2021 Honda City Hatchback makes world debut in Thailand – Ultra Seats; 1.0L VTEC Turbo; from RM81k

2021 Honda City Hatchback makes world debut in Thailand – Ultra Seats; 1.0L VTEC Turbo; from RM81k

The new Honda City Hatchback has made its global debut in Thailand, almost exactly a year since the sedan version was launched on November 25, 2019. The shortened City has been heavily rumoured ever since patent images of the model surfaced earlier in February, with Honda Thailand only confirming its arrival earlier this month.

For Thailand, the City Hatchback is offered in just three variants, one less than the sedan version. The base option is the S+ that is priced at 599,000 baht (RM80,776), followed by the mid-spec SV at 675,000 baht (RM91,025) and the range-topping RS at 749,000 baht (RM101,011). These prices are higher than the City sedan range, which starts at 579,500 baht (RM78,152) and peaks at 739,000 baht (RM99,662).

No surprises when it comes to styling, as the City Hatchback gets the same front end as its sedan sibling, with an identical design for the headlamps, grille, bonnet and bumper. This continues down the vehicle’s sides, as the prominent character line running above the door handles and linking the front and rear lighting clusters remain visible.

Moving towards the rear, the differences between the two body styles are immediately apparent (for obvious reasons). For starters, the roofline of the hatchback goes on for longer to meet a roof spoiler, which is placed above the tailgate with a steeply-raked rear window. This also sees the C-pillars take on a more upright stance, allowing space for the fuel door to be placed higher above the side character line.

2021 Honda City Hatchback makes world debut in Thailand – Ultra Seats; 1.0L VTEC Turbo; from RM81k

As for the rear end, the City Hatchback gets its own taillight design that is reminiscent of those on the W177 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, with a lighting signature similar to what you find on the sedan. Beyond that, the rear bumper features a recessed lip and much slimmer reflectors at its edges.

Dimension-wise, the hatchback measures 4,345 mm long (4,349 mm for the RS variant), making it 208 mm shorter than the sedan, while the height is up 21 mm to 1,488 mm. No change in width and wheelbase, which remain at 1,748 mm and 2,589 mm respectively. For further comparison, the latest Jazz is between 3,995-4,110 mm in length, 1,695-1,725 mm wide, 1,515-1,565 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,530 mm.

On the inside, the City Hatchback is pretty much the same as its sedan sibling, with an eight-inch touchscreen Advanced Touch head unit integrated into the dashboard (RS variant only), along with large air vents. Meanwhile, the centre stack houses the controls for the air-conditioning system, a power outlet, USB ports and a small storage cubby.

2021 Honda City Hatchback makes world debut in Thailand – Ultra Seats; 1.0L VTEC Turbo; from RM81k

Further down, the centre console is where you’ll find two cupholders and gear lever, followed by the handbrake and more storage areas, including one under the armrest (SV and RS variants only). In front of the driver, there’s still analogue gauges with a multi-info display (MID) between then, and the steering wheel is the same with on-wheel controls.

It isn’t just a carbon copy though, as Honda says hatchback offers more legroom than the sedan and it even comes with Ultra Seats, allowing for four rear seat arrangements – utility, long, tall and refresh modes, as the company explains.

Under the bonnet, the City Hatchback sports the same 1.0 litre (998 cc) VTEC Turbo three-cylinder as the sedan, delivering 122 PS at 5,500 rpm and 173 Nm of torque from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm. The mill, which works with E20 gasahol, is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels.

In terms of equipment, the S+ comes with projector headlamps, a chromium front grille, 15-inch alloy wheels, a black interior, fabric seat upholstery, manual air-conditioning, keyless entry and engine start, an idling stop system, a standard head unit with four speakers and Bluetooth, four airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist, ABS, EBD and Isofix child seat anchors.

The SV adds on side mirror indicators, leather seats, single-zone automatic air-conditioning, white illumination for the MID, a centre console storage box, the aforementioned eight-inch Advanced Touch system and a multi-angle rear-view camera.

