With the global economy recuperating from the pandemic, the automotive companies all around the world are also trying to regain their lost businesses. In the Malaysian market as well, the automakers seem to have aggressive strategies up their sleeves for 2021. Talking about the top-selling brand Honda, the company launched the highly-awaited Honda City in the last quarter of 2020; gaining a good response from customers. Last month, Honda announced that it had amassed almost 9,000 bookings of the sedan and has also delivered 5100 units to customers across the country. 

Apart from this, the year 2020 also brought some other updated Honda models to our shores, including the Civic, Accord, CR-V, and BR-V. Now moving to 2021 for which we suppose that the carmaker has inlined some more powerful launches, so let's take a look at what we can see from Honda in the coming year.

2021 Honda City Hatchback

According to the reports, Honda Malaysia is going to drop the ongoing Jazz soon in favor of the 2021 Honda City Hatchback. The model recently made its world debut in the Thai market almost after a year of its sedan version arrival. No surprises, the City Hatchback features the same front as the sedan, including the identical grille, headlamps, bonnet, and bumper. The styling continues down the car’s sides as well, although changes are apparent on the rear because of different body styling. The hatchback has its own tail light and rear bumper design.

The interior is also pretty much the same as the sedan with identical creature comforts, but Honda says the hatchback offers more legroom than the sibling and even comes with Ultra Seats, enabling four rear seat arrangements, viz. utility, long, tall, and refresh modes. On the mechanical front, the City Hatchback again borrowed the 1.0-litre Turbo three-cylinder mill from the sedan, generating 122 PS of power and 173 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a continuously variable transmission that drives the front wheels.

2021 Honda HR-V

The ongoing version of the HR-V is notching its seventh year of existence in Malaysia, so it’s high time for the next-generation update of this segment leader SUV. We also heard the news that there is an all-new model in the works. A camouflaged Honda SUV was also spied on the Japanese roads back in October, whose LaneWatch camera and hidden door handles made many to believe that this could be the upcoming HR-V. Some reports also suggest that the automaker is planning to launch its 2021 version in Japan next year in March.

So how the next-generation HR-V looks? The spied model indicates that the upcoming iteration will continue to feature the signature coupe-SUV design with new front and rear fascia. The images display a six-pointed grille with multiple thin horizontal bars, and slimmer headlights with uptick-style LED DRLs placed along the upper section of the bonnet. The side mirrors are now fixed on the doors. Other notable features include slimmer LED tail lights, a shark fin antenna, and a more rounded hatch opening.

As for the mechanicals, the compact crossover is expected to be based on the new Honda Global Platform and is likely to borrow the hybrid powertrain option from the new Jazz and City. That’s the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) system, combining a 98 PS/127 Nm 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle engine with an electric motor.

2021 Honda Odyssey

In the local market, the current-generation Odyssey minivan has been on sale since 2013, which has received mild changes in 2017. However, the MPV has received a comprehensive update in the global market earlier this year that is due for release in Malaysia. We expect that it will be arriving on our shores in 2021. 

The new Odyssey features a completely restyled front-end boasting the brand’s new design language. The updates include a new four horizontal slats grille, redesigned LED headlights and tail lights, new gesture-controlled power-sliding doors, a new dashboard, a seven-inch display instrument panel, and a large 10-inch touchscreen head unit. However, the engine remains the same.

2021 Honda Civic

It is hard to believe that the ongoing Honda Civic design is six years old now as its wild styling has aged remarkably well. However, a redesigned Civic is on the way, which is undoubtedly incorporating significant technological upgrades. The automaker revealed the prototype of the eleventh-generation Civic back in November, which is expected to hit the international market in the first quarter of 2021. Although it would take more time to arrive in Malaysia, we are expecting a late 2021 launch. 

What’s all new in the 2021 Honda Civic? The next-generation update brings on board a completely redesigned front fascia with a more pronounced grille and sharper headlights housing LED DRLs. The rear also looks bolder with bigger split tail lights within a smoked housing. New touches in the cabin are honeycomb mesh accents, a new instrument cluster, and a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Honda says the new Civic will have more powerful and fuel-efficient powertrains along with “multiple new active and passive safety systems.”

Verdict

Judging by the popularity of Honda in Malaysia, we expect that these upcoming models would be setting new records for the Japanese carmaker in the country. For all the updates on the 2021 Honda cars, stay tuned to Zigwheels Malaysia.

Also read: 2021 Toyota new cars: What to expect?