Honda City RS e:HEV is now available in Malaysia; check all the details here

KUALA LUMPUR: The all-new fifth-generation Honda City made its Malaysian debut in October 2020 in four variants - S, E, V, and the top-spec RS e:HEV. The first three trims were made available on the same day, while the last hybrid guise was awaited till today. This means Honda has finally launched the City RS e:HEV in Malaysia, at a price starting from RM 105,950 (without insurance and sales and service tax).

The Malay market is the first one to receive the Honda City hybrid iteration as it is leading Honda’s hybrids in the Asia-Oceania region with a contribution of 40% sales in the past five years.

Under the hood, the Honda City RS has equipped with a hybrid Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (I-MMD) powertrain. The system has a 1.5-litre Atkinson Cycle naturally-aspirated engine generating 98 PS and 127 Nm; it does not power the wheels directly, rather it functions as a generator. This is mated to a larger second motor that produces 108 PS and 253 Nm and a single-speed transmission (e-CVT), which sends power to the ground.

The MMD (Multi-Mode Drive) system includes three driving modes - EV, Hybrid, and Engine. The vehicle kicks off in EV mode, enters Hybrid mode during full acceleration, and at the time of high-speed cruising, the Engine mode comes into action. Talking about the performance, the sedan can hit the 0-100 kmph mark in 9.9 seconds before attaining the top speed of 173 kmph. The impressive fuel consumption of the Honda City Hybrid is 3.6 litres per 100 km (27.78 kmpl).

Another striking feature of the new Honda City RS e:HEV is the Honda Connect system, which was launched in Malaysia just yesterday. With this, the owners can access a variety of functions with the help of a dedicated mobile app (available for Android and iOS). The functions are segregated into three categories - safety, security, and convenience.

On the exterior, it gets automatic LED headlights, LED DRLs and fog lights, and LED tail lights. Inside, Honda has loaded the sedan with all modern creature comforts including single-zone auto air-conditioning with rear vents, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 7.0-inch digital meter panel with hybrid-special displays, keyless entry with push start, a deceleration selector paddle for i-MMD, and an electric parking brake (with brake hold).

As for safety, it is packed with six airbags, vehicle stability control, hill start assist, Honda LaneWatch, and a complete suite of Honda Sensing advanced driver assistance features. This includes:

• Adaptive cruise control 
• Collision mitigation braking system 
• Forward collision warning 
• Lane-keeping assist system 
• Road departure mitigation
• Lane departure warning 
• Auto high-beam

With the purchase, Honda is giving a five-year unlimited mileage warranty along with a separate eight-year, unlimited mileage warranty for the battery. Five free labour services are also included in the package.

Also read: 2021 Honda City Hatchback launched in Indonesia; will Malaysia be next?