Exactly a year after unveiling the all-new City in sedan form, Honda Thailand yesterday launched the 2021 Honda City Hatchback, which also happened to be its world premiere.
Offered in three variants in Thailand (RS, SV, S+), the 2021 Honda City Hatchback in Thailand is powered by the same turbocharged 1.0-litre DOHC VTEC engine as the sedan sold there, producing 122 PS and 173 Nm of torque, and paired with it is a CVT.
While key features on the exterior include a stylish looking rear, LED lights, new 16-inch wheel design (high spec variant), a shark fin antenna, sporty rear bumper with carbon fibre-ish garnish, the cabin features Honda’s Ultra Seats with 4 different configurations, an eight-inch touch screen infotainment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Other features are identical with the sedan.
Like the sedan, the City Hatchback is also expected to come to Malaysia in 2021, but it will not be 100% identical. It is safe to say that the car will be powered by the same 1.5-litre NA engine as the sedan we have here, instead of the aforementioned 1.0-litre turbo engine here.
While the Petrol variants of the City in Malaysia (V, E and S) are powered by the new 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC powertrain and a CVT producing 121 PS and 145 Nm, the upcoming RS e:HEV variant will be powered by an intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) powertrain that 109 PS and 253 Nm of torque.
We are still awaiting the arrival of the City RS hybrid that is slated to take place in January 2021, and for all we know, Honda Malaysia could launch both the City RS sedan alongside the City Hatchback, but nothing is certain as of now.
However, what we do know is that the Honda City Hatchback is here to succeed the Honda Jazz in this part of the world, meaning that the funky all-new Honda Jazz we saw at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show will not make it to Thailand, let alone Malaysia.
Come to think of it, it would not be a surprise if at all Honda Malaysia confirms that the City Hatchback will take the place of the Jazz in Malaysia moving forward, as it is going to be impossible to sell the all-new Jazz at an affordable price here, as it is quite futuristic, tech-laden, and of course fully imported.
Whether Honda Malaysia’s plant in Pegoh, Melaka is ready to locally assemble the all-new Jazz is another question.
So, just like other cool import Hondas that find their way here through grey importers like the Honda N-Box and the Honda S660, the all-new Jazz is most likely to go through the same fate – reconditioned and sold at some nonsensical price.
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