Honda City

The original Honda City AA arrived in Australia in 1981 as one of the quirkiest cars Honda ever made. Designed by a young team led by Hiroo Watanabe, the 'Tall Boy' concept prioritised interior height over length, creating a surprisingly spacious cabin in a tiny footprint. The base model used a 1.2-litre engine producing just 45kW, but it was the turbocharged variants that captured imaginations. The City Turbo and Turbo II (also known as the Bulldog) packed 81kW into a car weighing just 685kg, making it a genuine pocket rocket. The Motocompo folding scooter, designed to fit in the City's boot, became an icon in its own right. Australian sales were modest - Honda was still establishing its dealer network - but the City helped position Honda as an innovative, forward-thinking brand.

After the first-generation City ended production in 1986, the nameplate disappeared from Australia for over two decades. Honda continued selling the City in Asian markets through the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations, but these were never officially imported to Australia. The Civic and later the Jazz filled the small car role in Honda's local lineup. The City continued to evolve in markets like Thailand, India, and Malaysia, growing from a quirky hatch into a conventional subcompact sedan.

The City returned to Australia in 2009 with the 5th-generation GM model, positioned as a budget-friendly sedan slotting below the Jazz. Priced from $17,490 for the VTi, it offered a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine with CVT, a spacious cabin with class-leading rear legroom, and a 506-litre boot. The VTi-L added alloy wheels, leather trim, and a rear camera. It earned a 5-star ANCAP safety rating and was praised for its fuel economy of just 5.9L/100km. Sales were steady but unspectacular, averaging around 1,500-2,000 units annually.

Honda discontinued the City in Australia in 2013. With the Jazz offering similar value in a more versatile hatchback body and the Civic covering the next size up, there was limited room for the City in Honda's streamlined local range. The decision reflected Honda Australia's broader strategy of focusing on fewer, higher-volume models. The City continues to sell strongly in Southeast Asian markets today but has not returned to Australia.