2021 Honda City 1.5 V Review

Here in Malaysia there is a stigma. If you own a Toyota or Honda, you are considered someone with a well-paid job. As much as I despise that thinking because it is just brand snobbery I cannot deny that in some way that stigma help boost the popularity of both manufactures most affordable offering which is the B- segment category. Don’t belief me? Both Toyota and Honda really want to make the most of this lucrative segment that they have 2 models on sale within the same category. For Toyota it is the Vios sedan and Yaris hatchback. Honda on the other hand offers the Jazz hatchback and the recently launch City sedan. Let us take a closer look at the last one shall we.

The previous generation Honda City was one of the best selling non national car in Malaysia. With such a successful sale from this nameplate it is crucial that Honda continue to improve the City’s core strength which were packaging, affordability, features and reliability. With this latest generation model however, they plan to add performance and safety into the mix. Well for the new range toping Honda City RS Hybrid that is. Of course, we all remember the cheeky video commercial made by Honda Malaysia of the City RS taking jab at the Toyota Camry, Toyota Vios, Perodua Bezza, Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Almera with the emphasis on torque matter. The first time I saw that commercial it got me thinking “Wow Honda that’s a rather hostile advertisement!”

The new Honda City is available with 4 trim levels which are Grade S, E, V and RS. Seen here V Grade with packages in white while E Grade in red. With that being said though, Honda Malaysia has only launch with pricing of the 3 lower variants for now with the RS variant only coming sometime early next year. Because of that, my review of the Honda City will only cover on the Grade V and below until I get my hands on the RS. One of the main reasons that the RS is being delayed has got to be what is lying under the hood. The RS model is the only City that uses a different powertrain in this hybrid system which Honda is calling i-MMD e:HEV. All other City variant uses a new 1.5L 4-cylinder i-vtec petrol engine that forgo the previous engine single overhead camshaft (SOHC) in favour of a dual overhead camshaft (DOHC). This engine output is now rated at 121 PS and 145 Nm of torque which is 1PS more than before and power is sent to the front wheel only via a CVT.

The exterior of the City has been given a major refresh with the car now longer, wider and lower than the outgoing model with the wheelbase remaining the same at 2600mm due to carried over chassis. This makes the City in my opinion the most well proportion and balance looking sedan in the B-segment category. Up front, the City finally joins its bigger brothers the Civic and Accord in obtaining the new Honda corporate face. Just like Civic there is dominant chrome grill that is flank by slim looking headlight with LED fitted on the V Grade and halogen projector on lesser grades. The V Grade also get LED lower fog lights and all cars feature standard LED DRL.

Moving towards the side the design is clean and simple with a single shoulder line running from the headlights to the rear taillamps. The side mirror has now been moved from the base of the A-pillar to now on the lower window seal for better visibility. Just like before S and E Grade City gets 15-inch alloy wheels while V Grade City gets 16-inch wheels. Rounding of the look department is the rear where just like the previous car follows closely the design of the current BMW 3 series. To me that is not really a bad thing since it is a rather nice looking behind if you get what I mean. All City gets LED combination taillamps and a rather clean and simple bumper design. Overall, the City has a rather handsome styling but is rather safe compare to cars like Vios and new Almera.

Moving from the exterior to the interior of the City and things are pretty much the same. The design of the dashboard is more functional over style with a touch utilitarian throughout. Of course, this allows for the cabin to have a neat and systematic layout that is very clear and easy to use. The E and V Grade City feature an 8 inch touch screen infotainment system with reverse camera that support both Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity as well 2 USB charger located on the lower part of the dashboard. Grade V cars also feature 8 speakers’ stereo system and black leather upholstery while lower cars make do with 4 speakers and fabric seats. The Honda Lane Watch system is also now finally available on the City but only on the V Grade onwards.

Speaking of seats, up front my 166 cm height (yes, I know I am so short) fits nicely and I have no issue trying to find the perfect driving position. The softly padded centre console and outboard armrest adds further to the comfort level. In the back all Honda City feature dual air vents which is the only car in this segment as well dual 12 volts power socket. The leg room is spacious, and the angle of the seatback is decent. Headroom however could be better as I find my spiky hair touch the headliner. But on the bright side there is a centre fold down arm rest with 2 cup holders in them. Lastly the rear boot space is best in class 519 litres with the rear seats can be fold 60:40 via the latches located inside the boot that expand the space even more. Standard features on all City include keyless entry with push start button, power retractable side mirror, 4 airbags, VSA, HSA and body colour door handles. The E Grade adds some noticeable features like remote engine start, paddle shifter, cruise control, automatic air conditioning and chrome door handles.

From behind the wheel of the City V Grade is an easy car to drive. The steering is light without being too completely numb. The throttle respond is also good with the car having that light and more lower end torque feel. The CVT gearbox however under full acceleration still has that slight rubber band feel towards the higher rpm more that I would have like. The cabin however under regular cruising speed is noticeably quieter than out going City model. As the chassis of this car is a carried over unit, handling is still pretty much like the old car. There is still that slight torsion beam twitch coming from the back when I hit a bump during high speed cornering but nothing like a lower stiffer suspension and thicker anti role bar change can make it better. Other than that comfort level is good.

In Sarawak The Honda City 1.5L Grade S has starting price of RM 75,276.91 on the road without insurance. The E Grade will cost you RM 82,750.45 while the V Grade will set you back RM87,647.09 on the road without insurance. All this prices and SST exempt for now. All Honda cars comes with 5 years unlimited milage warranty. Colour option available are Passion Red Pearl, Platinum White Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic and Crystal Black Pearl. Although the higher top of the range RS will only be available with the first 3 colour mention. The City like most Honda cars can be order with dealer installed packages like Modulo Body Kit Package, Urban Package, Utility Package and Protection Package seen on the test car here. Be sure to ask your Honda dealer on the details of this packages as they are many.  Overall, the new Honda City is a significant improvement over the ongoing model. The only problem it faces now is strong competition as most of its competitors has also step up their game like the Vios and new Almera. Not to mention the out of nowhere thread from the Proton X50 as well. But with a competitive pricing and back to that stigma at the beginning of my review. I have no doubt the City will still enjoy good sales to come.