The first generation Honda City (Honda Jazz in Europe) was a subcompact hatchback aimed mainly at the
Japanese domestic market
Japanese domestic market (JDM) refers to Japan's home market for vehicles and vehicle parts.
There is a common misconception that any Japanese branded car is JDM; however, this is not true. Only a vehicle made in Japan specifically to be sold i ...
. The somewhat uniquely designed City, referred to by Honda as "Tall Boy" style, was also marketed abroad and was available in a number of versions. First introduced in November 1981, it carried the model codes AA for sedans, VF for vans, and FA for the widetrack Turbo II and Cabriolets. It was sold at the Honda Japan dealership sales channel called ''
Honda Clio
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
.''
History
![HondaCity](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/HondaCity.JPG)
While the City's layout was traditional for its category, with front-wheel drive and a transversely mounted engine, its relatively upright seating arrangement was innovative, creating legroom comparable to larger cars. This, combined with class leading fuel economy led to it being a rapid and considerable success in the Japanese domestic market. In spite of the creativity and novelty of its design, the City was narrowly pipped for the Japanese motoring journalists' Car Of The Year Award by the luxurious
Toyota Soarer
The is a Personal luxury car, personal luxury Grand tourer, GT coupé produced from 1981 to 2005 by Toyota and sold in Japan. It was available at both Japanese Toyota dealerships called ''Toyota Store'' and ''Toyopet Store'', and it debuted with ...
.
The engine was the
CVCC-II 1,231 cc four-cylinder
"ER", specifically designed for the City. It was also available together with the
Motocompo, a special 50 cc 'foldaway' scooter constructed to fit in the City's small luggage area, itself designed around the Motocompo.
[Yamaguchi (1982), p. 66] Originally a sportier R version, the economical E and two commercial van versions ("Pro") were introduced. In September 1982 a
turbo
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pr ...
charged version of the
Honda ER engine was added to the lineup.
![Honda City Cabriolet 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Honda_City_Cabriolet_001.JPG)
Designed by
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian ...
and introduced in August 1984, a drop-top Cabriolet utilized the wider track, fenders, and bigger bumpers of the Turbo II "Bulldog", but was only normally available with the naturally aspirated engine. These widetrack models were designated "FA" rather than "AA". The Cabriolet was well equipped, with a glass rear window and twelve pastel colors not available on the hatchback versions. Part of a worldwide eighties' wave of convertibles based on family cars, this was the first car of this kind built in Japan.
![1983 Honda City R rear](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/1983_Honda_City_R_rear.jpg)
A March 1985 light facelift brought a new asymmetrical grille (although not for the Cabriolet) and some interior improvements. The E and E II models were replaced by the new E III, while a lower priced U model joined the lineup. The U was the only non-commercial City to be available with a four-speed manual in the Japanese domestic market. Naturally aspirated engines in the AA Citys also gained a new fiber-reinforced aluminum alloy connecting rods ("FRM"), a world first in series production. One month later, the R became available with the interesting ''Hypershift'' transmission, a four-speed with an electronically controlled overdrive on second, third, and fourth gears - in essence creating a 7-speed gearbox.
In addition to vans and convertibles, there was also an "R Manhattan Roof" version with a 10 cm taller roof. A "R Manhattan Sound" version incorporated high-quality stereo equipment (including the "Bodysonic", transmitting sound vibrations through the seat). The E-series (E, E 1, E II & EIII; "E" for economy) used higher geared transmissions and
trip computer
A trip computer is a computer fitted to some cars; most modern trip computers record, calculate, and display the distance travelled, the average speed, the average fuel consumption, and real-time fuel consumption.
The first, mechanical trip co ...
s to increase gas mileage. The E III, in addition to benefiting from the FRM conrods, also had an electronically variable lean-burn engine. First generation production ended in late 1986 with the introduction of the GA type City.
City Pro (VF)
Commercial versions were called Pro in Japan, and were available with either two or five seats (Pro T/F). The Pro had to make do without
brake boost (until the 1985 facelift) and transistorized ignition (lowering power by two horsepower), and were also not available with the five speed manual transmission. The bare-bones Pro also had a manual choke.
Exports
Exports of the City were only of naturally aspirated hatchback and van versions. In Europe it was renamed
Honda Jazz
The Honda Jazz nameplate has been used by the Japanese manufacturer Honda to denote several different motorized vehicles since 1982:
* 1982–1986 — The first generation Honda City when marketed in Europe, as Opel owned the City name
* ...
, due to
Opel having the rights to the City name after having used it on a hatchback version of the
Kadett C. It was marketed in Europe from 1982 to 1986, but was generally priced too high to compete. The European Jazz was only classified as a four-seater, and offered either depending on fuel grade. In early 1985 a Hondamatic-equipped variant also entered the European market.
The City was also sold in Australia (in two seater 'van' form, to circumvent Australian import restrictions and design regulations on passenger vehicles at the time) and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
(where it was locally assembled). The Australian-spec model claimed at 5000 rpm, on Super fuel with 10.2:1 compression and fitted with a twin-throat carburetor.
Very similar to the Japanese City Pro-T cargo model, the Australian model was allowed to carry while the Japanese version was only classed for .
