Honda City Grace, hybrid model is not coming to Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur: Honda Malaysia has confirmed that it's hybrid nameplate “Honda City Grace” is not coming to the Malaysian shores in the near future. Speculations were raised when a picture of Honda City Hybrid was uploaded on the company's official Facebook page along with some specifications of the car’s powertrain and fuel efficiency. However, considering it some sort of a teaser our sources called Honda Malaysia and confirmed from the company, unfortunately, Honda has no such plans to launch it in Malaysia.

Earlier in March 2014, Honda Malaysia’s CEO, Yoichiro Ueno confirmed that the City Hybrid would be sold in Malaysia as a locally assembled (CKD) model. He also hinted that the car might be even assembled at its No 2 Line in Pegoh. Besides that, last year in December 2014 the Honda City Hybrid was also spotted on the roads of Petaling Jaya, the car was also wearing trade plates.

Image Courtesy: Paultan

Well, now it is clear that Honda City Grace will not shed its Grace upon the Malaysian auto market but considering it being spotted on Malaysian roads confirms that the Japanese automaker has surely conducted certain feasibility studies for the model. Although the idea is been dissolved by the company.

Honda's Hybrid car is known by the name of Honda Grace in Japan and is almost identical to the Honda City apart from its powertrain, which also includes a powerful electric motor.

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The only noticeable features towards the exterior include a blue-tinged chrome trim on the front grille and LED headlamps and tail lights. The cabin detailing is shared with the Honda City in almost every manner apart from the instrument cluster which is carried from the Jazz Hybrid’s single central speedometer.

Beneath the bonnet of this Hybrid car lies Honda’s Sports Hybrid i-DCD (Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive) one-motor hybrid system that also resides in the latest Jazz hybrid. This intelligent amalgamation of petrol and electricity propels the vehicle forward. The 1.5 litre i-VTEC Atkinson cycle petrol engine produces an 110 PS/134 Nm and the gracious electric motor of the Grace produces a 29.5 PS/160 Nm. Honda has accommodated the car with a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.

Going by the name “Hybrid” the car performs on an excellent fuel economy. The front-wheel drive model performs on a fuel economy of 34.4 km per litre based on Japan’s JC08 test cycle. Whereas the four-wheel drive version of the car procures a fuel economy of 29.4 km per litre. As per Honda's claim, Honda City Grace is the most fuel-efficient hybrid sedan on sale in Japan.

Honda Grace starts from 1,750,000 yen (RM61,324) for the base two-wheel-drive model, whereas the top-end four-wheel drive starts from 2,409,800 yen (RM74,721).