Honda City RS Archives

Honda Connect App: Here’s Why Every Honda Owner Should Have It!

During the launch of the new facelifted Honda City, one of the messages that Honda was keen to talk about is the new and improved Honda Connect App. It has been around for a while already, but it is not at its most matured form.

You may or may not have heard of the Honda Connect App, but either way, it is one of those applications that is worth having for your Honda these days.

It if offered as standard on selected Honda models, but for those who want to purchase it, it costs RM1,500. But before you dismiss it as exorbitant, it is an application that is worth considering.

The Honda Connect App predominantly focuses on three areas:

Safety
Security
Convenience

Safety

Under the safety part, the application is designed to be able to alert you or a loved in the event of a collision. This is important especially if the driver is unconscious. The app will detect that a collision has happened and a call centre will be alerted. The operators from the call centre will first try to reach out to the driver of the vehicle, and if the person does not answer, the call centre will then try to reach out to a second number provided.

In the event that the second person too does not answer, the call centre will immediately dispatch emergency services to the last known location. This is especially helpful when driving in a remote area.

The app is also able to inform the driver in the event that the alarm goes off. Alarms are great theft deterrents, but chances are the owner of a car will not be able to hear the alarm if the car is parked in a basement car park or somewhere far off. This is where the Honda Connect App is quite good because it alerts the driver when the alarm goes off, giving the owner precious minutes to rush to the car to see why the alarm went off.

Besides that, the owner of the Honda is also able to set a speed limit of the car, and will be alerted if the car goes beyond the set threshold. Perfect for parents who do not want their children or loved ones to be speeding, or even companies who need to implement health and safety policies, thus assisting to promote safety.

Security

Ever wondered around a car park wondering where you parked your car? We have all been there. This is where the Honda Connect App is especially handy because it has a “Find My Car” feature that is able to assist you to find your parked car. This is also great if your child has taken your car without informing you. If you are a parent, you’re welcome on the tip, if you’re a child, you may not like this feature.

One of our favourite features is something called Geo Fencing Alert. This allows you to set a paremeter of a few hundred meters or a maximum of 160km. And if the car goes beyond the set parameter, the application will alert you. This is especially handy for companies that need to keep track on where their cars are going.

But on a personal level, there’s a feature called Emergency Call. This feature connects the phone to the national emergency number – 999 – and when pressed, will immediately call the emergency number. This is great in parking lots, shopping malls or even in dark alleys at night. You don’t even need to be walking to your car but can use it anytime you feel threatened.

Convenience

So the app is more than just safety, security and controlling measures, it also allows incredible ownership convenience. It allows the owner to check on the car’s status, such as fuel level, battery level and everything about the car that an owner needs to know.

One interesting feature though is the Remote Vehicle Control. This allows the owner to remote start or stop a car, which is great if you need to be away for a few weeks and don’t want the battery of your car going flat. Yes, you can start the car and warm it up even if you are in a different country.

Does your wife need to get something from the car, but you accidentally took the keys with you and the spare key is dead? Yes, you can remotely unlock your car and no this does not mean she can start the car and drive away.

These are just some of the many features that the app has to offer, and some of the more notable ones include being able to locate the closet petrol station, ATM and even book a service appointment.

with all of the features on offer, the RM1,500 asking price suddenly seems like a good deal as it is not just an application, but consider it an automotive personal assistant.

Is The Honda City RS Hatchback Truly Worth The RM108,000 Asking Price?

When Honda Malaysia first announced the pricing of the top of the line Honda City RS, many thought that the company had lost the plot.

The Honda City is a loved car in Malaysia. Many swear by it for its practicality and simplicity. It’s a fuss-free car that offers a good ownership experience.

The latest generation City though takes it all a notch up and includes spaciousness and impressive build quality into the mix.

But to ask RM108,000 is just borderline absurd.

The RS model is the top of the line model and features an impressive powertrain designed for fuel economy and power offered in a handsome package that also features space and quality that can rival some European marques.

Many were floored when Honda Malaysia first announced the price.

The Honda City has always been the cheap sedan that you bought if you wanted a reliable means of transport for you and your family. And you can still get that with the “lesser variant” such as the S-Spec that only costs a little under RM76,000.

But that’s also what some would call “taxi-spec”, referring to a model that only offers the bare minimum.

