The Honda City has undergone massive transformation throughout its seminal history.

It started in 1981 with the first quirky "Tallboy" design concept, featuring an innovative seating arrangement for passengers. Then in 1986, the second-generation City hunched down to a "crouching form" with a low and wide stance uniquely outfitting its appearance.  

I remember when...

But the third generation city in 1996 introduced the nameplate to the Filipino consciousness. Designed to be a basic sedan for emerging markets, this generation started the ongoing love affair of the Honda City with the local market. With this generation, Honda made a mark among budget-conscious buyers who could not afford a Honda Civic or a Toyota Corolla. 

In the following years, the fourth-generation City, released in 2002, became the sedan version of the Honda Jazz/ Fit hatchback. While the short hood and the long trunk gave it an impression of being a hatchback with a box stuck behind it, the City nonetheless maintained its standing as a lower-cost alternative to the mainstay compact nameplates. Its form somehow suggested the shape of an "arrow," but it was fondly labeled as a "dolphin" by car enthusiasts from India.

The "arrow" inspiration continued into the 5th and 6th generations of the City. It was continuously refined to make it look more dynamic while retaining functionality and versatility. While it lost Honda's ULT or Ultra-Long-Tall rear seating configurations in the 5th generation, that feature did make a comeback in today's 7th-generation City, albeit in hatchback form. This replaced the Honda Jazz in our market, making the City the lone offering in the subcompact category from Honda. 

Also Read: The 2022 Honda City Beyond the Metro

A legend in its own right

Over the years, the Honda City has retained its twin virtues of being a reliable and fuel-efficient car.  It has become a cult classic in a way, as it battled with the Toyota Vios over the last 20 years. It introduced us to the Continuously Variable Transmission as a smoother way to automatically change gears. The 4th generation City also brought with it Intelligent-Dual & Sequential Ignition or i-DSi engine technology. It featured two spark plugs per cylinder to attain maximum fuel savings. And in its 5th generation, the City's engine was upgraded to the i-VTEC iteration, an engine concept still in use today.

The Honda City has taken many shapes and sizes since its initial run. Much like the hidden chameleon, a creature whose unique pigmentation blends in with its surrounding environment, the City has integrated well into the Philippine market among those who desire quality from a subcompact.

But no car is perfect. Even the mighty Honda City, which is now offered as a 5-door hatchback, has shortcomings. Let's review some of the pros and cons of this latest City iteration to gain enough knowledge to help you make that next car-buying decision.

PROS

A cool, mature look

The 2022 Honda City RS Hatchback 1.5L CVT  is not just one random 5-seater hatchback design to cater to market preferences. Its dimensions - 4,349 mm long, 1,748 mm wide, 1,488 mm tall,  2,600 mm of wheelbase, and 134mm of ground clearance, are all tailor-fit to provide a compact footprint while providing ample space for a variety of driving needs.

Also Read: Pros And Cons of buying 2020 Philippines Honda City.

If you look closely, the City Hatchback mimics the aesthetic lines of some European hatches. Purposeful is the best adjective to describe its rear.  Functional comes a close second. And Honda made sure it would be a worthy successor to the Jazz in that respect.

A spacious cabin

The Honda City RS Hatchback has a formidable lineup of tech features and functional elements that can make your drive more comfortable and convenient. It has a multi-function steering wheel, an updated edgy dashboard design, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mirroring, eight speakers,  cruise control, refined leather and suede upholstery seat patterns, and even an air conditioning vent and charging ports for the back seat. Even with all this kit, the RS hatchback has much more room to spare than the Toyota Yaris.

And if that wasn't enough, the City Hatchback has 289 liters of boot space when the rear seats are up. But when folded down,  the dimensions take on another level of practicality. The new City hatch sees the return of the seating configurations popularized by the Honda Jazz. ULTR or Ultra-Long-Tall-Refresh are the different modes the seats can be reconfigured into. In the Refresh mode, the front seats can be configured to stretch to the back, level with the rear seats, much like an oversized couch. It's one way of easing your much-frazzled nerves, especially during those long and arduous trips.

CONS

A Hefty Price Tag 

Of course, not everyone can afford to buy a 2022 Honda City Hatchback in the first place. Priced at PHP 1,138,000, it has somewhat gotten more expensive than other subcompacts. This could put first-time car buyers in a disadvantageous position regarding purchasing options.

The Honda City Hatchback RS CVT is the only variant, engine, and transmission option for the 5-door offered in the Philippine market. Here's a sample financing breakdown to better understand how much you will need to pay for this model.

Also Read: Digging Deeper to Know the Pros And Cons of the Honda City RS

No other engine option

As mentioned earlier, the 2022 Honda City Hatchback is only available in one variant. Its 1.5-liter Double Overhead Cam i-VTEC gasoline engine is good for 122 ps and 145 Nm of torque. This should be enough to haul five people and their goods even over long-distance trips.

A Continuously Variable Transmission does the power transfer to the wheels. Fortunately, it has gotten more responsive over the years. And combining that with an ECON mode and ECO coaching, Honda says you can get up to 25 km/l with the City hatch. 

At least there are four body color options to choose from - Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic, Meteoroid Gray Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, and Ignite Red Metallic. 

So what do you think? Does the Honda City Hatchback live up to its storied reputation? Or do you already miss the Honda Jazz?

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