The Ballade made its South African debut in 1982, when it was built in Mercedes-Benz’s East London factory and sold through the company’s dealerships. With no A- or CLA-Class models available at the time, the Ballade met the demand for a high quality, compact sedan, which ultimately proved to be 171 000 units strong by the time the Honda Civic
eclipsed it in 2000.
Times change, however, and the Civic grew up, creating an opportunity for a smaller B-segment sedan. For 2014 the Honda Ballade has been overhauled with just 14% of its sheet metal being shared with the previous version. Changes to the chassis and styling have also made for an impressive amount of interior space.
The new Ballade is just slightly larger in length and height than before (by 45 mm and 5 mm respectively), but Honda have added 50 mm to the wheelbase, which may not sound like much, but its made an extra 30-litres of space available in the boot alone (now 536-litres). A lower sill and wider aperture for the boot, makes for easier access, while people space is also positively generous by B-segment standards. Honda claim class-leading interior space, and there seems little reason to argue in terms of rear knee, leg and shoulder room.
Styling is now in line with other new Honda models, such as the Tourer and upcoming Jazz, and is characterised by a new grille up front, sharper and wider-looking bumpers both front and rear, as well as a more pronounced crease, that sweeps from front to back. The rear light clusters have also been narrowed and wrap around the car’s flanks in an effort to impart a wider looking stance.
Available in Trend and Elegance specifications levels, standard equipment on the former includes: cloth seats, cruise control, a 4-speaker stereo, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, hill start assist (CVT only) and 15-inch steel wheels. The Elegance model features exterior highlights such as, front fog lights, a grille and boot trim finished in chrome, as well as 16-inch alloy wheels. The interior of the Ballade Elegance benefits from a leather-covered steering wheel, 6-speak audio system, push-button engine start, keyless entry and climate control.
Both derivatives feature a 7-inch colour LCD touchscreen, which accommodates smartphone-like hand gestures, such as: tap to select, swipe to scroll and pinch to zoom. The system is also capable of reading audio, video and images from a USB device, or via HDMI connection, for added entertainment value. The Ballade Elegance features a rear parking camera, which is also displayed on the LCD screen.
The Ballade is built on Honda’s Global Small Car platform, which retains the use of independent suspension in front and a H-patter torsion beam at the rear, but a few tweaks have been made that can be felt from behind the wheel. The car’s weight has been reduced and torsional rigidity has been increased, with the suspension damping adjusted to make the most of the changes. In addition, the electrically assisted power steering offers improved feel, thanks to the motor that’s been repositioned closer to the steering wheel.
The revised steering provides an added sense of stability at cruising speeds. A light clutch and compliant shift action define the 5-speed manual transmission, while the CVT, despite featuring reduced weight and 7 pre-programmed ratios, can leave the Ballade feeling a little lethargic even if it does get off the line without effort.
The CVT’s benefits, however, include: convenient paddle-shift operation; three driving modes for the throttle shift patterns; associated colour tones for the instrument cluster depending on driving mode; as well as overall fuel consumption of 5.8 l/100km versus the old car’s 6.6 l/100km. The manual transmission delivers a claimed consumption figure of 5.9 l/100km.
The 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine continues to develop 88 kW and 145 Nm, but lower friction internals and reduced weight have made for better response and efficiency, as cited above. The engine performed well in the previous Ballade, but in the more aerodynamic shape of the 2014 Ballade it’s nippier still, with the speedo almost always slightly higher than expected.
As a family centric sedan, the compact Ballade offers a number of features to keep its occupants safe. As before, six airbags shield passengers at the time of impact (front, side and curtain), while ISOFIX standard child seat anchors are found in the rear and seat belts are equipped with pre-tensioners and load-limiters. Honda’s Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) remains standard across the Ballade range and combines traction control with electronic stability control for maximum stability in emergency situations. Hill Start Assist also add a little convenience to the Ballade’s everyday duties.
The new Honda Ballade does a commendable job of bringing up-to-date infotainment and safety technology, together with generous amounts of interior space, to a market segment that isn’t yet synonymous with both.
| Prices | |
| Honda Ballade 1.5 Trend | R195 900 |
| Honda Ballade 1.5 Trend CVT | R210 500 |
| Honda Ballade 1.5 Elegance | R220 950 |
| Honda Ballade 1.5 Elegance CVT | R235 590 |
Prices include a 3-year/100 000km warranty, 4-year/60 000 service plan and 1-year roadside assistance.
