Honda City

1981 City: room for four adults and a folding 50 cc Motocompo.^1,2

Researched October 22, 2026 from 31 sources

Also called

Tall BoyHonda's name for the original hatchback's upright, space-saving body.^2,3
BulldogThe Turbo II earned this name through its flared fenders, wider track and squat stance.³
City MotocompoUsed for the first generation because it was sold alongside the folding 50 cc scooter that fitted in its luggage compartment.⁴
Type 2Indian shorthand for the extensively facelifted first-generation sedan, whose appearance changed dramatically.⁵

At a glance

44–135 hpPower

8.6–13.7 s0–100 km/h

640–1,280 kgWeight

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.^2,12,14

Layout: Front engine, front-wheel drive; Fit Aria also offered AWD¹
Gearbox: 4/5/6-speed manuals; Hypershift 4+3; autos, CVTs; i-DCD: 7-speed DCT^2,8,11,12
Built at: 1996 sedan: Ayutthaya plant, Thailand¹
Units built: Sedan: over 200,000 produced by November 2002¹³

The story

Conceived as an ultimate economy car for the 1980s, the original City used upright Tall Boy packaging to seat four and carry a folding Motocompo. The name returned in 1996 on a four-door sedan aimed at developing Asian markets.^1,3,6

GenerationsMilestones^{1,2,4,8,9,10,12,13}

Show the numbers

Year	What happened
1981–1986	Honda City (first generation) (AA/VF/FA)
1986–1995	Honda City (second generation) (GA1/GA2)
1996–2002	Honda City (third generation) (3A2/3A3/SX8)
2002–2008	Honda City (fourth generation) (GD/GE)
2008–2013; Pakistan through 2021	Honda City (fifth generation) (GM2/GM3)
From 2014	Honda City (fourth-generation sedan)
2019–present	Honda City (seventh generation)
1981	Tall Boy launches with a scooter option
1983	Turbo II adds 10-second Scramble Boost
2008	Sedan sales pass 1 million
2014	India gets its first diesel City
2019	Thai sedan introduces turbo power and RS

1981
Tall Boy launches with a scooter option
The November debut combined space for four adults with a luggage compartment designed around the optional folding 50 cc Motocompo.^1,2
1983
Turbo II adds 10-second Scramble Boost
Following the 1982 Turbo, the intercooled Turbo II arrived with 108 hp and a Scramble Boost function that raised turbo pressure 10% for ten seconds.^1,7
2008
Sedan sales pass 1 million
Sedan sales crossed 1 million in May, with production in seven countries. September's new Thai model paired a 1.5 L i-VTEC with five-speed manual or automatic.⁸
2014
India gets its first diesel City
The fourth Indian generation added a 1.5 L i-DTEC turbo-diesel: 100 hp, 200 Nm and a six-speed manual, alongside the familiar petrol engine.⁹
2019
Thai sedan introduces turbo power and RS
The Thai launch brought the first RS grade and a 1.0 L VTEC Turbo with about 120 hp and 173 Nm. Honda claimed up to 23.8 km/L with its CVT.¹⁰

Every generation

AA/VF/FA1981–1986
GA1/GA21986–1995
3A2/3A3/SX81996–2002
GD/GE2002–2008
GM2/GM32008–2013; Pakistan through 2021
Honda City (fourth-generation sedan)From 2014
Honda City (seventh generation)2019–present

Power over the years

From 67 hp to 135 hp in 36 years.

^{1,2,5,7,9,10,12,15,16}

Show the numbers

Year	Horsepower	Model
1981	67	Original City R
1982	99	City Turbo
1983	108	City Turbo II
1986	75	GA1 1.2 L
1996	94	Asian sedan 1.3 L D13B
2000	106	India VTEC
2003	77	India 1.5 i-DSI
2008	118	India i-VTEC
2014	119	India 1.5 i-VTEC
2017	135	Malaysia Sport Hybrid i-DCD
2019	120	Thailand 1.0 VTEC Turbo

Versions

12 versions worth knowing, with their power.

