SYDNEY, Australia — Honda Australia has unveiled an all-new concept vehicle that will be produced for the Australian market, based on the second-generation Honda City recently introduced in Thailand.
The production version of the City is manufactured in Thailand and will go on sale in Australia in February 2009. Prices will start from around $12,000.
Honda Australia Managing Director Yasuhide Mizuno said the City would be "a fun-to-drive car with a sporty persona. It has a very spacious interior and will be packed with safety features. It will offer sporty styling [and] excellent performance as well as being fuel efficient."
The production City is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine from the Fit/Jazz that delivers 118 horsepower and 108 pound-feet of torque. Customers will be able to choose either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission.
The City sedan will be launched into Australia's light-car segment, which has grown in volume by 33 percent since 2005. Sedans occupy 13.7 percent of this segment, up from 7.9 percent in 2005.
Inside Line says: More small-car buyers in Australia are opting for low-priced sedans. Honda hopes to fill that demand with the new City. — Mike Jarvis, Correspondent
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