Fast Facts: All-new 5th Generation Honda City Launched In Malaysia

After an ambitious advertising effort and extended preview period – which saw the all-new B-segment sedan receiving over 5,000 bookings – Honda Malaysia has now finally unveiled the exceptionally anticipated fifth-generation 2020 Honda City on our shores.

The fifth-generation 2020 Honda City will be offered in four different variants for our Malaysia market – S, E, V, and RS e:HEV, with prices starting at RM74,191.27 for the entry level S variant model on the road, without insurance, and inclusive of the sales tax exemptions until the end of 2020.

What’s Outside?

The exterior styling of the 2020 Honda City is a combination of all of the most recent Honda models, with a sportier visual appearance by and large. The low and wide look of the all-new City is helped by its new dimensions, measuring 4,553 mm in length, 1,748 mm wide, and 1,467 mm tall – 111 mm longer, 54 mm wider, and 10 mm lower than the outgoing model it replaces.

At the front, the wide Honda Solid Wing grille configuration underscores the wide stance of the sedan, with the utilization of sharp lines and creases all through the external shell for a sleek style. At the back, LED taillights are standard across the range.

Equipment wise, the top of the range RS (which represents Road Sailing) and V variant gets all the bells and whistles, including the automatic LED headlamps and LED daytime running lights, and LED front mist lights.

The RS variant also adds a gloss black front grille garnish, carbon fibre-pattern front lip, a variant-exclusive rear bumper with integrated diffuser, as well as mirror covers and a gloss black ducktail spoiler. The RS variant also gets 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, while the V variant rides on single-tone 16-inch items of similar design; the E and V variants get 15-inch wheels in variant-exclusive designs.

There are a total of five exterior colours to choose from: Passion Red Pearl, Platinum White Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic, and Crystal Black Pearl. Those who opt for the top of the range RS variant will only get to choose between the first three.

What’s Inside?

The inside of the 2020 Honda City has been totally updated with more attention placed on spaciousness and convenience. Standard features across the E, V, and RS variants include an 8-inch Display Audio infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, two USB charging ports, automatic climate control, remote engine start, cruise control, and paddle shifters (on the RS variant they function as regeneration profile selector).

 The top of the range RS variant will receive a variant-exclusive hybrid instrument cluster featuring a 7-inch TFT screen on the left that displays a variety of information, while the right retains the analogue dial for the speedometer. Other variant-exclusive fitment on the RS are the sport pedal pads, “Ultrasuede” leather and suede combination upholstery, as well as an electronic parking brake.

The V variant meanwhile gets outfitted with a dual-tone leather interior in black and ivory white for a more premium feel, while the two lower variants get fabric upholstery, and urethane steering wheel and gear knob. The instrument bunch on the S, E, and V variations are likewise analogue units, like the one from the model it replaces.

Other standard equipment on the inside of the 2020 Honda City in Malaysia include rear air-conditioning vents, 60:40 folding rear seats, smart entry with push start button, and bluetooth connectivity. The rear cargo space of the S,E and V variants are rated at 519 litres, the top of the range RS however gets a smaller 409-liter rear boot space because of the extra battery pack of the hybrid powertrain.

Aside from equipment, Honda also says that the fifth-generation Honda City comes with a few enhancements in terms of construction to improve the general refinement inside the cabin. These include a redesigned chassis with improved torsional rigidity, as well as the usage of spray polyurethane foam for better sound insulation – particularly within the A- and B- pillars.

How Fast?

The big highlight of the 2020 Honda City line-up has to be the RS e:HEV variant, which comes outfitted with a hybrid Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) powertrain – a world's first application on the Honda City. The S,E an V variants meanwhile get a new naturally-aspirated 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine, now with double overhead camshafts (DOHC).

The i-MMD hybrid tech stands out from most standard parallel electrified powertrain architectures, as its 1.5-liter Atkinson Cycle naturally-aspirated engine doesn't power the wheel directly. Rather, it works generally like a generator – working in conjunction with an integrated starter-generator electric motor.

Propulsion is instead provided by a second larger electric motor (called Traction motor), which sends all of the power to the front wheels. The 1.5-liter Atkinson Cycle naturally-aspirated engine drives the wheels directly only during high-speed cruising, activated via the lock-up clutch and single-speed transmission, as it is more efficient than the electric motors at that wheel speed.

Because of its exceptional set-up, the 2020 Honda City RS flaunts a now-infamous 253 Nm of torque, which is accessible from as low as 0 rpm – like an electric car. The e:HEV powertrain additionally boasts a fuel consumption figure of just 3.77 l/100km, while the normal 1.5-litre petrol engine manages 5.4 l/100 km.

Performance wise, the S and E variants does the century sprint in 10.2 seconds, compared to 10.4 seconds on the V variant due to the slightly higher weight. The top of the range RS variant however completes the century sprint in just 9.9 seconds. The 2020 Honda City RS also gets disc brakes at the rear – a unique feature not seen in other regions – while the rest of the variant line-up comes equipped with drum brakes.

How Safe?

Another key highlight to the all-new fifth-generation Honda City is the inclusion of the complete suite of Honda Sensing advanced driver assistance on the top of the range RS variant. The system incorporates the following features as standard:

• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)

• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

• Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)

• Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)

• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

• Auto High-Beam (AHB)

Although the low-speed follow feature is notably absent for the ACC on the 2020 Honda City, the overall Honda Sensing system has been updated with a wide view camera for better road boundaries recognition, as well as night-time pedestrian and cyclist detection capability for its autonomous emergency braking system.

The RS and V variants also come equipped with the Honda LaneWatch camera as standard, which projects the blind spot view of the far side on the instrument cluster, to help with your lane change maneuvers, while the reverse camera is standard on the E, V and RS.

Other standard safety features across the range include seat belt reminders for all seats, vehicle stability assist, ABS with EBD, brake assist, and hill-start assist. The two lower variants - S and E - get four airbags as standard, while the V and RS variants get 6 with the addition of side curtain airbags.

How Much?

The fifth-generation 2020 Honda City in Malaysia starts at RM73,851.27 for the entry-level S variant, RM81,664.82 for the E variant, and RM86,561.45 for the V variant – all on-the-road prices, without insurance, and inclusive of the sales tax exemptions in place until the end of 2020.

As is standard on all new Honda vehicles, the price also includes a five-year unlimited mileage warranty, as well as five times free labour service, applicable within 100,000 km or 5 years, whichever comes first.

Unfortunately, the RS variant will only begin deliveries starting January 2021, therefore pricing will only be announced at a later date.