Standard

BB / EE / GG

1986

75 hp
Standard

BE / CE / CG / CR-i / CZ-i

1988–1994
Standard

Hatchback Turbo / e:HEV (Thailand)

2020–
Standard

Sport Hybrid i-DCD (Malaysia)

2017

135 hp
Standard

RS 1.0 Turbo sedan (Thailand)

2019

120 hp
Performance

Type 2 VTEC (India)

2000–2003

106 hp
Performance

Turbo

1982–1985

99 hp
Performance

Turbo II Bulldog

1983–1986

108 hp
Special

Cabriolet

1984–1986

66 hp
Limited

Elegant Edition (India)

2023

121 hp
Limited

Apex Edition (India)

2025

119 hp
Limited

Sport (India)

2025

121 hp

How to spot one

Look for

Original Tall Boy: circular headlights sit beside a full-width grille.¹⁵
Second-generation hatchbacks exchange the upright Tall Boy stance for a low, wide body.^1,3
The 2002 sedan has a short nose and a large cabin pushed toward the front wheels.¹³

Year by year

March 1985 Turbo II
The digital speedometer gives way to the regular City's analog dashboard.^2,7
1988 hatchback
Revised headlights, grille, bumpers and rear garnish mark the update.¹⁷
2000 sedan / Indian Type 2
A changed front end, tail lamps and one-piece bumpers distinguish the facelift, nicknamed Type 2 in India.^1,5
2005 Malaysia / Thai ZX
Hood rises; tail lamps extend onto the trunk. i-DSI wheels have 6 spokes, VTEC wheels 7.²³
2024 Thai Hatchback
New grilles and bumpers; RS/e:HEV RS add side skirts and redesigned black 16-inch alloys.¹⁸
2026 India
Slimmer LED projectors, a light bar on higher trims, honeycomb grille and new dual-tone 16-inch wheels.¹¹

Don’t confuse it with

City
Honda Today
Honda Today
The first City is the larger car; the Today resembles a smaller City and belongs to the kei class.³
City
Honda CR-X
Honda CR-X
Beside a second-generation City hatchback, look for the CR-X's fastback-style sloping rear hatch.¹

Against its rivals

City vs Hyundai Verna 1.5 MPI

Power

City121 hp

Hyundai Verna 1.5 MPI115 hp
²⁴
City vs Skoda Rapid 1.0 TSI

0–100 km/h lower is better

City10.2 s

Skoda Rapid 1.0 TSI10.1 s
²⁴
City vs VW Vento 1.0 TSI

0–100 km/h lower is better

City10.2 s

VW Vento 1.0 TSI10.4 s
²⁴
City vs Maruti Ciaz 1.5 K15

Power

City121 hp

Maruti Ciaz 1.5 K15105 hp
²⁴

Prices

Value today $4.0K–$14.7K²⁸

Auction saleValue today

^29,30,31

Show the numbers

Year	Price	Amount	Detail
2023	Auction sale	$6,000	1984 Cabriolet 5-speed, 52k km shown, TMU, BaT
2024	Auction sale	$17,269	1986 Cabriolet, 27k km + 2024 Motocompacto, Bring a Trailer
2025	Auction sale	$30,000	1983 Turbo + Motocompo, 72k km shown, BaT
2026	Value today	$4,000–$14,700

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

Versions
- Why each of the 12 versions matters
Legend
- 14 stories from its legend
- “19.8 km/l in town, 22.5 on the highway”
- “126 hp from the Hyper Turbo racers”
Generations
- The story of each of the 7 generations
Market
- 6 things to check before buying one

Read the full file in SPOT

SPOT is free on iPhone. Full car files come with SPOT Plus.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 31 sources

en.wikipedia.org
japanesenostalgiccar.com
honda-indonesia.com
autocarindia.com
global.honda
supercarnostalgia.com
paultan.org
carsensor.net
honda.co.th
cardekho.com
news.denfaminicogamer.jp
marquenews.com.au
rideagain.ph
bringatrailer.com

At a glance

The story

Tall Boy launches with a scooter option

Turbo II adds 10-second Scramble Boost

Sedan sales pass 1 million

India gets its first diesel City

Thai sedan introduces turbo power and RS

Every generation

Power over the years

Versions

BB / EE / GG

BE / CE / CG / CR-i / CZ-i

Hatchback Turbo / e:HEV (Thailand)

Sport Hybrid i-DCD (Malaysia)

RS 1.0 Turbo sedan (Thailand)

Type 2 VTEC (India)

Turbo

Turbo II Bulldog

Cabriolet

Elegant Edition (India)

Apex Edition (India)

Sport (India)

How to spot one

Look for

Year by year

Don’t confuse it with

Honda Today

Honda CR-X

Against its rivals

Prices

The rest of the story is in the app

Versions

Legend

Generations

Market

Sources

Photo credits

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