodykit accessories - so youngsters can pimp their rides tastefully, without leaving the showroom. And honestly, it does look much better than the mismatched bodykits punks put on their cars. I just don't know why you'd bother.

These days, people don't want a small car because they want to save money - they've worked out that a small car suits their needs. So the trend is to make new small cars much better quality than they used to be. The City is no exception - it's built beautifully, and the interior is an absolute treat for the eyes, with architectural coolness. You'd want it to be, at a starting price of above twenty grand. You can buy a Yaris or a Tiida for much less. Some have bemoaned that it's not quite as funky inside as the Honda Jazz (the car this is based on), but you have to remember that the interior of the Jazz looks like the starship Enterprise - viewed in isolation, the interior is still fabulous. And much less messy, in some opinions.

Where does the Honda City fall down? Not in the airbag department - six are standard. But like the Jazz, stability control isn't available, which is a massive bummer. No, where it really falls down is in terms of style. In every other department, the City is up there, appealing to Gen Y punters like me, but to look at it, you'd never know. It's boring. There, I've said it. I understand that it must be very difficult to make a funky and cohesive sedan design in 4.4 metres - but it's dead boring. And it costs more that $20,000 AUD before on-road costs. The equivalent Jazz doesn't cost anywhere near as much, so why would you pay the extra money? Buy a Jazz then.

But I still see why you'd buy one - it doesn't look feminine, like a Honda Jazz, so an environmentally aware male can buy one without feeling embarassed, and aside from all that, you have no other choice. I mean, if you wanted a small sedan that didn't cost much, what choices have you got? Would you buy a Holden Viva? No. Would you buy a Nissan Tiida? Not unless you've lost the will to live, no. Would you buy a Yaris sedan? Really? The City is is a far more respectable car that a Yaris will ever be. So what's left? A Hyundai Elantra?

Then you realise that at $20,490, there is an entire market segment of options you can buy, and they're all an extra bit roomier. But they soon won't be this cheap - the new 2010 Mazda3 certainly won't retail at $20,490, and the base model old one doesn't have all the features the Honda City has as standard. Even Honda's own Civic starts at 22 grand. The only car that is larger, still a sedan, but at the same price, with all the same features, bizarrely, is the new Kia Cerato - which is cheaper, somehow. Although still, I don't think I could live with buying a Kia Cerato - I wouldn't get the same fuel economy, and I love the interior of the City too much.

I've been sucked in. I like the Honda City. I didn't think I would. But I haven't been sucked in by all the "Gen Y" marketing rubbish - I've been sucked in because there really isn't anything else at that price point I would rather buy. I'm suddenly thinking that I might end up owning one of these someday. I only wish it looked better. But at least it's not embarrassing to be seen driving it.

Features:

Airbags: SIX
Foglamps: Optional on VTi, Standard on VTi-L
CD Changer: SINGLE DISC
Speakers: FOUR
Sunroof: NOT AVAILABLE
Metallic Paint: $325 option
Spare Wheel: Full-size spare
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km

HOW MUCH MOOLAH?

Effective April 2009

WHAT ELSE COULD I GET?

Sedans Only

Ford Focus
Holden Viva
Honda Civic
Hyundai Elantra
Kia Cerato
Mazda3
Mitsubishi Lancer
Nissan Tiida
Proton Persona
Suzuki SX4
Toyota Yaris
Toyota Corolla

YOUR CAR IN BRIEF: Honda City