All-new 2014 Honda City is making its rounds now

The all-new 2014 Honda City was displayed at Paradigm Mall in Petaling Jaya over the weekend. I suppose this is a pre-launch roadshow for Honda's B segment sedan...a.k.a the Toyota Vios fighter. It will be priced around RM70,000-90,000 depending on what spec you choose and it will be officially launched here in Malaysia sometime in March.

How does it look in the metal?
This City is an evolution of the already familiar current 3rd generation City. It looks more cohesive than the earlier model and looks slightly lower and longer. It has the same width so it still has that slightly narrow, undernourished looking look to it when viewed fromt he front or the rear. There is nothing that really pops out as being really unique and outstanding. Surprisingly sober looking and slightly too normal looking. The new Toyota Vios looks more radical. This looks, well, more sober than a Toyota.

I know car manufacturers place economy, space and practicality over looks. The City is not offensive...but maybe the designers should consume more sake, happy pills or get a whole lot more sex so that this new car looks stunning. Oh well..at this price range, the rm70-90k price range, the entry level foreign branded sedan range, we beggars cannot be choosers. Something has to give....and it is the looks usually.

Lucky its not ugly. And come to think of it, the City, Vios as well as other offerings from Korea and even Malaysia don't look all that bad...but they're just normal.

So the question is whether one should choose this over the Vios or a Proton Preve. I would choose this over the Vios without a doubt. Without a blink of the eye. Without one bit of hesitancy. This CKD Honda City would be equipped with a better engine and a better gearbox compared to the Vios. The Honda 1.5liter engine is more rev happy and would entertain you more. It's gearbox isn't a crappy 4 speed automatic like the one in the Vios. It is 2014, not 1994. Cars twenty years ago were running around with 4 speed automatics.

Would I choose this over a Proton Suprima S? I may not as the Proton is actually a C segment car disguised as a B segment priced car. The Suprima is a larger car and has larger car characteristics. Sometimes NVH or the refinement in larger car segments are better. Hence the hesitancy if I were to choose this over a Proton Suprima. Badge snobs would buy the City. But I think I'd pass for a faster, better handling, as refined Proton over this one.

Decent, well equipped looking interior