The new Honda Ballade – against all odds
Do you remember the old Honda Ballade? This poor car was wracked with so much bad luck we are surprised Honda wanted to tempt fate with this new generation. The 2011 model was launched a mere two weeks after the Japanese Tsunami which hit Honda’s headquarters. Of course this led to sales dropping in South Africa and no stock coming in. Just as the clean up was well under way and production of the new model had started, the factory was flooded again. Despite all of this, Honda believes this B-segment sedan will turn things around and put all the bad luck behind it. And we agree!
It may not be the sexiest of cars on the market, but this segment isn’t exactly trying to win a beauty contest. With that said, it isn’t unattractive either and when it comes to the really important things such as safety, practicality and spec level, the Ballade is winning. And the people who bought the out going model bought it for reasons of safety and dealership experience. Once they had owned it for a year these people said they were mostly satisfied with the reliability, styling (surprising?), the fact it was free of faults, and the quality of this product.
It’s similar to its predecessor but with a more modern flair. The front sees the new Honda face with a bold bar turning up at the edges. And down the profile we see a deep, bold swage line. Step inside and you are met with a modern and dynamic cabin which feels top quality, which is lot more than can be said for some of the Ballade’s competitors. Two trim levels are offered, the Trend and the higher specced Elegance which sees paddle shifts (with the CVT transmission) and a reverse camera added to the standard USB and Bluetooth infotainment system with a 180 mm colour touchscreen. You can even load iPhone/iPad apps on to it. That saves you a buck, especially with navigation apps.
This model runs on the previous model’s 1,5-litre petrol engine and still produces 88 kW and 145 N.m of torque which means it’s peppy enough around town and easy enough on the open road to over take slower moving vehicles. The manual has a claimed fuel consumption of 5,9 L/100 km whereas the auto claims 5,8 L/100 km. Both impressive, but it will have to be seen just how accurate these figures are.
The car is comfortable and space is generous. The boot has an increased capacity of 536 l giving it the biggest boot in the segment. It rivals the likes of the Kia Rio sedan, the Hyundai Accent and the VW Polo Sedan. The Ballade doesn’t come in as the cheapest of these competitors but it does offer good value for money. And of course it sports the Honda badge.
The Ballade come standard with a three-year/100 000 km warranty and four-year/60 000 km service plan.
Pricing:
1,5 Trend – R195 900
1,5 Trend CVT – R210 500
1,5 Elegance – R220 990
1,5 Elegance CVT – R235 590
You may also like to read about the Honda Civic Tourer, Honda CR-V or Honda Brio Sedan