As much as the previous City was a practical car with an accomplished drivetrain, it was so low on style that we are sure a proportion of interested buyers are forced to look away. Style sells, and Honda seems to understand that, now. City is designed in “Arrow Shot” form, meaning that City would appear to be going forward even when sitting still. There is some truth to that claim from certain angles. Sharp head- and tail-lamps, plus a Transformer-like grille are incorporated to bring out an arrow-like profile. City has the best-sorted ride-and-handling compared to key rivals. While the previous City felt tall and narrow, it now drives sportily, thanks to the taut chassis, good grip levels and well-controlled body movements. The improved steering also feels much more fluid than before. In fact, the steering provides almost as much feel as the sporty Suzuki SX4's, though City has more grip and less body roll through corners. Despite being on the firm side over rough surfaces, the ride is pliant enough for comfortable progress over most Malaysian roads. The engine sounds raucous when extended, but overall City's cabin refinement is still marginally better than key rivals'. Drivers get tilt/telescopic steering column and seat-height adjustments. Front seats supportive, and the rear seats are much plusher than before too. The simple dash layout and thought-out ergonomics ensure everything feels intuitive to use. City may be the least expensive Honda model, but its cabin quality is of a high standard we are used to from Honda. The fit-and-finish are as good as they come at this price level, while controls including the column stalks feel tactile. A combination of hard and soft-touch plastics are in use, which is perfectly within expectations. This is a Honda, and we expect any car with the Honda badge to be extremely reliable. With 118 bhp at 6600 rpm and 145 Nm at 4800 rpm, the 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine has the most power compared to key rivals. And crucially City is the only one with a five-speed automatic. The accomplished drivetrain is quick, punchy and flexible, and the paddle shifts (Grade E only) lends an extra dimension of control. However, the revvy nature and smoothness of previous City drivetrains are surprisingly lacking. City's wheelbase has been increased by 100 mm, and that translates into more rear legroom. Rear headroom is ample too, while front room is expectedly generous. The boot is also larger than before, now boasting 506 litres of loading space. Cabin storage compartments are everywhere, but the Ultra Seats, which gave the previous City much versatility, have been sacrificed for plusher rear seats. Grade S gets fixed rear seats, but Grade E gets 60:40 split-fold rear seats that also recline. City is one of the cheapest to run by class standards. The credit belongs to the highly efficient drivetrain, the reasonable servicing and repair costs, and the class-leading resale values achievable only by Honda models. Honda clearly placed function over style the last time round. But City no longer has that problem as it is easily the most radical looking in the small-size sedan segment. Compared to Suzuki SX4 and Toyota Vios, City provides the best package, leading with its stylish exterior, quality interior and fine ride-and-handling. But losing the sweet i-DSI engine, CVT gearbox and Ultra Seats that gave City its identity seems like a questionable move to us. Even so, City remains our pick of the segment. Grade S comes with 15" alloy wheels, reverse sensors, 4-speaker audio system with USB/AUX inputs, power door mirrors, dual front airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and front seatbelt pretensioner. Grade E adds plenty of goodies, including fog lights, retractable door mirrors with turn light, 16" alloy wheels, paddle shifts, leather gear knob, leather steering wheel with audio controls, two additional speakers and adjustable rear headrests among others. The 1.5-litre engine is more efficient and less polluting to run than engines of comparable capacity. And the extra gear ratio over rivals' four-speed automatic serves to improve both fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions. City is therefore one of the “greenest” in the class.