Reasons why 2020 Honda City is worth the wait

Honda City is often considered as a benchmark in its segment owing to several reasons. In the local market also, it has proven to be an important one, a favorite among many Malaysians for its practicality, spaciousness, and safety bits. In fact, 3.5 lakh customers over a span of 19 years is a testimony. The Malay market has witnessed four generations and multiple facelifts of the sedan, and now the launch of the all-new fifth-gen City is around the corner.

So far, Honda Malaysia has released some of the key details and specs of the upcoming sedan, which is set to revolutionize the automotive landscape with its cutting-edge design, superior acceleration, and class-leading advanced features. 

2020 Honda City is now open for booking at authorized Honda dealerships nationwide, and it is due to launch in the fourth quarter of 2020. If you are one of those who have been eyeing the upcoming City, look at the following reasons why 2020 Honda City is worth the wait.

New Exterior styling

Honda City always had dashing looks, and the next-gen City is no different, but a clean-cut look of the upcoming one is a clear departure from the ongoing car. It gets a completely overhauled exterior design and looks more sleek and captivating with design cues taken from its elder sibling Civic. The front design flaunts the brand's Solid Wing face with new "jewel eye" headlights incorporating LED daytime running lights and bold chrome grille. Large jet-fighter-like air intakes and door-mounted mirrors are other interesting bits. The clean look is also carried over to the rear that boasts new LED tail lights.

Premium interiors with class-leading space

Although Honda has not yet disclosed the interior styling and features of the 2020 Honda City, we can take reference from the new sedan available in other countries, including Thailand and India. According to that the new City is going to set a new example in terms of the premium appealing of the cabin. It is expected to get dual-tone beige and black finish all around the cabin, spruced-up in better quality materials with top-notch finishing. 

Taking center stage will be an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The new City is also likely to feature the Honda Connect telematics system comprising 32 connected car features and Alexa remote capability.

Honda City has the most practical and spacious cabin in its segment. The rear shoulder room and legroom are class-leading, thanks to Honda's "Man Maximum, Machine Minimum" philosophy that works for maximizing every inch of space available in the car.

New RS variant with an i-MMD hybrid powertrain

Honda will offer the 2020 City in four variants, including a new one, dubbed as RS variant. It is conceptualized as Road Sailing, where one can imagine driving far away and sailing along the roads majestically with amazing driving performance. The RS variant will feature the new intelligent multi-mode drive (i-MMD) hybrid powertrain. The most exciting part is that Malaysia is the first country in the world to receive the City with this powertrain.

This new system is part of the brand's next-gen hybrid vehicles named e-HEV, which is Honda's international brand for hybrid electric cars. At present, it is only available in Honda Jazz. 

What is unique about this? For Honda City, 1.5-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder petrol engine good for 98 PS/127 Nm does not power the sedan; rather, it works as a generator. The other motor responsible for moving the car churns out 109 PS and 253 Nm (more than Toyota Camry), and all this torque is produced at 0 rpm, like battery electric vehicles. Since the electric motor moves the car, the i-MMD system does away with the transmission. 

Another engine on offer will be a new twin-cam 1.5-litre i-VTEC naturally-aspirated petrol engine making 121 PS and 145 Nm. It is mated to a CVT.

First-in-class driver-assistance features

The fifth-gen Honda City will have some first-in-class features, setting a benchmark equivalent with C, D, and SUV segments. It includes Honda LaneWatch, a camera-based advanced safety technology that helps in monitoring blind spots and makes lane changing and turning easy.

Another feature is an electric parking brake in place of the traditional handbrake lever. It provides convenience to the driver with just a lift of a button while appearing technologically advanced and trendy.

Other than these, the new Honda City safety features will include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, rear parking sensors with camera, traction control, tire-pressure warning system, vehicle stability assist with agile handling assist, and more.

Also read: 2020 Honda City - Safety explained

2020 Honda City price

The ongoing Honda City price in Malaysia starts at RM 75,295. For the 2020 model, we expect a healthy hike because of the inclusion of the i-MMD hybrid powertrain and new features. 

In line with the government's Penjana sales tax exemption, Honda is offering a service voucher worth RM 1,000 to the customers who pre-book the new City under the 'All-New City Special Early Booking Programme' campaign. 

Honda City is upholding the number one position in the segment for long, and it seems that the upcoming sedan would keep up the crown for more years to come. Want to experience the worth-waiting features of the 2020 Honda City? Visit its ongoing nationwide tour.

Also read: Honda City: Top alternatives