Honda City Hatchback or new Perodua Myvi to buy tomorrow?

Which below RM 100k hatchback will you buy?

This is an easy question to answer.  The all new Honda City Hatchback will definitely be the first choice for any Malaysian car buyer looking for a car if their budget is below RM 99,999. 

However, to be fair, the Perodua Myvi does not fall short by a large margin. It is just a snob appeal and desire factor. 

Ask the question a little differently. What will you buy to upgrade your Perodua Myvi, then the answer will be a new Honda City hatchback as this is what most Myvi owners will be thinking about after a few years behind the wheel of Malaysia’s best selling car. 

Yes, this second generation Myvi is the hot favorite for the middle and lower middle class Malaysian and from the first model and even this second generation which was first launched four years ago in 2018, its demand has never faltered even with the arrival of the Proton Iriz. 

The Perodua Myvi was initially priced from RM 44,300 to RM 55,300 and came with 6 airbags and decent cabin features to keep buyers happy.

The upgraded Myvi arrived in November 2021 at a selling price from RM 45,700 (for the 1.3L) to RM 58,800 (for the 1.5L) and was equipped with more safety features and cabin features to compete head on with locally assembled cars like the Honda City hatchback that was priced 25 odd percent or so more. 

 This latest Myvi at below RM 60k comes equipped with Advanced Safety Assist version 3.0, adaptive cruise control (ACC), Lane Keep Assist (LKS), Blind Spot Monitoring System (BSM) and the Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) (Available in all variants except the lower 1.3L G variant).

Now, the Honda City hatchback which was officially launched in December 2021 arrived in 3 variants with selling price that starts from RM 75,670. Both the City hatchback and the Myvi high spec have a 1.5L engine. The Honda 1.5-litre uses a DOHC VTEC petrol engine that delivers 121 PS and 145 Nm of torque working with a CVT. 

The Myvi 1.5L Dual VVT-I petrol engine delivers slightly less power at 102 PS and 137 Nm of torque and in the latest version it works with a 4-speed auto gearbox.

The City hatchback is a larger car with a higher stance and offers more luggage room and cabin comfort. Plus, when you add the Honda badge branding, the additional RM 18,000 for the City hatchback seems more inviting. Well, most buyers will take the maximum loan tenure which means a couple of hundred Ringgits more each month in installments.

This financial difference can be made with some lifestyle sacrifice. Stop buying premium branded coffee and fast food and stick to kopitiam coffee and local healthier food. Reduce shopping for new clothes and shoes and owning a Honda City hatchback will be in easy reach.  

Also read:  New Honda City Hatchback V-Sensing variant: How different it is from the others