[ McCarthy, p. 124]
City Turbo
![Honda City Turbo front-left 2015 Honda Collection Hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Honda_City_Turbo_front-left_2015_Honda_Collection_Hall.jpg)
The Honda City Turbo was a
sport compact
Sport compact is an American car classification for a high-performance version of an affordable compact car or a subcompact car. There is no precise definition and the description is applied for marketing purposes to a wide variety of models.
...
/
hot hatch
A hot hatch (shortened from hot hatchback) is a high-performance hatchback car.
The term originated in the mid-1980s; however, factory high-performance versions of hatchbacks have been produced since the 1970s.
Front-mounted petrol engines, ...
produced by Japanese automaker
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
between September 1982 and 1986, based on the naturally aspirated Honda City AA. For a long time the City Turbo was one of the few non-kei car Hondas to be equipped with a turbocharged engine.
The City Turbo was the brainchild of
Hirotoshi Honda, son of
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
founder
Soichiro Honda
was a Japanese engineer and industrialist. In 1948, he established Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and oversaw its expansion from a wooden shack manufacturing bicycle motors to a multinational automobile and motorcycle manufacturer.
Early years
Honda ...
as well as founder and owner of
Mugen. In the early 1980s Mugen was a small
tuning
Tuning can refer to:
Common uses
* Tuning, the process of tuning a tuned amplifier or other electronic component
* Musical tuning, musical systems of tuning, and the act of tuning an instrument or voice
** Guitar tunings
** Piano tuning, adjusti ...
company that was beginning to make its mark producing performance parts for motorcycles and automobiles, but was yet to gain recognition outside of racing circles. When he created the City Turbo, Hirotoshi took one of Honda's most unassuming vehicles and successfully turned it into an aggressive street rocket, considered to be well ahead of its time. Impressed, Honda took Hirotoshi's idea and made a production version, introduced in September 1982. A few months earlier, Honda staffers took two City Turbos on a gruelling 10,000 km round trip of Europe, all the way from
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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to
Karasjok
( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka.
Th ...
in the Arctic north.
![Honda City Turbo II 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Honda_City_Turbo_II_001.JPG)
In November 1983, the intercooled Turbo II joined the lineup. Flared fenders, wings, side-skirts and graphics combined for a much more pugnacious appearance, making its "Bulldog" nickname very fitting. In late 1984 the original Turbo was discontinued (after some were built as 1985 models) while the Turbo II continued in production until the first generation City had a model refresh in late 1986.
Engine
The City Turbo shared the 1231 cc (1.2 L)
CVCC
CVCC, or , is an internal combustion engine technology developed and trademarked by the Honda Motor Company.
The technology's name refers to its primary features: Compound refers to the use of two combustion chambers; Vortex refers to the vort ...
"ER" engine with its more pedestrian siblings, but the addition of a
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
meant that at 5,500 rpm and at 3,000 rpm were available.
[ Inouye, pp. 20, 121][Auto Katalog 1985, pp. 232-233] Further changes to the engine included an aluminum/titanium alloy head and a magnesium valve cover to keep the weight down. The IHI RHB51 turbocharger, developed as a joint venture between
Ishikawajima Heavy Industry and Honda, was lighter and smaller than most other turbos and could run at higher rpm. When combined with Honda's PGM-FI
fuel injection and an 8-bit digital computer control unit, the end result was a very efficient engine with minimal
turbo lag
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
. 0–100 km/h was possible in 8.6 seconds.
The later City Turbo II's engine featured an intercooler, a revised intake plenum, a slightly larger throttle body, a modified inlet manifold, a higher AR turbo compressor, exhaust housings, and a slightly raised (7.6:1) compression ratio. It produced at 5500 rpm and at 3000 rpm.
["Honda City Turbo II"]
page in the ''Honda Auto Archive''
Chassis
The City Turbo's suspension was more refined than that of the ordinary City. The four-wheel independent system used progressive rate coil springs, with stabilizers at both the front and the rear. Tires were the 165/70HR12 radials, and it had ventilated disc brakes at the front and semi-metallic shoes at the rear. The Turbo II's flared fenders were necessary to accommodate a 30 mm (20 mm in the rear) wider track and bigger 185/60 R13 tires.
Styling and interior
The body of the Honda City Turbo was made sportier by the addition of a new air dam with fog lights and asymmetrical grille at the front and a small spoiler at the top/rear of the car. Meanwhile, a hump was added to the hood to make room for the extra equipment of the turbocharged engine. In addition to flared fenders and "Turbo II Intercooler" graphics, the Turbo II also got a bigger bump in the hood, body colored bumpers and a louver ahead of the rear wheel.
The interior appointments to the car focused both on driver involvement and comfort. A digital speedometer, surrounded by a tachometer and a boost gauge, replaced the regular analog instrument cluster, and was used until the March 1985 facelift, after which the analog assembly from the regular City was used. Form fitting, leather and moquette bucket seats were made standard as well and a special "sonic seat" was available, which responded to the audio system by a transducer sending sound and vibration to the user through the seat. An extra thick, three-spoke steering wheel was also standard Turbo fitment.
Data
References
* ''Auto Katalog 1985''. Vereinigte Motor-Verlage GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart: 1984.
*
*
External links
*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060415160151/http://www.mugen-power.com/en/index.htm Mugen Official Sitebr>
Honda City Turbo II factbook
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