The City has long been Honda’s most popular model in the ASEAN market. Almost 30 years ago, the first generation was designed specifically for this region to offer a more affordable entry-level model as the rising price of the Civic had moved it beyond that level which it started off at.
Now in its seventh generation, the City continues to be a very popular model. Only available as a sedan for the first six generations, it was joined by a hatchback version in 2021 to provide a sportier City with added versatility.
To date, over 28,700 units of the City Hatchback have been assembled and sold in Malaysia. As usual, when a model is around a few years, it is time for an update and Honda Malaysia has announced that a facelifted version will be available before the middle of this year.
The 2024 City Hatchback has cosmetic changes that give a sleeker, more dynamic design, with the top e:HEV RS variant being given a sharper, more aggressive exterior. This variant gets a newly designed Honeycomb Front Grille, Front Lower Grille and a bumper with a more aggressive appearance, including the Front Fog Garnish.
Additionally, for the e:HEV RS, there is a new sleek Rear Bumper Lower Garnish design, along with a revised design of Side Sill Garnish that adds a touch of sophistication to its overall sporty appearance. The e:HEV RS is also fitted with Berlina Black 16-inch alloy wheels.
The City Hatchback was Honda Malaysia’s second model with the e:HEV technology. Although the company has been offering locally-assembled models with hybrid technology since 2012, the e:HEV technology is more advanced and operates with higher efficiency and performance.
The e:HEV RS variant of the City Hatchback, with a 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain, has contributed 16% to Honda Malaysia’s total hybrid sales to date. Including the other variants, total sales of the City Hatchback in 2023 were 10,300 units.
Safety and security features have been extended with the new City Hatchback. Honda SENSING will be available in all variants, with the additional feature of Lead Car Departure Notification. This feature alerts the driver when the car ahead moves off, usually at a traffic light or in stop-start driving conditions.
Additionally, the e:HEV RS also receives an extra feature – Low Speed Follow (LSF) for a more convenient driving function. This enhancement to the cruise control system means that the system, which is useful on long journeys, will continue to function even at very low speeds (before, it would cut off below a certain speed).
The current City Hatchback price ranges from RM78,900 to RM109,900 (without insurance) and given the competitive conditions, Honda Malaysia isn’t likely to change the price for the new model by a lot. Honda being the trusted brand that it is, some may want to make a booking now to be among the first owners of the new model, and authorised dealers will accept the order from today.
To locate a showroom in Malaysia, visit www.honda.com.my.