Tired of all that Jazz? Let the 3rd Gen Honda City Rock your world!

The 3rd Generation 2009 Honda City was launched last month in Thailand and India. Taking after the Accord’s “arrow shot” profile, the new City looks like a mini-me of Honda’s highly successful luxury sedan. Its redesigned front grill which blends into sleek headlights gives the car a very aggressive character, while new tail lights and a shortened rear end give the car a sportier look. The 3rd Generation City, like the 2009 Honda Jazz, is powered by a 1.5 Liter i-VTEC engine, capable of 118 hp at 6600 rpm.

With most Filipino families considering smaller cars because of rising fuel prices, debuting Honda’s latest subcompact here will add a lot of points to the Japanese carmaker’s popularity. Data on the car’s fuel economy is not available as of yet but it is expected to match the Jazz’s average of 14 km/liter. The 2009 City has all the bells and whistles to attract buyers looking for that balance of beauty and functionality - a design that efficiently uses space to create a roomy interior; a modern amber-colored instrument cluster; and F1-inspired paddle shifters for the automatic variant.

Reviews of the Honda Jazz mostly praise the hatchback for its great value for money. When Honda brings in the all-new City, it will most likely take away a considerable portion of the Jazz’s following. But that would not really be a bad thing for Honda since customers wanting variety will have the subcompact sedan as an option. Everything else considered, the 3rd Generation Honda City will prove to be a worthy challenger against the likes of the Chevrolet Aveo sedan, Hyundai Accent or Toyota Vios.