The Toyota Yaris gets a new rival and it has more than just great cabin space.
There is an all new Honda compact car in all their showrooms right now and it is not the 2020 model Honda Jazz as many expected.
Meanwhile, the 2020 Honda Jazz which was first shown in Japan at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show in October the same year (also called the Honda Fit in Japan and some European markets) was a crowd favorite and a hatchback that many Malaysians were waiting for.
Well let us explain, this all new Jazz was quipped with Honda’s new, more compact 2-motor hybrid system, which allows the Jazz to be driven smoothly by an electric motor for virtually all situations of everyday driving and realize outstanding environmental performance as well as excellent ride comfort with powerful acceleration and comfortable driving.
Its is good to know that this 2020 Jazz also features further enhanced existing Honda SENSING safety functions as well as the new short-distance collision mitigation braking system.
So, Honda Malaysia has instead launched an all new model, first time ever, there is a Honda CITY Hatchback. Yes, the popular City sedan gets a hatchback version and it arrives to rival the Toyota Yaris which arrived in Malaysia in April 2019 in three variants priced from RM70k to RM83k.
Meanwhile, Toyota’s brand guardian, UMW Toyota worked with Toyota Capital to provide buyers with a monthly instalment that starts from just RM700.00 and this persuaded many Perodua Myvi owners to upgrade their ageing cars and also many older model Honda Jazz owners to look at a new option.
At the time, there was no firm indication when the 2020 model Honda Jazz was arriving in Malaysia and sales of the Yaris grew fast. The Toyota Yaris had a 2NR-FE 1.5-litre engine tuned for outstanding fuel efficiency and smooth delivery of power and torque.
All variants had a 7-speed Sport Sequential Shiftmatic transmission. This has a manual mode to allow the driver to make selections of the 7 speeds in the CVT for quicker response. A Drive Mode Switch allows the driver to priorities fuel efficiency or stronger performance.
The Toyota Yaris safety features included 7 SRS airbags and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Traction Control (TRC) and Hill-start Assist (HAC). Other standard features include electrochromic rear-view mirror and a Drive Mode switch. Safety is further enhanced with a Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, DVR with Forward Collision Warning (FCW) & Lane Departure Warning (LDW).
So, fast forward to 2021 and here comes the Honda City hatchback. A brand new model with 2 variants to choose from. These variants are the V and RS.
The V spec is a traditional petrol model while the RS spec comes with the e:HEV hybrid powertrain. There will be additional S and E trim levels of the standard petrol model at launch and equipment mirrors the all new City sedan in Malaysia.
Just like in the new City sedan, the petrol variants get a 1.5L DOHC VTEC petrol 4-cylinder that sends 121PS and 145Nm of torque to the front wheels via a CVT. The RS model gets an e:HEV powertrain, which consists of both a 1.5L DOHC VTEC Atkinson cycle petrol 4-cylinder and an electric motor.
Power is mostly derived from the electric motor, which is rated at 109PS and 253Nm of torque. However, during high-speed cruising, the petrol engine directly drives the wheels.
Bookings for this new Honda hatchback started 2 weeks ago and it has been very encouraging.
