Purchasing a new car can be a tough choice. There are many things to factor in such as size, fuel efficiency, performance, quality, brand and aftersales service.

Convenience is also something we all look for when purchasing a new car. With the size of cars getting bigger and bigger by the day, convenience while driving through cities or towns can be limited.

Why? Well mainly because these streets were not built for the monsters we have on the roads today. So, what would be a convenient family car to get for city driving? The Honda City hatchback would be a good choice and if you did not already know, Honda Malaysia launched the City hatchback Facelift back in May of this year.

Honda Malaysia launched the City hatchback in 2021 and till May 2024, they have sold 28,700 units of it. Talk about popularity.

There difference between the pre-facelift and the facelift models are mostly cosmetics with a few tech upgrades. The dimensions are just slightly different with the RS facelift variants being longer due to the bumpers. The powertrain remains the same as before. The variant we tested out was the 1.5L RS e:HEV, which is the top-of-the-line variant among the five available variants.

Visually it looks good with the revised front grille, front lower grille, LED fog lights with garnish, side sill garnish, rear bumper lower garnish and the Berlina black 16” alloy wheels. Just that from certain angles, the tyre fitment may look a little off. But of course, those who love modifying your cars can resolve this minor issue. 

Performance-wise for the e:HEV, the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system incorporates a 107hp electric motor that powers the front wheels with 253 Nm of torque. This motor draws energy from a lithium-ion battery, which is recharged by a secondary electric motor linked to a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder engine operating on an Atkinson cycle.

The petrol engine delivers 97hp at 5,600 to 6,400 rpm and 127Nm of torque at 4,500 to 5,000 rpm. Although primarily functioning as a generator, it can engage via a single-speed E-CVT to provide direct drive to the wheels at higher speeds, where it achieves its most efficient performance.

Now although it packs a punch throughout the city, we found that it lacks that punch on highways. The amount of torque delivered when we put our foot down on the highways showed us that there is a certain amount of lag before the power kicks in and it was slightly frustrating, especially on clear highways. 

However, when we were driving around Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh we noticed that there was enough power that makes the City hatchback an agile and convenient car throughout the city. Swerving through traffic and tight spaces was brisk simply because the hatchback is not a big car. The only thing that was annoying is that there is still no blind spot monitoring. If you have been following our Honda reviews, you will know that we are not big fans of Honda’s lane watch system. 

We also had to bear in mind that this car is not a performance-oriented car and that we were testing it for practicality and comfort. So, with that in mind, we focused on things like boot space, seating configurations and most importantly, fuel consumption. 

Now given that this is the hybrid variant, we knew that range anxiety was never going to be an issue. So, from KL to Ipoh and back to KL, how many times did we have to fuel up? Once. Just one fuelling session was needed for this car. When we reached KL after Ipoh, we still had more than half a tank of fuel left! Which in our books, is rather impressive. 

Honda Malaysia gave us a challenge to carry out to see which team had the best fuel consumption. The ones that participated managed to get an average of 26.75km/l which is amazing given that everything was done with real-world-like situations. As in no folded side mirrors to reduce drag, no turning off the air conditioning and no stopping to refuel as Honda Malaysia had sealed the fuel tank cover with a tamper-proof sticker. 

Speaking of real-world-like situations, we know there are some out there with a heavy foot and just want to get to their destination as fast and as safely as possible. We were one of those. Even with our foot down, following the speed limits of course, we managed to get an average of 18.61km/l and still have more than half a tank of fuel left. So, we are happy to give this car a perfect score for fuel consumption.

As we mentioned, the City hatchback is not a big car and it shows on the inside. If you’re built like this writer, you will definitely find it a little bit uncomfortable sitting at the back. The leg space is decent but there is barely any headroom because of how the rear of the car curves down. Taller passengers will find this to be a tad uncomfortable.

Over to the front, if both the driver and passenger are big in size, then you might find your elbows touching each other quite often, which is not something you want happening on a two to three-hour drive. However, these are just minor issues that we faced and were not that bothered about it.

