City Hatchback Large Project Leader Rei Sakamoto said the City Hatchback and City sedan were developed together so the Japanese car maker could maximise on production efficiency.
"As there was strong demand for premium hatchbacks in the Asia-Oceania market, Honda decided to offer the City Hatchback in that region," he said during a livestream interview in conjunction with the introduction of the City Hatchback in Malaysia.
Sakamoto.
The City Hatchback was launched on Tuesday and comes in four variants of S, E, V and RS e:HEV hybrid.
The S, E and V variants are available immediately and priced at RM75,670, RM83,080 and RM87,860 respectively.
Prices are on-the-road without insurance but include sales tax exemption.
The top variant RS e:HEV is only available early next year and the price of the car would be announced closer to delivery period.
The City Hatchback and the fifth-generation City sedan share the same underpinnings and key equipment such as powertrain, and safety and convenience features.
The City Hatchback also has the same wheelbase and width with the sedan except the hatchback is 204mm shorter and uses a large tailgate design.
"The City Hatchback and City sedan use the same suspension design but the City Hatchback has a sportier setting," Sakamoto said.
Both models use front MacPherson struts and rear torsion beam suspension system.
The rear wheels of the City Hatchback also feature a slight negative camber to give better stability to the vehicle.
Although the slight negative camber may result in minor uneven tyre wear, Sakamoto said such wear would still be within tolerance.
The petrol and hybrid powertrain of the City Hatchback are also the top performers of their classes, resulting in a hatchback that is agile and fun-to-drive.
The S, E and V variants of the City Hatchback are equipped with a 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine that produces 121PS and 145Nm of torque mated to a continuous variable transmission.
Meanwhile, the RS e:HEV hybrid comes with a 1.5-litre Atkinson cycle DOHC i-VTEC engine coupled to an e-CVT and an electric traction motor.
The engine delivers 98PS and 127Nm of torque while the electric motor whips out 109PS and 253Nm of torque.
The hybrid powertrain delivers a new level of driving experience with a seamless and smooth acceleration as well as excellent fuel efficiency.
The RS e:HEV starts on electric power until it reaches high speeds where the petrol engine takes over.
The S and E variants have a commendable 0-100kph sprint time of 10.7 seconds and a top speed of 195kph.
The V variant, while having the same 0-100kph dash time of 10.7 with the S and E variants, it has a tad lower top speed of 194kph.
The RS e:HEV has the fastest acceleration of 9.7 seconds but its top speed plateaus at 175kph.
The City Hatchback also carries over the Honda Jazz's versatile 4-Modes Ultra Seats that can be configured into Utility, Long, Tall or Refresh modes.
The Ultra Seats allow owners to use various modes to maximise luggage carrying capacity or for lounging in the car.
Owners can also spice up their City Hatchback with four accessories packages of Modulo, Urban, Utility and Protection.
The Modulo Package, priced at RM3,825, comes with four spoilers for the front, side and tailgate.
The Urban Package, costing at RM1,719, offers the door visors, foot lighting, rear panel lining cover and side step illumination.
The Utility Package, sold at RM458, consists of a cargo tray, trunk organiser and reflective door films, while the Protection Package, which comprises ultra glass body coating, ultra window coating and wheel lock nuts comes at RM3,007.
Also available is the Honda recommended digital video recorder for front and rear recording at RM1,149 and Ray Barrier window film packages ranging from RM1,617 to RM2,275.