The most expensive RS stands out in the line-up with its black front grille, shark fin antenna, tailgate spoiler, door handles, side mirror caps, rear diffuser element and fog lamp garnish. It also gets exclusive 16-inch wheels, combination suede/fabric/leather seats, paddle shifters, cruise control, red illumination for the MID, two more power outlets for rear passengers, a rear arm rest, eight speakers, Honda Connect telematics and two more airbags for a total of six.

The City Hatchback will be available in six colours in Thailand, including Ignite Red Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Meteoroid Grey Metallic, Sonic Grey Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl and Taffeta White. There’s also a range of Modulo accessories offered, with items such as rear spoiler garnish, decorative fender gills, red and blue wheel stickers, door handle protectors and a boot tray.

So, what do you think of the City Hatchback? Do you prefer it to the sedan? There have been rumours suggesting that the fourth-gen Jazz won’t be coming to our shores, as its place will be taken by the City Hatchback instead. A prudent move? Sound off in the comments below.



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Gerard Lye

Originating from the corporate world with a background in finance and economics, Gerard’s strong love for cars led him to take the plunge into the automotive media industry. It was only then did he realise that there are more things to a car than just horsepower count.

 

Comments

  • Calvin on Nov 24, 2020 at 2:46 pm

    City Hatchback or will it be ASEAN Jazz? (ie just like the Yaris here, not the global TNGA version).

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 3
    • Dr. Ayob on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:47 pm

      no matter City Hatchback or ASEAN Jazz. beli je X50 rm80k..

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 154 Thumb down 22
  • michelin on Nov 24, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    Isn’t Jazz = City hatchback?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 4
    • (Like) Honda Jazz.
      (Dislike) Honda City HB

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 39 Thumb down 13
      • Civic Turbo 2018 on Nov 25, 2020 at 6:33 pm

        City/City HB compete almost the same market. Should use Jazz to capture the more niche consumers. Honda lost more customers than gain.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
    • Aero (Member) on Nov 25, 2020 at 2:12 am

      Actually, Jazz was never really a ‘City hatchback’. Jazz is a global car, whereas City was made for developing markets… Although the original 2003 City had the same wheelbase as the 2002 Jazz, the 2008 City and 2014 City both have a longer wheelbase than the equivalent Jazz. In other words, it is not the same situation as the Iriz / Persona … but similar to the Savvy / Saga BLM instead.

      Now Honda has developed a true hatchback version of their City for developing markets. Notice that the 2021 City Hatchback has the same wheelbase as the 2020 City sedan… the front-end up to the B-pillar is also unchanged from the City. Honda has more or less followed Toyota’s strategy with the Vios / Yaris in a bid to reduce manufacturing costs… but lets see if the savings are passed to the consumer.

      The 2021 City Hatchback will probably take the place of the Jazz in our market as Honda’s most affordable model. As for the 2020 Jazz, it remains to be seen whether it will be sold here… but if yes, chances are it will be an expensive CBU Japan model like the original 2002 Jazz.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 2
    • oricon666 on Nov 25, 2020 at 1:34 pm

      Ya… I equally confused… Lol

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • lithium on Nov 27, 2020 at 4:35 pm

      the jazz is global model and also looks better proportion than the city hatchback. i prefer the jazz.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.

    Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 142
  • wira pride on Nov 24, 2020 at 2:50 pm

    Nice wira- potong wagon style

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 2
  • AutoFrenz (the original) on Nov 24, 2020 at 2:52 pm

    Yaris is definitely better looking…this looks very generic and lacks of originality but knowing Malaysians they will buy honda no matter what…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 27 Thumb down 60
  • Sam Loo (ori) on Nov 24, 2020 at 2:55 pm

    Buy Yaris better! Good RV

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 114 Thumb down 25
  • AutoFrenz (the original) on Nov 24, 2020 at 2:59 pm

    Nissan Note looks better and more sporty than this…

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 111 Thumb down 12
  • dong gor on Nov 24, 2020 at 3:08 pm

    Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.

    Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 25 Thumb down 126
    • Hong Yee Hong on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      Oops… Looks like there are more Yaris fans here!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 4
      • Too many bored Toyota salesmen hanging around Paultan after X50 launched.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 85
  • drkai on Nov 24, 2020 at 3:14 pm

    looks like Suprima…..just change the Logo

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 65 Thumb down 8
  • So an almost identical car with compromised boot and likely compromised view is more expensive? That is just weird pricing strategy right there. Plus I dont think it is better looking than its sibling, which already is not a pretty car.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 35 Thumb down 8
    • The weird pricing is caused by the use of turbo engine. Nissan Almera also saw this kind of price increase when they switch to a turbo engine.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 3
  • Nobody on Nov 24, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    Proton suprima looks better, they were ahead of time.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 24 Thumb down 4
    • azrai on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:25 pm

      So does Gen2, look at X6.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 0
      • Suprima & gen2 asyik tersadai kat woksyop. ownerz alwiz can look look sje… kenot drive.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 15
        • Macam mana u tau? Oh keta pakai TSI tersadai kat woksyop patutla kamu nampak kan? Kesian kenot drive kena pakai gen2 & suprima woksyop kan?

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
    • Kim Jong Din on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:32 pm

      PROTON SUPRIMA..Look closely….it is like proton Preve just kena banged from behind by a truck…kemek.
      So horribly bad in design and yet there are buyers.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 7
      • Avenger on Nov 24, 2020 at 10:17 pm

        You need to get your eyes examined if you see it that close and still got it wrong.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 7
  • tricycle on Nov 24, 2020 at 3:49 pm

    this is nice. hopefully honda malaysia will bring it here with the TURBO engine.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 37
  • It does look like retarded Suprima.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 28 Thumb down 3
  • AJibkor on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    Honda ran out of ideas.So they did a Houdini….just copy and paste Suprima.Protong..please collect copyright fees from pathetic Honda.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 4
  • Hong Yee Hong on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:23 pm

    Eeh! Betul leh! Macam Suprima S!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 2
  • YB Albert on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:25 pm

    Honda has lost the art of good car designing.
    Look at the frontage…same old boring design.
    With super computers ,it is a shame Honda cant come out with some stunning designs.
    This hatchback is ..put it simply..just the sedan version with a compressed backside.
    Anyway,there will be diehard hardcore Honda loyalists.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 31 Thumb down 8
    • Xx2xx on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:45 pm

      Lol most of sedan and hatchback have same front design for same models. Ford fiesta hatchback ? Ford fiesta sedan? Vios? Yaris? Mazda 2 sedan ? Mazda 2 hatchback? Mazda 3 sedan ? Mazda 3 hatchback? Mers A sedan ? Mers A hatchback? Etc all chop from sedan version. Need bash try again la.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 26
      • Melania Rosmah on Nov 24, 2020 at 6:09 pm

        XX2XX,you degil.YB Albert is talking about mainly the frontage…the last 5 years ..super boring.Who doesnt know ,the hatchback is a compressed version of the sedan?
        You dont even understand what is bash.Bashing is not right.People are suggesting,Honda should wake up from this boring design.Do u bash your uncle for wearing the same T shirt with same design last 5 years ?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 3
  • Haidi on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:30 pm

    That Nissan Almera 1.0L turbocharged produced 99 hp, while Honda City 1.0L turbocharged is producing 120 hp. So long Almera… Malaysian, wanna wait for the 1.0L turbo City?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 18
  • Wow really nice. Would do well if it is sold here