There were three of us travelling in the car, each having two bags: one luggage bag and one laptop bag. Was there enough space? Not really as the boot space is only around 289 litres, which is actually 230 litres less than the sedan City! So only five of the six bags could fit in the boot while one laptop bag had to be put in the rear seat. However, if no one is seated at the back, the seats can be folded, expanding the space to 841 litres. 

Long drives can be tiring at times especially if you have your foot down all the time. This is where the adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist and lane departure warning come into play. It is easy to use and you do not have to navigate your way through a screen to find all these settings as the buttons are on the steering wheel. Kudos to Honda for keeping physical buttons!

Since we are on the topic of long drives, there is another factor that led us to be just a little bit annoyed. The subtle road noise which enters the cabin. Unlike the CR-V e:HEV RS variant that comes with wheel resonators, this City Hatchback lacks it. 

The noise seeping in was not that loud but it was noticeable. So, to drown that out, we turned up the music volume which by the way is channelled through four speakers. The eight-inch display audio’s IPS (In-Plane Switching) colour reproduction has been enhanced to give us a clearer and sharper image, although we found the reverse camera to be a tad bit grainy. 

The most important feature, in our books at least, is the availability of Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto, which the Honda City Hatchback facelift has. For those of you who know, we cannot live without these features. The cherry on top is that it is wireless!

Overall, the car felt solid and did not lack anything major so if you are a fan of hatchbacks, this is one to consider. Prices start at RM85,900 for the lowest variant but if you want the RS hybrid which we enjoyed, it will cost you RM112,900.

Specifications: 1.5L e:HEV RS Hybrid

Engine: 4 Cylinder, 16 Valve, DOHC i-VTEC (Atkinson Cycle)

Power: 109PS @ 3500rpm

Torque: 253Nm from 0 rpm

0-100km/h: 9.7 seconds

Top speed: 177km/h

Price: RM112,900 (as tested)

City Hatchback yang telah diperbaharui telah diperkenalkan oleh Honda Malaysia untuk memenuhi permintaan yang tinggi, dengan sasaran jualan sebanyak 900 unit sebulan. Dengan permintaan yang tinggi, sasaran ini nampaknya boleh dicapai.

Harga City Hatchback baharu bermula pada RM85,900 untuk varian S, RM90,900 untuk varian E, RM95,900 untuk varian V, RM100,900 untuk Petrol RS, dan RM112,900 untuk varian e:HEV RS. Varian RS dikuasakan oleh enjin 1.5L e:HEV yang menghasilkan 109PS dan 253Nm tork, manakala versi petrol 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC menghasilkan 121PS dan 145Nm tork.

Kesemua varian City Hatchback dilengkapi dengan ciri keselamatan seperti enam beg udara dan Walk Away Auto Lock. Kamera Multi-Angle Reverse dengan Resolusi Tinggi dipasang dalam semua varian kecuali varian S. Varian V dan RS juga dilengkapi dengan Honda LaneWatch untuk meningkatkan penglihatan bagi titik buta. Varian New City Hatchback RS dilengkapi dengan integrasi aplikasi telefon pintar Honda CONNECT yang menyediakan keselamatan dan kemudahan. Untuk memberikan nilai tambah, Honda CONNECT kini tersedia sebagai pilihan untuk varian S, E, dan V.

City Hatchback yang telah diperbaharui menampilkan rekaan baru dengan gril depan Honeycomb, hiasan lampu kabus depan LED, dan hiasan bawah bumper belakang. Varian RS kini dilengkapi roda aloi hitam Berlina 16-inci baharu dan hiasan sisi menambah daya tarikan sporty. Panjang varian RS juga bertambah, berukuran 4,369mm, manakala varian S, E, dan V adalah 4,350 mm panjang.

Varian RS dikuasakan oleh enjin 1.5L e:HEV yang menghasilkan 109PS dan 253Nm tork. Versi petrol pula menggunakan enjin 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC yang mengeluarkan 121PS dan 145Nm tork.