The RS is the model you truly want if you are the type that appreciates all the bells and whistles and the cattle they hang from.

But a Honda City at RM106,000? That’s like asking people to pay RM50 for a ‘Ramly Burger’.

Lets get metaphorical and imagine this – instead of the mass produced two millimetre thick patty that we usually get in a ramly burger, imagine that same burger but with a wagyu beef patty cooked in virgin olive oil with blue cheese and premium organic vegetables and condiments placed in between soft bread sprinkled with sesame and chia seeds.

And instead of being served in a sloppy piece of wrapping paper, you get it properly wrapped in a premium paper box placed inside a woven tote bag. And best of all, it is hand delivered to you within 30 minutes of ordering.

That RM85 does not sound so bad now does it. I know that referencing a burger against a Honda City is also absurd, but you get the point.

So that’s basically what Honda has done. Taken a well known and much loved product, plonked in a cleverly engineered powertrain, increased the quality of everything and made the interior a very nice place to be in.

And then there is the Honda City RS hatchback.

It is basically all of the above but in a hatchback body. And at RM108,000, Honda wants RM2,000 more for it. Why? Because it has something called Ultra Seats, which gives the hatchback a level of practicality that you do not get in the sedan variant.

The Ultra Seats is basically a fancy word for seats that can either fold up to let you store tall items, fold down for long items, and amazingly can fold in such a way that you can basically create a bed which makes the City RS hatchback perfectly suited for all you ‘glamping’ lovers.

The City RS Hatchback is also powered by the same 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain that powers the sedan.

It puts out a mere 98hp and 127Nm of torque. But it has an electric motor that pushes up the torque figure to an impressive 236Nm.

This gives the car a fun character around the corners. I imagine that weekend warriors will love the urgent response and nimble front end the hatchback offers while their parents will appreciate the spaciousness and the fuel economy.

The only thing though is that there is a setback in terms of top speed, while the regular combustion powered variants max out at 194km/h, the RS has a top speed of 175km/h. But while the other variants need 10.7 seconds to reach 100km/h, the RS needs just 9.7. And best of all, according to Honda, the other variants will need 5.6 litres of fuel to reach 100 kilometres. The RS though needs just 3.6 litres, which with today’s fuel prices puts it at just under RM10 to travel 100km.

But it’s not just the powertrain that makes the RS model stand out from the rest. It is also the interior that works a charm for me.

The seats are the first thing that charm your senses. And the fact that they come wrapped in something Honda calls Ultra Suede makes it nice to touch and even nicer to sit on.

And because this is the RS variant, the side bolstering holds you in place every so gently.

The dash is easy on the eye and to the touch. The steering wheel feels meaty in your hands and the buttons actually do feel like they belong in a RM100,000 car.

On that point, even the tiny weighted clicks of the air-conditioning dial invoke a premium feeling that you would not expect to get in a City.

The entertainment system is accessed through an eight-inch display that also offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also offers smartphone mirroring capability that lets you access your navigational and other favourite applications and mirror those on the screen.

Honda has undoubtedly done a remarkable job with the interior of the new City. During our test drive event, there was a Toyota Yaris available for comparison and the interior of that felt dated and unimaginative.

The final thing that makes the argument for this City costing above RM100,000 is the fact that it comes with Honda’s popular Sensing safety suite.

Honda Sensing is basically a collection of advanced safety technologies that make the City an incredibly safe car, perhaps one of the most laden with safety tech.

Before we dive into what is on offer with Honda Sensing, keep in mind that the City RS hatchback already has LaneWatch, Hill Start Assist, Auto Brake Hold, Vehicle Stability Assist, six airbags, ABS and EBD.

Honda Sensing takes it all a notch higher by further offering Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keep Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Colliding Mitigating, Auto High Beam and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Consider for a second that these are exactly the same safety systems also available in the pricier Honda Civic and the Honda CRV. The only omission being that the adaptive cruise control does not offer stop and go function.

Now, is the Honda City RS hatchback worth the RM107,000 asking price?

There is no doubt that it is a fine car with premium feel and a powertrain that balances the holy grail of power and economy. It is also packed with safety tech and has a drive that will put a smile on the faces of the young and not so young.

