KUALA LUMPUR: The 2024 City Hatchback facelift is a highly anticipated addition to the Honda lineup, blending sleek design with cutting-edge hybrid technology.
With the automotive industry increasingly leaning towards sustainable solutions, it stands out with innovative hybrid powertrain, advanced safety features, and aesthetic upgrades.
Features and enhancements
As a petrol hybrid, it offers fuel savings, consuming only 3.7L/100km compared to the 5.6L/100km of the Honda City Hatchback 1.5L RS variant.
The 2024 hatchback delivers an exceptionally smooth driving experience, thanks to its 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC engine and 1.5L e:HEV powertrain, which provides a torque of 253 Nm.
Although there are not many differences in engine-wise with the new facelift edition, the City Hatchback has received several physical design upgrades, including auto LED headlights, a honeycomb front grille and a rear bumper lower garnish.
Meanwhile, the e:HEV variant features 16-inch alloy wheels, giving it a sporty and stylish appearance.
It also includes LED rear combination lights and LED fog lights with garnish, enhancing safety during drives.
When taking safety into account, the car is equipped with Honda Sensing technology across all variants.
This technology includes features such as lane departure warning, road departure mitigation, lane keep assist system, forward collision warning, collision mitigation braking system, auto high beam and adaptive cruise control.
New features in the Honda Sensing suite include low-speed follow which has the ability to reduce driver's fatigue by automatically stopping and moving vehicles according to the traffic flow and the lead car departure notification system.
The Honda LaneWatch feature enhances lane-changing comfort by providing better visibility, while the multi-angle reverse camera ensures effortless parking.
Honda Connect, available only on the City Hatchback 1.5L and the City Hatchback 1.5L e:HEV RS variant, offers a range of safety, security and convenience features accessible via smartphones.
For safety, it includes automatic collision detection, security alarm detection, and speed alerts. The security features include find my car, geo-fencing alerts, and an emergency call function.
For convenience, users can access vital vehicle information, start the engine, cool down the vehicle, switch on the lights, and receive service reminders all on a smartphone
Test Driving
Last Wednesday, Honda Malaysia invited Cars, Bikes and Trucks to test drive the City Hatchback 1.5L e:HEV RS on a trip to Ipoh, Perak.
As someone with limited experience driving hybrid cars, the writer found the e:HEV RS particularly enjoyable. It felt very similar to driving a regular petrol car but was notably quieter.
The journey to Ipoh did not require any refuelling, as the fuel was enough for the round trip back to Kuala Lumpur, demonstrating good fuel efficiency.
Although the car felt deceptively slow during acceleration because of its smoothness, it actually accelerated quickly, even at the speed of 140 km/h, without feeling overly fast.
In rural areas with sharp corners, the car's stability kept passengers, including those in the back seat, comfortably in place without any noticeable jostling.
The seats, equipped with leather material, were neither too firm nor too soft, making them comfortable for long journeys.
The interior features were also well-designed, with an intuitive infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a sleek dashboard layout.
Aside from the smooth drive, the Honda Sensing system was impressive. It gently vibrated if the vehicle drifted from the lane, and features like Honda LaneWatch gave you a sense of confidence when changing lanes.
However, the car felt a bit short, so when a tall person sits in the back, it can be a little challenging to observe the rearview mirror.
Safety features such as collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control and road departure mitigation further enhanced the driving experience, making it feel secure and reliable.
In terms of space, the City Hatchback offered reasonable boot space and good legroom and headroom for front passengers.
However, rear passengers may find the headroom a bit limited if they are taller.
The car's fuel efficiency was commendable, potentially offering cost savings in the long run compared to non-hybrid models.
While maintenance costs for hybrids can vary, the initial price of RM112,900 without insurance seemed reasonable given the features included.
Overall, while there were a few minor drawbacks, such as limited rear headroom, the City Hatchback 1.5L e:HEV RS is a well-rounded vehicle that offers an enjoyable driving experience.