2024 Honda City Hatchback facelift open for booking in Malaysia – Q2 launch; Sensing standard for all variants

The order books for the new Honda City Hatchback facelift are now open in Malaysia, with the B-segment model set to be launched here in Q2 2024. The line-up will continue to include the e:HEV RS, which is pictured here with some notable design changes.

The refreshed hatchback (in RS guise) features a slimmer black bar at the top edge of the grille, which gets a different mesh insert design that is different from its sedan sibling, which got its update last August. There’s also a new bumper with sharper fog lamp garnish flanking a honeycomb mesh for the lower intake, the latter with additional trim simulating air inlets.

We don’t get a shot of the City Hatchback’s rear end, but it should be identical to what’s seen in Thailand where the facelifted model is already being sold. Expect a revised diffuser-like element in the lower apron with vertical fins to accompany the sportier 16-inch alloy wheels in Berlina Black.

In terms of powertrains, the e:HEV is equipped with the same Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system that sees the front wheels be driven by an electric motor rated at 109 PS (107 hp or 80 kW) and 253 Nm. Powering the electric motor is a lithium-ion battery that is charged by a second electric motor linked to a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder engine running on the Atkinson cycle.

 

 

The hybrid’s petrol mill is rated at 98 PS (97 hp or 72 kW) and 127 Nm of torque, and while it acts as a generator most of the time, it can clutch in through a single-speed transmission (dubbed E-CVT) to provide direct drive to the wheels at higher speeds where it is most efficient.

Non-hybrid variants will also be available, and they continue to be powered by a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated inline-four DOHC i-VTEC engine that delivers 121 PS (119 hp or 89 kW) at 6,600 rpm and 145 Nm at 4,300 rpm, with drive going to the front wheels via a CVT.

As for driver assistance systems, all variants of the facelifted City Hatchback will come standard with the Honda Sensing suite, which has been expanded to include lead car departure notification.

This joins existing functions such as autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and oncoming vehicle detection, adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist, lane keeping assist and automatic high beam. The e:HEV RS in particular will get an extra low-speed follow for the adaptive cruise control function.

In an official release, Honda Malaysia says over 28,700 units of the City Hatchback have been sold since the model’s introduction in 2021, with 10,300 units being delivered last year. The e:HEV RS variant has accounted for 16% of the company’s total hybrid sales to-date.

GALLERY: 2024 Honda City Hatchback facelift, RS e:HEV variant at the Bangkok Motor Show

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