Di bahagian dalaman, varian RS dilengkapi dengan panel papan pemuka dicat merah dan tempat duduk Kulit Combi yang sporty dengan jahitan merah. Kedua-dua Petrol RS dan e:HEV RS hadir dengan sistem audio paparan 8-inci yang menyokong Apple CarPlay dan Android Auto tanpa wayar, serta kluster meter TFT 7-inci. Ultra Seat yang fleksibel dan praktikal masih menjadi standard untuk semua varian.

Honda City Hatchback facelift dilengkapi dengan teknologi Honda SENSING sebagai standard untuk semua varian. Ciri-ciri Honda SENSING termasuk:

• Low Speed Follow (LSF) – new feature applicable for e:HEV RS only 
• Lead Car Departure Notification (LCDN) – Ciri baru untuk semua varian 
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
• Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS)
• Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• Auto High Beam (AHB)

Kesemua varian juga dilengkapi dengan enam beg udara dan Walk Away Auto Lock. Selain itu, kamera Multi-Angle Reverse dengan resolusi tinggi dipasang pada semua varian kecuali varian S. Varian V dan RS turut dilengkapi dengan Honda LaneWatch untuk penglihatan titik buta yang lebih baik.

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Harga atas jalan tanpa insurans untuk City Hatchback baharu adalah seperti berikut:
– Varian S: RM85,900
– Varian E: RM90,900
– Varian V: RM95,900
– Petrol RS: RM100,900
– e:HEV RS: RM112,900

Introduced in 2021, the City Hatchback was Honda Malaysia’s second model featuring the e:HEV technology. The e:HEV RS variant, known for its sporty appeal, contributed significantly to the Company’s hybrid sales, accounting for 16% of total hybrid sales. In 2023, the City Hatchback achieved strong sales figures, solidifying its presence in the Non-National hatchback segment.

The new Honda City Hatchback comes in a total of five variants; the S, E, V, Petrol RS and e:HEV RS.

The facelifted City Hatchback has a newly designed Honeycomb Front Grille, Front Lower Grille, LED Front Fog Lights Garnish and Rear Bumper Lower Garnish. New Berlina Black 16-inch Alloy Wheels and a new edgy-looking Side Sill Garnish further elevate the sporty appeal of both RS variants. The Petrol RS and e:HEV RS variants of the New City Hatchback is now longer with refreshed exterior design measuring 4,369mm in length while the S, E and V variants are 4,350 mm in length.

Powered by the 1.5L e:HEV powertrain, the RS variant delivers 109PS and 253Nm, while the 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC petrol version puts out 121PS and 145Nm of torque.

The interior has received some upgrades too. The RS variants now feature a red-painted dashboard panel and sporty Combi Leather seats with red stitching. Both Petrol RS and e:HEV RS are fitted with 8” Display Audio with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Wireless Connectivity, in addition to 7” TFT Meter Cluster. The New City Hatchback continues to excel in practicality and spaciousness, thanks to the ultra Seat, which comes standard across all variants. 

The New City Hatchback is equipped with Honda SENSING as a standard safety feature for all variants, now including the Lead Car Departure Notification (LCDN). The complete list of Honda SENSING features in the New City Hatchback includes Low Speed Follow (LSF) – (new feature applicable for e:HEV RS only), Lead Car Departure Notification (LCDN) – new feature for all variants, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Auto High Beam (AHB).

All variants are equipped with safety features such as six airbags and Walk Away Auto Lock. The Multi-Angle Reverse Camera with Hi-Resolution are fitted in all variants except for S variant. Additionally, the V and RS variants are also equipped with Honda LaneWatch to enhance vision for blind spot. The New City Hatchback RS variants are equipped with smartphone application integration named Honda CONNECT for Safety, Security and Convenience. To provide further value, Honda CONNECT is now available as an optional accessory for S, E and V variants.