The simple answer would be yes for those who appreciate the tech. And the not so simple answer would be to consider the V-Spec which is a full RM15,000 cheaper and features all of the above but minus the hybrid powertrain and the Ultra Suede seats with red stitching. I actually prefer the leather seats available in the V-Spec than the fabric seats of the RS, as plush as those may be.

First Impressions Of The All-New Honda City Hatchback V-Variant

When Honda Malaysia announced the flagship model for the new Honda City, mouths were left agape with the torque figures and good looks of the City RS e:HEV.

No surprises there because that’s what a flagship model is all about – a showmanship of what’s possible for a particular model by the manufacturer.

But more often than not, the second model in the line up would be equally as good, but with a different set of features and a watered down design. And a cheaper price tag.

Take the newly introduced and second in line to the City throne Honda City hatchback petrol, or officially known as the V variant, for instance.

It is expected to cost as much as the sedan variant, which puts it in the eighty something thousand league. And for that kind of money, you get a car that feels as well built as an early 2000s BMW. Which is a good thing.

But what’s not a good thing though is that we can’t show you photos of the interior until after it has been officially introduced. But we can tell you that it feels great and is similar to the City sedan.

The seats are more suited to comfort and luxury than the sportier ones in the RS. And that’s not a bad thing either because the seats are fantastic.

We got to drive one recently together with the Honda City RS at Sepang Circuit. You can read about how well the RS accelerates by clicking here.

The drive took place at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), where Honda Malaysia was keen to show off the acceleration and handling of the two top of the line variants.

The acceleration test took place at Turn 10 of SIC – a shallow gradient uphill climb that flows into Turn 11. This was a great spot to test out the power delivery and handling of the City because Turns 12 and 13 are fast flowing corners that tend to upset the balance of a car.

No upsetting the balance of the City though. But of course we weren’t really pushing them as hard as you would on a track. We were told to keep on the slower side of 110km/h.

But just as mentioned in the previous article, handling was accurate and body movement was as minimal as an everyday car could muster.

I had jumped into the competing car before any of the new Hondas though. One that was provided to establish the baseline feel of what the competitors could do.

But you don’t bring a competitor car to your event unless you are sure you can mop the floor with it, and that’s what the petrol variant of the Honda City did.

The 1.5-litre engine that is powering the V variant produces a class leading 118hp and 145Nm of torque.

These figures are not exactly what you would call powerful, but in a lightweight car designed to move people and their belongings comfortably – it is not all that bad.

It is still capable of shoving you back into your seat, no matter how little.

Exterior wise, the V variant may not be as exciting to look at because it doesn’t have the glass piano black front grill, the blacked out wing and black door mirrors. In place you get a chrome grill and a very subdued overall design.

But just like the RS, the V variant too gets the all-important LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED fog lamps and LED rear combi lights.

The V variant also gets 16-inch alloy wheels. Thought the wheel well looks like it could easily take on a set of 18 or 19-inch wheels. Modification ready perhaps?

Just like the RS, the V-variant also gets Honda’s famous ULTRA seats that first made its debut in the Jazz.

The ULTRA seats allow the seats to either be folded down in what Honda calls the Utility mode, folded up (Tall mode), lay flat (long mode) and even lay the front passenger seats flat (Refresh mode) for a total flat out format that mimics a daybed. Excellent for a weekend by the beach, if you are so inclined.

But the V-variant loses out on the Honda SENSING safety suite – but expect that to trickle down the line to other models as the City hatchback goes through its product life cycle. Or perhaps there would be a City 1.5L Hatchback V SENSING, just like how there is a City 1.5L V SENSING for the sedan model.

All in all, the Honda City hatchback has made an excellent case for itself.

Fans of the Jazz were left aghast when Honda Malaysia announced that the Jazz will be replaced with the City hatchback. But after driving it, the Jazz simply doesn’t make sense anymore when the City hatchback is able to offer so much more.

Honda Malaysia has not mentioned anything about the price though, but an introduction is due to take place any day now, and expect prices to be not that far off the sedan versions.

The Honda City hatchback is now available for booking at your nearest dealer.

Countdown starts to all-new 5th generation Honda City launch

The countdown has started for the launch of the all-new Honda City in Malaysia with bookings being accepted by 101 authorised dealerships nationwide from today. The Malaysian launch, to take place during the fourth quarter of 2020, will also be the global debut of the City RS intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD).

