Always put yourself in the shoes of the car’s target market, and not just see it from your own point of view. That was what my former editor told me when I was learning the ropes of car reviewing many moons ago. This hard ‘buloh’ of a writer was a young and malleable ‘rebung’ then, and this principal has been embedded since.
The same idea should apply for the cars that we purchase, especially a family car, as it’s supposed to be a practical ‘tool’ for daily use, as opposed to an occasional toy. It’s OK to be selfish with the latter but not the former.
When it comes to the perfect tool for the family, the Honda City is a tried and tested choice in the B-segment sedan market, and Honda Malaysia has shipped over 448,000 units of the sedan to date (not including the City Hatchback), including 93,000 units of the latest fifth-generation model.
The City’s longstanding popularity with Malaysians stems from its uncanny ability to offer the perfect blend of space, comfort, practicality and safety – the qualities that make a good family car. But all of that applies to all compact sedans, no? Since the Honda City is almost always mentioned in the same breath as the Toyota Vios, let’s compare the latest versions of the Honda and its arch-rival.
The fifth-generation City was launched here in October 2020, and the current facelifted version surfaced exactly a year ago in August 2023. Today’s fourth-generation Toyota Vios came out a few months earlier, in March last year. The latest Vios is a relatively big shift from the previous template – now based on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) platform, it has bold styling and a sloping roofline.
The latter might be good for looks, but rear headroom suffers as a result – the Vios is not just more cramped than the City at the back, but it’s tighter than its predecessors too, and you don’t have to be basketball tall to notice this. Comparing dimensions, the City – at 4,589 mm long, 1,748 mm wide and 1,467 mm tall – is 164 mm longer, 8 mm wider and 13 mm lower at the highest point of the roof.
You won’t notice the latter though, because maximum height is usually at the centre of the car, after which the Vios roofline tapers down. There’s not much in difference in wheelbase lengths – the Vios’ 2,620 mm is actually 20 mm longer than the City’s WB, but the City is famous for its extra long rear legroom that puts cars in the segment above to shame, and the fifth-gen continues the trend. This is something you have to experience to believe – cross your legs while at it.
Boot space is an important factor when it comes to family cars, more so in Malaysia, which has a strong balik kampung culture. With 519 litres or cargo space (for the petrol variant, 410L for the hybrid), the City beats the Vios (475L) comfortably, and it does so with a spare tyre in the boot floor (petrol only), versus the Vios’ tyre repair kit. This is the first Vios to not come with a spare wheel, and that’s something many Malaysians want for reassurance.
Another big omission for a family car is the Vios’ lack of folding rear seats, which allows for long items to utilise the car’s cabin space. The City has 60:40 folding rear seats to build on its larger boot, so the Honda is the better car for strollers and shopping.
Safety should be a main consideration when it comes to buying a family car. Here, Honda leads the way with six airbags and the Honda Sensing driver assistance safety suite as standard across the range, from the entry level RM84,900 S onwards.
The ADAS pack includes Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Automatic High Beam (AHB) and Lead Car Departure Notification (LCDN). Low Speed Follow (LSF) is available on the e:HEV RS.
The Vios also has six airbags as standard, but the RM89,600 base E variant’s ADAS suite lacks lane keeping control, auto high beam and adaptive cruise control – these three are only available on the range-topping G.
Speaking of trim levels, the City range is a more comprehensive one with five variants, versus the Vios’ two. The City family starts from a lower price point too (RM84,900 for the S versus RM89,600 for the Vios E) and has a hybrid option for those who want to maximise fuel efficiency. Honda’s popular RS trim level is also available for both petrol and hybrid powertrains, giving buyers a sporty option.
Now, B-segment family sedans aren’t the sportiest type of vehicles around, and neither should they be, but drivers looking for a bit more pep from their daily might want to opt for the Honda. Both City and Vios are powered by 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines, but the Honda’s i-VTEC unit trumps Toyota’s Dual VVT-i engine in output here – 121 PS/145 Nm versus 106 PS/138 Nm.
In practice, the City’s superior on-paper figures translates to noticeably faster off-the-line acceleration, as we discovered at (of all places) a Proton event late last year.
Finally, Honda Connect is a vehicle telematics system that allows you to access a range of safety, security and convenience features on your smartphone. It is available on RS variants of the City.
The Vios does have its strong points, most notably in its bold design (if it’s your cup of tea in the first place, as design is subjective) and its much-improved cockpit, but it seems like in the areas that matter the most for a family sedan – namely space, comfort, practicality and safety – the City remains on top. The Honda also scores bonus points for having the better performance, more variants, a lower entry price, and useful tech such as Honda Connect.
Looking through the prism of a family car, the Honda City stands above the rest as the best B-segment sedan in Malaysia. For full details and specs of all variants, click here.