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 20
  • Xx2xx on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    Lol tell me most of sedan and hatchback have same front design for same models. Ford fiesta hatchback ? Ford fiesta sedan? Vios? Yaris? Mazda 2 sedan ? Mazda 2 hatchback? Mazda 3 sedan ? Mazda 3 hatchback? Mers A sedan ? Mers A hatchback? Etc all chop from sedan version. Need bash try again la.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 19
  • Unknown on Nov 24, 2020 at 4:46 pm

    Previously Honda said City cannot come with Ultraseats due to its chassis design is fundamentally different to Jazz, but here we see that was just a lie. If City Hatchback can be equipped with Ultraseats why is it omitted from City sedan?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 22 Thumb down 3
    • Johny on Nov 24, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      Well, obviously because a hatchback has a different rear structure than a sedan.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 3
      • Avenger on Nov 24, 2020 at 10:19 pm

        Your car seats mount to the floor or to the structure hmm? And Honda won’t do major engineering changes to the chassis integrity for an unbooted sedan.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • The proportions of this are so weird.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 26 Thumb down 2
  • CopyKat on Nov 24, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    And A class copied from Cereto

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
  • Sam "Hailat" Loo on Nov 24, 2020 at 5:31 pm

    So what really happened to the City e:HEV launch in Thailand..? No story..?

    Funny that it was supposed to be a WORLD PREMIERE of the iMMD hybrid system here, and yet Thailand gets pricing and availability first.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  • Either my eyes aren’t working right or the model is tiny or the car is huge. This looks like a crossover.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 44 Thumb down 1
  • Dislike if you gay on Nov 24, 2020 at 6:10 pm

    You say that but honda still no.1 non national car brand…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 90
  • Good Honda Kodo

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 17
  • Danny Tay on Nov 24, 2020 at 8:20 pm

    Should have name it City Aeroback. Really tiru Proton’s concept of naming car variant in the 90s. Other manufacturer starts with base model as 5 door (Mazda 2, Fiesta, SX4, etc.) and introduce sedan as variant (Mazda 2 Sedan, Fiesta Sedan, SX4 Sedan) but they are doing it ‘backwards’ like what Proton did with Saga/Saga Aeroback vs Wira/Wira Aeroback. Cannot compare with Jazz anymore because the body panel is totally different.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Range topping of up to RM101k for a hatchback? Good luck with selling that.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
  • guess Japan Jazz will never be available in Asean market ^^

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 1
  • KaBoom on Nov 24, 2020 at 9:54 pm

    The insurance and roadtax quantum will be significantly lower than it’s fellow competitors. Produa should consider putting in a turbo’ed Axia engine into the Myvi.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • Haiiyyyaaa H also using 3 cyclinder enjin kaaa tot enjin vibrates not good noisy not efficient bla bla bla yet. Use 1.0 Turbo somemore hahahaha

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • sam123 on Nov 25, 2020 at 8:02 am

    wow look like audi a1 but the size are bigger, 3cylinder 1.0T on b segment are selling at 80k now? like that next year perodua mini suv will cost at 60k + –

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • Azroy Roy on Nov 25, 2020 at 2:16 pm

    Now that’s a stunning looking Honda. Look better prorportioned than Yaris. I hope it come with turbo engine also.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 15
  • Yor Yorza on Nov 25, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    Wow I never knew a Honda can be this ugly. I’d rather buy a Yaris instead.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 3
  • waemarc on Dec 02, 2020 at 4:04 pm

    Suprima S side profile?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • MICHAEL BOEY on Dec 03, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    My dream car, when will be launch in Malaysia

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Alan Chai on Dec 15, 2020 at 11:33 pm

    it really looks like Proton Suprima S

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Phil. L on Jan 10, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    Jazz have a higher roofline… City hatchback would be a completely different car….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Virinprew on Apr 23, 2021 at 7:29 am

    What’s with the comment on this site? Lol. You guys can’t speak a proper English. As for the City Hatchback, I don’t see a problem with the proportion. It’s fine for being a car that carries people. If you want a sporty look, you will have to sacrifice the space. I’d rather have a space. It’s a City car afterall.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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