Honda Malaysia’s big launch this year is the new Honda City, which is coming in the fourth quarter of 2020. Today, the company gave the media an exclusive preview of the fifth-generation B-segment sedan, revealing some surprising new features.
First, let’s start with what we already know. Malaysia will be the first country in the world to offer the City with the two-motor Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system, which is currently only offered on the Jazz. This variant will be called the e:HEV, Honda’s new global brand for hybrid electric vehicles.
This particular hybrid is different from most other systems in that most of the time, the petrol engine – a 98 PS/127 Nm 1.5 litre Atkinson-cycle i-VTEC four-cylinder – does not power the car. Instead, it functions mainly as a generator with the help of an integrated electric motor, which also acts as a starter.
It’s the larger second motor that does the heavy lifting of moving the car. It churns out the headline 109 PS and 253 Nm which, as Honda Malaysia is eager to point out, is more torque than the D-segment Toyota Camry. The best part? All that torque is produced at zero revs, just like a battery electric vehicle.
Because the electric motor mostly drives the car, the i-MMD system does away with what you or I would call a gearbox. However, the engine can provide direct drive at higher speeds, using a lock-up clutch and a single-speed transmission, as it is more efficient than an electric motor at those speeds.
For the first time, Honda Malaysia is offering the hybrid in range-topping RS form, affirming the powertrain’s status as the flagship of the local City lineup. You will also be able to get the car as a petrol-only model powered by a new twin-cam (DOHC) 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated i-VTEC mill, which in India makes 121 PS and 145 Nm and is paired to a CVT. We’re expecting the usual S, E and V variants for this one.
One big surprise is the addition of Honda Sensing, as denoted by the camera at the top of the windscreen of this pre-production unit. This suite of active safety features is not available in Thailand, meaning that Malaysia will be the first market to get the system on the City.
Right now, it’s unclear if we’ll receive the full package offered on the Jazz internationally, which includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. We should point out, however, that the City’s rivals in Thailand – the Toyota Yaris Ativ (Vios) and Nissan Almera – only come with AEB and lane departure warning, so we’ll see if Honda will offer the entire system here.
We’re also not sure at this point if Honda Sensing is an RS-only feature, or if the petrol model will also get it. As revealed previously, the City will also be available with the LaneWatch blind spot camera, which will likely be bundled in with Honda Sensing.
Another surprise is the fact that this car comes with rear brake discs, versus the Thai market’s drums. Again, it remains to be seen if this is only fitted to the hybrid model, but it should be tied to the electric parking brake that we know the hybrid has – the Jazz, which gets an EPB for both petrol and hybrid models, receives all-round disc brakes across the lineup.
Honda Malaysia did not give us any access to the car’s interior, so just like you guys, we’ll have to wait to see what other features we’ll get. We also have no indication of pricing – as usual, we will bring you all the details as and when we’ll get them, so keep it locked here.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.
So why buy City when for the same price, an X70 gives you all that and more in a bigger car?
Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.
Until they found out a horse can’t carry as much and has less utility than a pack donkey. In some civilisations, a donkey is worth more than a horse. I guess that goes the same for X70.
Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.
If you want to race, Geely has Polestar that will smoke your 253Nm City.
Get a sushi will not be wrong. In china, Gelly is for low medium to low group.
my focus tdci ady have 320Nm since 2011, almost 10 years!! (well it’s different segment but until today which segment C car gives us more than 300Nm?
and the best, it’s about RM20k now! haha
Because china brand is subpar brand. Do you buy Sony or Skyworth?
So you buy a Sony phone instead Huawei huh? How does that work for you considering Japanese brands are extinct because, like you know, somehow people prefers to buy subpar Chinese rather than even worse Japanese?
If China brand without fuel pump problem is subpar, what do you call a Japanese brand with fuel pump and CVT problem? Sunkpar?
Honda City? X70? same price? Come on, if no tax, honda city price is cheap as Perodua Myvi. Please go and undertsand the tax system in Malaysia.
And if no tax, X70 will same price as Myvi. So what is your point exactly?
