Guangzhou Honda will be developing a Honda Civic-sized sedan based on the Honda City chassis for the Chinese market. It will have a new name and a new shape but will use the City's underpinings and a 1.8 liter engine. This new car will compete against Dongfeng Honda's Civic and FAW Toyota's Corolla.[5]
The Thai market Honda City comes in three variants - S model, V Model and SV model. Honda had launched the new City in the Philippines on the 7th of January 2009 with three variants - an A and S model which comes in 1.3 liter i-VTEC engines and an E model with five speed automatic transmission and paddle shifters[6]. It will be launched in Malaysia on the 18th of December 2008.[7] It is scheduled to arrive in Singapore by the end of September. For the first time, the car will be built and sold outside Asia, being assembled in Argentina from 2009 on. Honda launched the new city in Pakistan on 31 January 2009. It being produced at Honda plant at Lahore and is available in two variants, 5 speed automatic transmission and 5 speed manual transmission. Both models have a 1.3 liter i-VTEC engine.
Guangzhou Honda will be selling the Honda City in China from the 12th of December 2008 onwards. Unlike other markets where the largest engine option is a 1.5 liter, the Chinese market Honda City will have an R18A 1.8 liter engine option.[8]
In February 2009, Honda Australia have released the Thai made City into the Australian market in two 1.5 litre variants (VTi and VTi-L). According to Honda Australia boss, Yasuhide Mizuno, the City will compete with other light sedans such as the Japanese made Toyota Yaris sedan, Korean made Holden Barina and the Japanese made Nissan Tiida.[9] This will be the first City released in Australia since the 1980s. It will replace the market position used to be occupied by a former generation smaller-sized Civic.