The on the road pricing without insurance for the new City Hatchback starts at RM85,900 for the S, RM90,900 for the E, RM95,900 for the V, RM100,900 for the Petrol RS and RM112,900 for the top of the line e:HEV RS.

Encik Hironobu Yoshimura, Pengarah Urusan dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Honda Malaysia, menyatakan keghairahan untuk New City Hatchback, mencerminkan kejayaan awalnya sejak diperkenalkan pada 2021. Dengan lebih 28,700 unit terjual, ia telah memantapkan dirinya sebagai sensasi hatchback terunggul Malaysia.

Diperkenalkan pada 2021, City Hatchback merupakan model kedua Honda Malaysia yang menampilkan teknologi e:HEV. Varian e:HEV RS, yang terkenal dengan daya tarikannya yang sporty, menyumbang dengan ketara kepada jualan hibrid Syarikat, menyumbang 16% daripada jumlah jualan hibrid. Pada tahun 2023, City Hatchback mencapai angka jualan yang kukuh, mengukuhkan kehadirannya dalam segmen hatchback Bukan Nasional.

City Hatchback yang dipertingkatkan menampilkan rupa dan penampilan yang dipertingkatkan, dengan reka bentuk yang lebih ramping dan lebih dinamik bertujuan untuk menawan hati penonton. Varian e:HEV RS menyerlah dengan bahagian luarnya yang lebih tajam dan lebih agresif, menampilkan gril hadapan yang direka bentuk baharu, gril bawah, bumper dan fog garnish.

Menambah daya tarikan sportynya, varian e:HEV RS kini menyertakan hiasan bawah bumper belakang yang anggun dan rekaan hiasan side sill, bersama-sama dengan Roda Aloi 16-inci Berlina Black yang menawan. Dikuasakan oleh rangkaian kuasa 1.5L e:HEV, varian RS memberikan prestasi tork yang dominan, manakala versi petrol 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC memastikan keseimbangan prestasi dan kecekapan bahan api.

Ciri keselamatan telah dipertingkatkan dalam City Hatchback baharu, dengan teknologi Honda SENSING tersedia dalam semua varian, termasuk Lead Car Departure Notification (LCDN). Varian e:HEV RS mendapat manfaat selanjutnya daripada Low Speed ​​Follow (LSF) untuk menambah kemudahan pemanduan.

Mr. Hironobu Yoshimura, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Malaysia, expressed enthusiasm for the New City Hatchback, reflecting on its initial success since its introduction in 2021. With over 28,700 units sold, it has established itself as Malaysia’s ultimate hatchback sensation, thanks to its captivating design, advanced technology, and practicality.

Introduced in 2021, the City Hatchback was Honda Malaysia’s second model featuring the e:HEV technology. The e:HEV RS variant, known for its sporty appeal, contributed significantly to the Company’s hybrid sales, accounting for 16% of total hybrid sales. In 2023, the City Hatchback achieved strong sales figures, solidifying its presence in the Non-National hatchback segment.

The facelifted City Hatchback boasts upgraded looks and appearance, with a sleeker and more dynamic design aimed at captivating onlookers. The e:HEV RS variant stands out with its sharper and more aggressive exterior, featuring newly designed front grille, lower grille, bumper, and fog garnish.

Adding to its sporty appeal, the e:HEV RS variant now includes sleek rear bumper lower garnish and side sill garnish designs, along with captivating Berlina Black 16-inch Alloy Wheels. Powered by the 1.5L e:HEV powertrain, the RS variant delivers dominant torque performance, while the 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC petrol version ensures a balance of performance and fuel efficiency.

Safety features have been enhanced in the new City Hatchback, with Honda SENSING technology available in all variants, including Lead Car Departure Notification (LCDN). The e:HEV RS variant further benefits from Low Speed Follow (LSF) for added driving convenience.

The new City Hatchback is poised to appeal to young adults and professionals seeking advanced technology, style, and practicality in their daily commute, catering to the current trend of youthful automotive preferences.