If X70 have the same tax structure as Honda CRV, X70 will cost around RM140K – RM150K. Would X70 still able to sell this good with the increased price? It is actually not fair to other CKD model in Malaysia which uses higher local content than X70 which mainly a rebadged Geely. For other Proton models like Saga, Iriz, Persona then yes, it should received the preferential tariff but not the rebadged Geely models.
What do u mean by ‘premium’?
It got more ‘engine’ so less maintenance?
If like u said ‘why buy vios,persona and X70’…its because that person is rich enough, can buy all three cars.
So what is the estimated pricing for RS? Rm 99,999.99??? Kaukaukaukaukau potong throat. Better get P1 X70 lorr. More value for money and no need to sweat battery replacement later. Most importantly, why da heck they cannot reveal the wheelbase? Either we get the shorter Tomyam or longer Kari car we dunno lahh.
Hafriz, you didn’t bring measurement tape to the preview and check on the actual car wheelbase?
Cindy and john, why compare a small sedan to a big SUV? what an unfair comparison
Malaysians compare pricing rather than segmentation. This City will predictably be priced towards X70, hence the value proposition and comparison.
Where is the turbo version? Honda Malaysia?
Honda better give 10-years warranty for this kind of new unproven long-term hybrid battery tech.
From behind, I thought I see a Saga Facelift
Better got AEB, no AEB it better be cheap²
Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.
Are u blind?
90k for all that??? Waiting long long.
Thanks for them catering to dumb buyers like you lmao. The 1.0T has a good potential, but they decide to bring in the lackluster 1.5. 90k for a City is laughable, could easily go for a way better car in the used car market at the same price point.
But the current gen also 90k. Vios also almost 90k. The city before GM6 also 90k. Are you living in 2007? It’s not laughable, you can see the current city everywhere now means lots of people are still buying it, how about vios & almera? Sometimes you see it and sometimes you don’t. Yes you can get a better car in used car market with 90k but you can even get a 2001 Merc E-Class for less £££ than a brand new lowest spec Axia. So what’s the point of buying the Axia when you can enjoy conti cars with less than 20k? Or you can get a 2009 BMW 320i with the price of a full spec Myvi. Get it?
how to enjoy an old conti car when have no money to repair the problematic leaking continental drivetrain?
spare part also not enough at the market.
So much torque but low horsepower does not mean a fast car. Also, It’s not like the torque is required to haul heavy items or pull a trailer, zz. What’s with the unnecessary show off of that torque figure.
good for urban and city driving (no pun intended lol). also electric motors naturally make a lot more torque compared to horsepower, just like a diesel. which is why they run out of breath at higher speeds. but 109ps is adequate for this size.
Wah, this City RS is truly a fanbois Powah of Dreams.
Hoping for adaptive cruise control. That will give this car a little edge against lower-end BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and VW.
no front parking sensor?
Why actually people need front parking sensor? It’s very hard to understand.
Ada AEB, you won’t crash in front.
AEB won’t work at ultra-low parking speed.
parking sensor/360camera is needed if one need assist.
One word – Honda new “Guinea Pig” car
I think what he means is service intervals..for turbo engine you need to change spark plugs at shorter intervals and other minor maintenance. Also for long term, you probably need to overhaul the engine quicker.
Still can’t process the design of this new generation city. Mix opinion on it between beauty or ugly. I’m not shock if this RS variant touch 100k mark. I’m sure honda really scare if toyota n nissan is putting thier ADAS on vios n almera make them putting sensing in the city although I’m sure not the full range like big brother model. Can someone confirm did we get the Indian longer wheelbase or shorter thai wheelbase?
we should get the longer wheelbase
All them goodies would probably be available on the rs hybrid, as thr ckd hybrid would benefit from lower tax, hence it will get all d goodies to justify its higher price than the V.
Honda is not dumb (hopefully) they know the V trim makes up to 80% of total city sale, so it would get everything except sensing and EPB
Actually 40% of City buyers went for Espec.
TBH this car design is weird n ugly. X70 is better, not weird but still ugly.