Model Honda Ballade - a subcompact car, which was produced by the Japanese company Honda. For the first time the car was introduced in 1980 as a 4-door version of the Civic sedan model. At the same time, a similar model called the Triumph Acclaim was launched in the UK based on the Honda Ballade, which was equipped with a Honda engine. For the original Japanese models of the 1980 Honda Ballade, two versions of engines with a volume of 1.3 and 1.5 liters were offered. After 1984, the Honda Ballade had many body panels from the Civic model, with the exception of a more sporty front end.
Also, the second generation Ballade model was the basis for creating the sports version of the Ballade Sports CR-X (the version presented for the first time in 1983 later became an independent sports model of the Honda CR-X) and the Rover 200, which was first produced by Rover in 1984. The top version of the Honda Ballade of the second generation was called the EXI. It was equipped with a 1.5-liter 12-valve aluminum engine with multi-point injection (the engine was equipped with a PGM-FI system from Honda), whose power was 100 hp.
The same engine was used in the first generation of the Civic CRX. As for the other options, the EXI version included: four electric windows, an electrically heated mirror, metallic paint, ventilated front brake discs and power steering. Models of lower level equipment, equipped with a 1.5 liter carburetor engine. As a result, the power of such a power unit was only 85 hp.
In September 1987, the Honda Ballade was discontinued in Japan, replaced by a new model called the Honda Concerto. However, sales of the car called Ballade (the name was given there to the model produced on the basis of the Civic) continued in South Africa. The production of South African Ballade models was handled by the local subsidiary of Daimler-Benz, which wanted to have a small and inexpensive car on the market in addition to its Mercedes-Benz models. And the name Ballade was taken because it was associated with a more luxurious and prestigious car than the name Civic, and this was quite important, as sales were made through the dealer network of Mercedes-Benz.
