Introduced in 1982 as a compact, the original Ballade managed to impress the local customer pool. South Africans bought 171,100 units of the model in 19 years of existence, with six generations and no less than 45 variants of the model produced in that time.
The success of the model was fueled by the features it came equipped with. In a time when not many good things arrived on the local market, the Ballade was equipped with air-conditioning and optional automatic transmissions.
"The new Honda Ballade will follow in the tire tracks of a motoring legend that not only established Honda as a passenger car brand in South Africa, but also set new, elevated standards for small cars in terms of quality, service and luxury," promises Honda South Africa.
The Honda City, as the model is known elsewhere, was introduced last month in India. There, the car comes as a facelift, wearing several new colors, including Urban Titanium and Exclusive edition.
The Exclusive will now be offered with a chrome trunk garnish, chrome door sash molding, body colored mud flaps and an Exclusive rear badge.
For the South African market, the details of the model were not announced. Those interested in updates from the Japanese manufacturer can register on the South African website. If you don't, be sure autoevolution will get back on the story as soon as more info is available.
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