Preview before launch
Before the launch, the public can get a glimpse of it at various locations in Peninsular Malaysia (click here for the list of venues). Honda Malaysia will also offer ‘early bird’ buyers with a RM1,000 Service Voucher under the All-New City Special Early Booking Programme. And although the price is not announced yet, the new car will have full 10% sales tax exemption until the end of 2020.

This will be the fifth generation of the model which began as Honda’s ‘Asian Car’ in the mid-1990s (there was an earlier City in the 1980s but it was a different concept). The new generation made its global debut in Thailand in November last year.

*New LED headlights have a more advanced appearance than the ones in the previous generation (below).*

The City RS will have LED Headlights (RS and V variants) with LED Daytime Running Lights as well as new LED taillight clusters. New Black door mirrors on the RS create a two-tone expression of the body colour. There are also 16-inch aluminium alloy wheels with the RS & V variants finished in a dual tone. The circumference of the wheels gives the impression of being rim-less, making the wheels look larger and complementing the larger appearance of the car.

Honda Malaysia has revealed that there will be four variants of the new City which will be assembled at its factory in Melaka. Commenting on the model, Honda Malaysia’s Managing Director & CEO, Toichi Ishiyama, said: “The City has proven to be an important model for Honda Malaysia, a favourite among many Malaysians for its spaciousness, practicality and safety features. Since its introduction to the Malaysian market in 2001, the model has an accumulated total sales of 351,000 units with the most sought-after 4th Generation City which was launched in 2014 contributing more than 205,000 units and upholding its No.1 position in the B-segment.”

Mr. Ishiyama added that the launch of the City RS with a new powertrain in Malaysia is ahead of other countries. “We believe that this new model will excite the market with its advanced styling and engineering as Honda continues to lead the way in pioneering benchmarks and introducing Next Generation Advanced Technology that is ahead of its time,” he said.

4 variants with sporty RS as well
In the Honda line-up, RS is conceptualised as ‘Road Sailing’, where one can imagine driving far away and sailing along the road with an uncompromising driving performance. ‘RS’ is also associated with sporty and stylish appeal Honda variants and with the new City RS, Honda Malaysia expects it to be a class leader.

*The City will once again be a game-changer with its new 253 Nm powertrain.*

i-MMD powertrain
The new i-MMD powertrain, globally known as ‘e:HEV’, spearheads Honda’s Next Generation Hybrid Technology to realize outstanding environmental performance without compromising driving enjoyment. It provides high efficiency electrification combined with direct and smooth response.

The i-MMD powertrain was previously only available in Honda’s line-up of large class models. To offer the advanced technology across all other Honda models, the engineers at Honda R&D have adapted a more compact and efficient i-MMD system to a smaller-sized vehicle. the powertrain is said to deliver a best-in-class maximum torque rating of 253 Nm which is comparable to a bigger D-segment model or a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated engine.

Customers also have the option of choosing a new 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC powertrain which is the newest engine in its segment.

The new City will have Honda LaneWatch to monitor the blind spot on the car’s left side. However, the camera installation appears to be different from the one’s on other Honda models (below).

Honda LaneWatch comes to the City
With the new City, Honda Malaysia is going further with safety equipment and it will have a couple of B-segment firsts. One of them is Honda LaneWatch, a camera-based system which monitors the blind spot on the left side and shows the image on the dashboard display. This feature is already available in the Accord, CR-V and Civic and now comes to the City.

Replacing the traditional handbrake lever, there is a new first-in-segment Electric Parking Brake which makes handbrake operation a lot easier. Little effort is needed to lift the small tab which can be done with one finger. It also frees up more space on the centre console for other purposes.

Revised Price List for Honda Models, effective from today till December 31, 2020

Piston.my

Honda City RS

Honda Connect App: Here’s Why Every Honda Owner Should Have It!

Is The Honda City RS Hatchback Truly Worth The RM108,000 Asking Price?

First Impressions Of The All-New Honda City Hatchback V-Variant

Countdown starts to all-new 5th generation Honda City launch

Honda Connect App: Here’s Why Every Honda Owner Should Have It!

Is The Honda City RS Hatchback Truly Worth The RM108,000 Asking Price?

First Impressions Of The All-New Honda City Hatchback V-Variant

Countdown starts to all-new 5th generation Honda City launch

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